, “Brief History,” Manuscript, ca. 6 April 1838– ca. 26 January 1839; handwriting of and an unidentified scribe; seventy pages numbered 20–90, plus three unnumbered pages; John Fletcher Darby Papers, Missouri History Museum Archives, St. Louis.
, a careful observer, had enjoyed a close association with Mormon leaders, and consequently his account provides valuable insights into the development and structure of the early church. He summarized many of the doctrines taught by JS and provided a detailed description of the conflict between the Latter-day Saints and other settlers. But his chronicle also related the story of a personal spiritual journey into and then out of the church as came to disapprove of the church’s course in 1838 in Missouri. Yet despite his estrangement from the church and his excommunication in 1839, he retained a degree of sympathy for the Saints and maintained some contact.
apparently began compiling portions of his account while serving as an officially appointed church historian in . He probably completed his narrative by 11 February 1839, when he secured a copyright with the district federal copyright office. He arranged for Thomas Watson & Son of to print A Brief History. The entire print run may have included up to twelve hundred copies.
The document presented here, ’s circa 1838–1839 rough draft of his history, is incomplete. It includes the title page, copyright notice, and preface but is missing twenty-one pages, including the nineteen pages that constitute chapters 1 through 6. The manuscript is almost entirely in Corrill’s handwriting, though some of the chapter summaries (added after he drafted the narrative) were written in a different hand, possibly that of the printer.
’s published version of A Brief History receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website as part of the history series.
Page 78
, together and told them the what the ’s order and required. Smith said if it was the ’s order they would submit and the Lord would take care of them. So we hurried with them as fast as possible to the place appointed. We met with his army but a short distance from town, he had made every arrangement to surround and destroy the Far place. But the prisoners delivered themselves up and with the army and prisoners returned to their camp. These prisoners were to be retained as hostages till morning and then if they did not agree to the proposal they were to be set at liberty again, I suppose they agreed to the proposals, for they were not set at liberty. Next morning marched his army near to town and Marched out the Mormons who gave up their arms about six hundred guns beside sword and pistols, and surrendered themselves as prisoners. I would here remark that a few days previous to this, news had frequently come to that they were soon to be attacted and destroyed so the of the county court had ordered with the militia to guard the against invasions. they They turned out and organized under this order and in this situation surrendered to . was sent to A guard was place[d] around to keep all things secure, and with an army was sent to [p. 78]