, “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 29
people met,— Several hundred in number, and plainly manifested a full determination to carry on the work of destruction. Some four or five of the leading Mormons offered to their lives if they would spare the church; but they answered no! every man should answer for his own life, or leave the .
The Mormons agreed to leave, and this appeased their wrath for that time. A part was to leave in the spring January and a part in the spring. This agreement having been made in duress, the Mormons considered it illegal and not binding, and supposed that the or authorities would protect them if applied to, and not suffer them to be driven off in that manner. Here let me remark, that up to this time, the Mormons had not so much as lifted a finger <even> in their own defence, so tenacious were they for the precepts of the gospel “turn the other cheek.” Between two and three months passed off in peace, when towards the last of October, a petition was drawn up and circulated in the church, praying the for protection. But he said we must appeal to the civil law for redress. This we tried but found it of no use; for as soon as the people found out that we had petitioned the for protection, and [p. 29]