, “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.
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< which it had been got up; for the ticket democratic and the Mormons as indivi duals are almost universally of that party. There was some murmuring and finding fault after the election by those opposed to the proceedings, but this was soon put down by the Danite influence.>
<Election in . Unhappy affray. Excitement. Expedition to . . Smith and . Public meeting in . The Sheriff. Gathering in . Trials before .>
<The election in> was not conducted in this manner. Every man there voted as he pleased, but an unhappy affray took place there. Feelings existed as I observed before between the Mormons and other citizens on account of their settling the new town and filling up the so fast. a citizen and candidate, on seeing that the Mormons were not going for him, made a flaming speech on election day in which he said that they Mormons ought not to be suffered to vote. I was informed, however, that they were not prohibited; but still the feelings became somewhat excited on both sides, though there was but little said untill one of the Mormons and one of the citizens got into a conversation in which they gave each other the lie. The citizen struck the Mormon, and followed him up for another blow, when he was met by another Mormon who knocked him down. From this one after another on both sides, fell into the ranks, and a general conflict was the result. Some were badly hurt from clubs and boards that were used on both sides. The Mormons got the better, I believe, I believe in that affray; but left the polls I was told soon after it was over. This affray increased the [p. 60]