Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers, 16 May–27 June 1844
The charter
for the city of , Illinois, enacted
in December 1840 to take effect in February 1841, allowed for the
formation of a unit of the state militia in
Nauvoo. On 3
February 1841, the city council passed an ordinance officially
organizing the . On the following day, JS and other commissioned officers of the Illinois state
militia elected the general officers of the legion. Additional positions were subsequently
created and filled.
The Nauvoo
Legion was headed by a lieutenant general, with a major general as
second-in-command. Under the major general were two brigades, or
cohorts, each headed by a brigadier general. The first cohort consisted
of two cavalry regiments and the second cohort of five infantry and
artillery regiments (commanded by colonels). The regiments were
subdivided further into battalions (commanded by a lieutenant colonel or
a major) and then companies (commanded by a captain). Officers retained
their rank status unless they were terminated by resignation, death, or
cashiering out of the Nauvoo Legion. At times when officers of the
legion were absent or had been cashiered from the legion but not
officially replaced, persons in lower ranks could be appointed to act
temporarily in their place.
Some of the
Nauvoo Legion’s highest-ranking officers were absent during the period
covered in this volume. was suspended as
the major general of the legion on 29 April 1844 and was presumably
cashiered on or about 9 May 1844 for “unbecoming conduct.” , the brigadier
general commanding the Second Cohort, was ordered to temporarily take
Law’s place. After serving in Law’s place for a short time, Rich left
Nauvoo on 14 May to serve a mission as part of JS’s presidential campaign. He was absent in June 1844 when
the legion was called upon to help destroy the Nauvoo
Expositor’s printing equipment and to defend against mob
violence. , who normally commanded
the Fourth Regiment of the Second Cohort of the legion at the rank of
colonel, was appointed to fill the role of major general
temporarily.
, the brigadier general commanding the First
Cohort, was also gone during June 1844 on a mission as part of JS’s
presidential campaign.
In June 1844, the Second Cohort added a sixth regiment,
which appears to have been created as an emergency measure to help
protect the city from mob violence. This regiment, referred to as the
“Volunteer Silver Greys,” apparently consisted of those who were too old
for regular militia duty, meaning older than forty-five years of
age.
The
following chart identifies the lieutenant general, major general,
brigadier generals, and colonels of the Nauvoo Legion from 16 May
through 27 June 1844; it does not note the generals’ staffs or the
officers who commanded the legion’s battalions and companies. The names
of persons who were absent and therefore unable to fulfill their duties
are followed by an asterisk (*); the dates their offices were left
vacant are given in parentheses. The names of persons who filled those
offices with acting ranks are followed by a dagger (†); their official
rank and, when known, the dates they held their acting ranks are given
in parentheses.
| 16 May–27 June 1844 | |
| Lieutenant general | Joseph Smith |
| Major general | [vacant] |
| †* (brigadier general; 29 April–14 May 1844; absent 14 May–28 July 1844) | |
| † (colonel; 10–27 June 1844) | |
| First Cohort | |
| Brigadier general | * (absent 6 May–ca. August 1844) |
| † (colonel; 18 June 1844) | |
| John S. Gleason† (colonel; 27 June 1844) | |
| First Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Second Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Second Cohort | |
| Brigadier general | * (absent 14 May–28July 1844) |
| † (colonel; 17, 19, and 22 June 1844) | |
| † (colonel; 18 and 27 June 1844) | |
| First Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Second Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Third Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Fourth Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Fifth Regiment | |
| Colonel | |
| Sixth Regiment | |
| Colonel | |