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Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers, August–December 1843

Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers, August–December 1843

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 created and staffed at various points between 1841 and 1843.

The Nauvoo Legion was headed by a lieutenant general, with a major general under him. 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 (regiments were commanded by colonels). The regiments were subdivided into battalions (commanded by a lieutenant colonel or a major) and then companies (commanded by a captain). Officers retained their rank 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.

The following chart identifies the lieutenant general, major general, brigadier generals, and colonels of the Nauvoo Legion during the period covered in this volume; it does not include the general officers’ staffs.

August–December 1843
Lieutenant General	Joseph Smith 4 Commissioned on 10 March 1841. (Commission from Thomas Carlin, 10 Mar. 1841.)
Major General	Wilson Law 26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co.... View Full Bio 5 Elected on 3 August 1842. (Stout, History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, p. [5]). Comprehensive Works Cited Stout, Hosea. History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, ca. 1844–1845. Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 10. One of three drafts of the history; includes material dated 4 February 1841 through September 1843. Pages are out of order; in the current order, this draft includes pp. [1]–[4], [13]–[14].
Brigadier General (First Cohort)	George Miller 25 Nov. 1794–after July 1856. Carpenter, mill operator, lumber dealer, steamboat owner. Born near Stanardsville, Orange Co., Virginia. Son of John Miller and Margaret Pfeiffer. Moved to Augusta Co., Virginia, 1798; to Madison Co., Kentucky, 1806; to Boone... View Full Bio (absent circa October 1842–March 1844) 6 Miller was elected on 23 September 1842, but did not receive his commission until 27 April 1843. Miller spent nearly eighteen months overseeing the church’s logging camps and lumber mills in Wisconsin Territory, returning to Nauvoo on a few occasions to deliver lumber. (Wilson Law, Nauvoo, IL, to Moses K. Anderson, Springfield, IL, 24 Apr. 1843, Illinois Governor’s Correspondence, 1816–1852, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; Nauvoo Legion, Hancock Co., Illinois State Militia Commission Records, 1834–1855, vol. 14, p. 1163, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; Stout, History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, p. [5]; Mills, “De Tal Palo Tal Astilla,” 93, 95; George Miller, St. James, MI, to “Dear Brother,” 27 June 1855, in Northern Islander, 23 Aug. 1855, [1]–[2]; JS, Journal, 8 Mar. 1844.) Comprehensive Works Cited Military Correspondence, 1839–1844. Microfilm. CHL. MS 8716. Illinois State Militia Commission Records, 1834–1855. Illinois State Archives, Springfield. Stout, Hosea. History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, ca. 1844–1845. Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 10. One of three drafts of the history; includes material dated 4 February 1841 through September 1843. Pages are out of order; in the current order, this draft includes pp. [1]–[4], [13]–[14]. Mills, H. W. “De Tal Palo Tal Astilla.” Annual Publications Historical Society of Southern California 10 (1917): 86–174. Northern Islander. St. James, MI. 1850–1856.
	Stephen Markham 9 Feb. 1800–10 Mar. 1878. Carpenter, farmer, stock raiser. Born at Rush (later Avon), Ontario Co., New York. Son of David Markham and Dinah Merry. Moved to Mentor, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1809. Moved to Unionville, Geauga Co., 1810. Married Hannah Hogaboom, before... View Full Bio (colonel, December 1843) 7 Pay Order to William Clayton for Stephen Markham and Charles C. Rich, 9 Dec. 1843.
Colonel of First Regiment	Stephen Markham 9 Feb. 1800–10 Mar. 1878. Carpenter, farmer, stock raiser. Born at Rush (later Avon), Ontario Co., New York. Son of David Markham and Dinah Merry. Moved to Mentor, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1809. Moved to Unionville, Geauga Co., 1810. Married Hannah Hogaboom, before... View Full Bio 8 Elected Colonel on 24 September 1842. (Stout, History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, p. [5].) Comprehensive Works Cited Stout, Hosea. History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, ca. 1844–1845. Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 10. One of three drafts of the history; includes material dated 4 February 1841 through September 1843. Pages are out of order; in the current order, this draft includes pp. [1]–[4], [13]–[14].
Colonel of Second Regiment	George Coulson 9 Elected on 3 July 1841; commissioned 8 July 1842. (Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 68; Stout, History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, p. [2].) Comprehensive Works Cited Stout, Hosea. History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, ca. 1844–1845. Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 10. One of three drafts of the history; includes material dated 4 February 1841 through September 1843. Pages are out of order; in the current order, this draft includes pp. [1]–[4], [13]–[14].
Brigadier General (Second Cohort)	Charles C. Rich 21 Aug. 1809–17 Nov. 1883. Schoolteacher, farmer, cooper. Born in Campbell Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Rich and Nancy O’Neal. Moved to Posey Township, Dearborn Co., Indiana, ca. 1810. Moved to Tazewell Co., Illinois, 1829. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ... View Full Bio 10 Elected on 4 Sept. 1841; commissioned 8 July 1842. (Stout, History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, p. [3]; “Rank Roll, 1843,” Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL; Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 68.) Comprehensive Works Cited Stout, Hosea. History of the Nauvoo Legion, Draft 2, ca. 1844–1845. Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430, fd. 10. One of three drafts of the history; includes material dated 4 February 1841 through September 1843. Pages are out of order; in the current order, this draft includes pp. [1]–[4], [13]–[14]. Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.
Colonel of First Regiment	John Scott 6 May 1811–16 Dec. 1876. Joiner, farmer, military officer. Born in Armagh, Co. Armagh, Ireland. Son of Jacob Scott and Sarah Warnock. Immigrated to York, Upper Canada, ca. May 1819. Moved to Trafalgar, Halton Co., Upper Canada (later in Oakville, Regional... View Full Bio 11 Commissioned on 21 July 1843. (“Rank Roll, 1843,” Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL.) Comprehensive Works Cited Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.
Colonel of Second Regiment	Nelson Higgins 1 Sept. 1806–20 Nov. 1890. Farmer, laborer, justice of the peace. Born at Milford, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Daniel Higgins and Mary Daggett. Married Sarah (Sally) Blackman, ca. 1826, at Fitchville, Huron Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ... View Full Bio 12 Commissioned on 30 July 1842. (“Rank Roll, 1843,” Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL.) Comprehensive Works Cited Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.
Colonel of Third Regiment	Henry J. Young 13 Commissioned on 15 April 1843. (“Rank Roll, 1843,” Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL.) Comprehensive Works Cited Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.
Colonel of Fourth Regiment	Jonathan Dunham 14 Jan. 1800–28 July 1845. Soldier, police captain. Born in Paris, Oneida Co., New York. Son of Jonathan Dunham. Married Mary Kendall. Moved to Rushford, Allegany Co., New York, by 1830. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ordained... View Full Bio 14 Commissioned on 2 April 1842. (“Rank Roll, 1843,” Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL.) Comprehensive Works Cited Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.
Colonel of Fifth Regiment	Hosea Stout 18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to... View Full Bio 15 Commissioned on 23 June 1843. (“Rank Roll, 1843,” Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL.) Comprehensive Works Cited Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.

Nauvoo Legion Senior Officers, August–December 1843

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