, History, Manuscript, ca. 1839; handwriting of ; nineteen pages (several additional leaves missing); CHL.
Historical Introduction
While incarcerated at , Missouri, in March 1839, JS addressed a letter to the Saints and to “ in particular” in which he called for the Saints to gather up “a knoledge of all the facts and sufferings and abuses put upon them” in that they might publish the records “to all the world” and “present them to the heads of the government.” (JS et al., Liberty, MO, to the church members and Edward Partridge, Quincy, IL, 20 Mar. 1839, in Revelations Collection, CHL [D&C 123:1, 6].) Apparently in response to this assignment, Edward Partridge wrote a history that became the first three installments of “A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri,” an eleven-part series published in the church’s newspaper, Times and Seasons, between December 1839 and October 1840.
may have intended to tell the entire story himself, but he fell ill shortly after publication began and died 27 May 1840. Partridge’s manuscript, which he did not title, is provided here. The full text of “A History, of the Persecution,” which necessarily relied on other sources following Partridge’s demise, receives comprehensive treatment in volume 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers and is available on this website.
’s history begins with his account of the conflicts in the early 1830s. Partridge was a bishop of the church in Missouri, first in and then in following the Saints’ expulsion from Jackson County. He also served as bishop in after the Saints relocated there from Clay County in 1836. By the time he drafted his account of the Mormon experiences in Missouri, the Saints had been exiled from the state and had relocated to .
’s narrative is based on firsthand observations and may also have relied on other records he kept. It begins, “In presenting to our readers a history of the persecutions,” indicating that Partridge wrote it for publication purposes. However, there are occasionally significant differences between the manuscript version and “A History, of the Persecution” as published.
The early custodial history of the manuscript is somewhat uncertain. However, the manuscript was presumably among materials in the possession of church historian and recorder Joseph Fielding Smith, who held that office from 1921 to 1970 and who had worked in the Church Historian’s Office many years prior. The manuscript became part of the First Presidency’s papers when Smith became church president in 1970, and, with other records (including Revelation Book 1 and two drafts of JS’s history), was transferred from the First Presidency’s office to the Church History Library in 2005.
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Next morning it was ascertained that there were windows broken in where there were none but women and children; one house in particular which had window shutter had a rail thrust through into the room where there were women and women and children were alone. Seeing that <neither> sex nor age were <safe alone> regarded the families were all moved out of the village that day
The same night an other party of the mob collected about 10 or 12 miles from near a body of the saints— two went to discover the situation of the brn. they came up <near> to the guard when discovering them advanced up to them <when> one of them struck him over the head with his rifle which cut a large gash in his head and nearly knocked him down <but he recovering> and called to his men who were near they took the spies and disarmed armed them of two rifles and three pistols they kept them in custody till morning <then> gave them their arms and let them go without injuring them. The rest of their company were heard at a distance but they dispersed without doing any injury <harm.>— Saturday Nov. 2d. It was concluded to try again for a peace warrant Accordingly application was made to a justice of the peace of by the name of Silvers who resided some distance from town, and who had not as yet joined the mob, especially openly, but he refused to grant a warrant saying that if he did he feared that his life would be in danger. Theythenwent <The next day <4 men were> started> for the Circuit judge 40 miles off and after considerable delay obtained a warrant against a number of individuals: When the warrants arrived it was too late to do any thing with them for the whole was getting up in arms and the saints had as much as they could do to take care of themselves. But to return Saturday night came on and a party of the mob gathered at a went to a settlement of the saints living on <Big> Blue river about six miles west of town they first tore the roof from a house and then injured the furniture within They then divided their company into two parties one went to pulling the roof from another dwelling house whilst the other <party> went to another and broke it open; they found the owner <David Bennet> in bed whom they took and beat unmercifully. [p. [9]]