The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 25 January 1842

Source Note

JS and
John C. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
, General Orders, to
Nauvoo Legion

A contingent of the Illinois state militia provided for in the Nauvoo city charter. The Nauvoo Legion was organized into two cohorts: one infantry and one cavalry. Each cohort could potentially comprise several thousand men and was overseen by a brigadier...

View Glossary
,
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, 25 Jan. 1842. Featured version published in “Nauvoo Legion,” Times and Seasons, 15 Feb. 1842, vol. 3, no. 8, 700–701. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

On 25 January 1842 JS and
John C. Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

View Full Bio
, respectively the lieutenant general and major general of the
Nauvoo Legion

A contingent of the Illinois state militia provided for in the Nauvoo city charter. The Nauvoo Legion was organized into two cohorts: one infantry and one cavalry. Each cohort could potentially comprise several thousand men and was overseen by a brigadier...

View Glossary
, issued orders regarding an inspection and parade of the legion to be held on 7 May. An “independent military” body attached to the
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
state militia, the legion derived from the same December 1840 act that officially organized the city of
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
.
1

Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840.


Soldiers in the legion were required to perform the same duties as members of the regular state militia, which included periodically mustering for reviews such as the inspection and parade planned for the first Saturday in May.
2

See An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 277–278, sec. 15.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Incorporation Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly, Their Session Began and Held at Vandalia, the Third Day of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight. Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1839.

The general orders featured here instructed all of the city’s militia members to attend the review with their weapons and equipment in good order. They also formally invited Illinois governor
Thomas Carlin

18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...

View Full Bio
, as well as local government officials and prominent officers in the Illinois state and
Iowa

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in...

More Info
territorial militias, to attend the event.
The orders were published in the 15 February 1842 issue of the
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
’s
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
newspaper, Times and Seasons, although they are misdated as 1841 therein. If the published orders were based on a handwritten manuscript, that document is apparently not extant. The inspection and parade were held in May 1842 as ordered.
3

See JS, Journal, 7 May 1842.


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840.

  2. [2]

    See An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 277–278, sec. 15.

    Incorporation Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly, Their Session Began and Held at Vandalia, the Third Day of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight. Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1839.

  3. [3]

    See JS, Journal, 7 May 1842.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 25 January 1842
Times and Seasons, 15 February 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 700

NAUVOO LEGION

A contingent of the Illinois state militia provided for in the Nauvoo city charter. The Nauvoo Legion was organized into two cohorts: one infantry and one cavalry. Each cohort could potentially comprise several thousand men and was overseen by a brigadier...

View Glossary
.
Head Quarters, Nauvoo Legion,)
City of
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Ill. Jan. 25th, 1841 [1842].)
GENERAL ORDERS.
All the public arms will be required to be in the best possible condition at the general inspection, and parade, on the 7th of May, proximo, and no deficiency whatever will be countenanced, overlooked, or suffered to pass without fine, on that occasion
1

The Illinois law governing militia service specified what weapons, uniforms, and other equipment the various categories of soldiers should use in the state militia. (An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 270, 276–277, secs. 1, 11–12.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.

—all persons, therefore, holding said arms will take notice, and govern themselves accordingly: and, in order that the general inspection may pass off in a truly military style, alike honorable to the legion, and creditable to the citizen-soldier, the brigadiers are required to attend the battalion parades within their respective commands, and inspect said arms in propria persona, prior to the general parade. [p. 700]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 700

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 25 January 1842
ID #
600
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:115–116
Handwriting on This Page
  • Printed text

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The Illinois law governing militia service specified what weapons, uniforms, and other equipment the various categories of soldiers should use in the state militia. (An Act Organizing the Militia of This State [26 Mar. 1819], Laws . . . of the State of Illinois [1819], pp. 270, 276–277, secs. 1, 11–12.)

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.

© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06