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Historian’s Office, Martyrdom Account, Draft

Source Note

Historian’s Office, martyrdom account, draft; handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw,
Leo Hawkins

19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...

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, and
Thomas Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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; 57 pages plus several inserted pages; CHL.
For more information on the History Drafts, see Introduction to History Drafts, 1844–1856.

Historical Introduction

The “Historian’s Office, Martyrdom Account, Draft,” and the “Historian’s Office, Martyrdom Account” are the two complete, extant iterations of efforts by later church historians to record the murder of JS and
Hyrum Smith

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

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, including the events leading up to their deaths and the immediate aftermath. As stated at the beginning of both accounts, the information was compiled from a number of different sources, including other journals, letters, and various other documents. It was put into a cohesive narrative during the 1850s by Church Historian’s Office clerks
Leo Hawkins

19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...

View Full Bio
, Jonathan Grimshaw, and
Thomas Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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, presumably under the direction of the church historian,
George A. Smith

26 June 1817–1 Sept. 1875. Born at Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., New York. Son of John Smith and Clarissa Lyman. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph H. Wakefield, 10 Sept. 1832, at Potsdam. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio,...

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.
Hawkins

19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...

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was the initial scribe for approximately the first half of “Historian’s Office, Martyrdom Account, Draft,” and Grimshaw was the primary scribe for the remainder. Sometimes slips of paper were attached to pages of the draft with additional or alternative text to be included with a specific page. Page 12 of the draft has a notation by Grimshaw indicating that previously drafted text was to be added to the draft; instead of copying the text, he simply inserted a whole leaf into the draft. This leaf, in
Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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’s handwriting, contains various numbered vignettes. It appears to be part of a larger collection of vignettes, as it is paginated “5” and “6,” and is likely the surviving portion of an earlier iteration of the martyrdom account by Thomas Bullock. The remainder of Bullock’s effort is not extant.
“Historian’s Office, Martyrdom Account,” which is a more final copy written primarily by Grimshaw in the mid-1850s, similarly has slips of papers attached. It also includes several leaves that were physically removed from “Martyrdom Account, Draft”; these leaves were renumbered to match the pagination of the copy: pages 7–10 in the draft became pages 11–14 in the more final copy; pages 13–14 became 19–20; most extensively, pages 19–52 became 27–60; and finally, page 57, the last page of the draft, became page 73 in the new version. Although these leaves are cataloged with the more final copy, this website presents the pages both in the draft, as originally paginated, and in the more final copy, with the new pagination. Two additional items were added at the end of the more final copy. A bifolium paginated as “75” and “2” and written on the back of a printed Utah Territory legal form gives an account of the arrival of the bodies of JS and Hyrum Smith in Nauvoo as well as the funeral and burial. It was written by Grimshaw and edited by
Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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from information given by
Dimick B. Huntington

26 May 1808–1 Feb. 1879. Farmer, blacksmith, shoemaker, constable, coroner, deputy sheriff, Indian interpreter. Born at Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York. Son of William Huntington and Zina Baker. Married Fannie Maria Allen, 28 Apr. 1830. Baptized into Church...

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. On the final leaf, which is torn and is paginated “76,” Bullock drafted an introduction to a passage from
Thomas Ford

5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...

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’s History of Illinois, with instructions to include the passage from Ford’s history in the martyrdom account.
Both the draft and the more final copy were edited by
Hawkins

19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...

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, Grimshaw, and
Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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. It is not clear when the edits were made. The more final copy of the account appears to be what was used in 1856 when the final version was copied into the last volume of the Joseph Smith’s multivolume manuscript history (JS History, vol. F-1, 147, 151–204).

Page 26

-[copy]- expenses [blank]
W. Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

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<​made​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


copied <​copies​>

Thomas Bullock wrote an “s” over the “d” in “copied”, thus changing “copied” to “copies”.


<​of​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


the orders of <​Gen. <​Joseph​> Smith as Mayor to Marshal
Jno P. Greene

3 Sept. 1793–10 Sept. 1844. Farmer, shoemaker, printer, publisher. Born at Herkimer, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of John Coddington Greene and Anna Chapman. Married first Rhoda Young, 11 Feb. 1813. Moved to Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, 1814; to Brownsville...

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, and as Lieut General to Major Genl
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...

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​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


the Mayor and Lieutenant General, to the Marshal and Major General.
Joseph said <​remarked,​>

Cancellation and insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


I have had a good deal of anxiety about my safety <​since I left
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
​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


, which I never did <​had​>

Cancellation and insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


before <​when I was under arrest​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


. I could not help <​these feelings which <​and they​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


have depressed me.​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


<​-[Insert T&S page 2]-​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


Most of the forenoon was spent by
Dan Jones

4 Aug. 1811–6 Jan. 1862. Steamboat owner and captain, farmer, mayor. Born in Flintshire, Wales. Son of Thomas Jones and Ruth. Married Jane Melling, 3 Jan. 1837, in Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales. Immigrated to U.S., ca. 1840. Moved to Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois...

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, and Col.
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...

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in hewing with a penknife, a warped door to get it on the latch; thus preparing to fortify <​the place​> against <​any​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


night attack. The prophet and
patriarch

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

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, and all <​their friends​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


took turns preaching to the guards; several of whom were relieved before their time was out; because they admitted they were proselyted to the belief <​convinced​>

Cancellation and insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


of the innocence of the prisoners which rendered them incompetent of guarding. They frequently admitted they had been imposed upon, and more than once it was heard “Let us go home, boys, for I will not fight <​any longer​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.


against these men.” <​-[Insert No 8. page 2.]-​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


<​During the day
Hyrum

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

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encouraged Joseph to think that the Lord for his
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 sake would release him from prison. Joseph replied, “could my brother
Hyrum

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

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but be liberated it would not matter so much about me; poor
[Sidney] Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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, I am glad he is gone to
Pittsburgh

Also spelled Pittsbourg, Pittsbourgh, and Pittsburg. Major industrial port city in southwestern Pennsylvania. Near location where Monongahela and Allegheny rivers converge to form Ohio River. French established Fort Du Quesne, 1754. British captured fort,...

More Info
out of the way; were he to preside he would lead the Church to destruction in less than five years.”
Dr. [Willard] Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

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was busily engaged writing as dictated by the prophet, and
Elder [John] Taylor

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodist church and was local preacher. Migrated ...

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amused him by singing. -[Insert No 15]-​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


<​
Jones

4 Aug. 1811–6 Jan. 1862. Steamboat owner and captain, farmer, mayor. Born in Flintshire, Wales. Son of Thomas Jones and Ruth. Married Jane Melling, 3 Jan. 1837, in Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales. Immigrated to U.S., ca. 1840. Moved to Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois...

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​>

Insertion written vertically over the preceding paragraph in the center of the page, apparently indicating that this information came from Dan Jones; handwriting of Leo Hawkins.


<​Joseph related his dream about
Wm [Law]

8 Sept. 1809–12/19 Jan. 1892. Merchant, millwright, physician. Born in Co. Tyrone, 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...

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&
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....

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; also his dream about trying to save a steamboat in a storm.​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


<​(T&S)​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


Some one of the Counsel for the prosecution, expressed a wish to
Esq— Reid

8 Oct. 1811–21 Aug. 1874. Farmer, lawyer, land developer, railroad owner and operator. Born in what became Union Co., Indiana. Son of James Reid and Ann Thompson. Graduated from Indiana College, 1837. Admitted to Indiana bar, 1839. Moved to Fort Madison, ...

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, that the prisoners should be brought out of jail for examination <​on the charge of treason​>

Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.


; they were <​he was​> answered that the [p. 26]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 26

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Historian’s Office, Martyrdom Account, Draft
ID #
8641
Total Pages
72
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Leo Hawkins
  • Thomas Bullock
  • Jonathan Grimshaw

Footnotes

  1. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  2. new scribe logo

    Thomas Bullock wrote an “s” over the “d” in “copied”, thus changing “copied” to “copies”.

  3. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  4. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  5. new scribe logo

    Cancellation and insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  6. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  7. new scribe logo

    Cancellation and insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  8. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  9. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  10. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  11. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  12. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  13. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  14. new scribe logo

    Cancellation and insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  15. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Thomas Bullock.

  16. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  17. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  18. new scribe logo

    Insertion written vertically over the preceding paragraph in the center of the page, apparently indicating that this information came from Dan Jones; handwriting of Leo Hawkins.

  19. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  20. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

  21. new scribe logo

    Insertion in the handwriting of Jonathan Grimshaw.

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