Footnotes
This serialized history drew on the journals herein beginning with the 4 July 1855 issue of the Deseret News and with the 3 January 1857 issue of the LDS Millennial Star.
The labels on the spines of the four volumes read respectively as follows: “Joseph Smith’s Journal—1842–3 by Willard Richards” (book 1); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843” (book 2); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843–4” (book 3); and “W. Richards’ Journal 1844 Vol. 4” (book 4). Richards kept JS’s journal in the front of book 4, and after JS’s death Richards kept his own journal in the back of the volume.
“Schedule of Church Records, Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
“Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [1]; “Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office G. S. L. City July 1858,” 2; “Index of Records and Journals in the Historian’s Office 1878,” [11]–[12], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Johnson, Register of the Joseph Smith Collection, 7.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.
Footnotes
Historical Introduction to JS, Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842.
Source Note to JS, Journal, 1835–1836; Source Note to JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.
See Appendix 3.
Only one letter of this date from Hyrum Smith to a member of the Twelve—Brigham Young— has been located. In this letter, Smith directed Young to “communicate to the others of the Twelve” who, like Young, were in the East proselytizing and campaigning for JS as a candidate in the upcoming 1844 presidential election. This directive, coupled with William Clayton’s report that he “wrote a letter for Hyrum to the Twelve,” suggests that only one letter was written. However, Richards listed the members of the Twelve in the East, alongside their specific locations, on the letter’s cover, which suggests Smith may have intended the letter to be copied and sent to each member. In the letter, Smith reviewed the growing threats of violence against the church in Illinois and advised Young to return to Nauvoo “without delay” with other members of the Twelve and other missionaries from Nauvoo who were also preaching and campaigning in the East, as well as with “as many more good faithful men as feel disposed to come.” Smith also suggested that those coming to Nauvoo pack “a little powder, lead and a good Rifle” in their luggage and closed by telling Young that “there must be no excuses made, for wisdom says that a strict compliance with this request will be for our safety and welfare.” Three days later, on 20 June, JS evidently appended a brief note to Hyrum Smith’s letter. When, or even if, the letter was sent is unclear. Although a notation on the cover of the copy of the letter says that the letter was “sent by express by A. M York”—identified by the compilers of JS’s history as Aaron M. York—“to the Ill. River,” Vilate Murray Kimball wrote her husband, apostle Heber C. Kimball, on 24 June 1844 that she had heard from George J. Adams that JS had decided to not send for the Twelve. In any event, Young evidently had not received the letter by 9 July 1844, when he first heard rumors of JS’s and Hyrum Smith’s deaths. (Hyrum Smith and JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Brigham Young, Boston, MA, 17 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL, underlining in original; Clayton, Journal, 17 June 1844; Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 20 June 1844; Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 98; Vilate Murray Kimball, Nauvoo, IL, to Heber C. Kimball, Baltimore, MD, 9 and 24 June 1844, Kimball Family Correspondence, CHL.)
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Historian’s Office. Brigham Young History Drafts, 1856–1858. CHL. CR 100 475, box 1, fd. 5.
Kimball Family Correspondence, 1838–1871. CHL. MS 6241.
John Smith had written to JS the previous day, introducing “two faithful Brethren” who would inform JS of the activities of the enemies of the church in the Macedonia area. Smith also asked JS to “communicate in writing” his counsel to the Saints there and assured him that “the Breth[r]en in these parts . . . may be relied on.” In his dictated response, JS told Smith that the Mormons in his area should defend themselves “to the very last” and “retreat to Nauvoo” if necessary. JS suggested that the Macedonia Saints might provide “a little annoyance upon the rear” of the mob in the event of an attack on Nauvoo and told Smith to petition Illinois governor Thomas Ford for help, “that by our continual wearing we may get him to come in and investigate the whole matter.” (John Smith, Macedonia, IL, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 16 June 1844; JS, Nauvoo, IL, to John Smith, [Macedonia, IL], 17 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; Clayton, Journal, 17 June 1844.)
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
TEXT: Possibly “M.”
According to published minutes of the trial, Stephen Perry also stood trial. The defendants, most of whom had been discharged earlier at two habeas corpus hearings before the Nauvoo Municipal Court, submitted themselves for trial before Wells on what they believed to be the advice of Jesse Thomas, given the previous day. The court’s ruling followed a lengthy examination of witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense. None provided testimony that the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor press was accompanied by disorderly behavior or language. (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 21 June 1844; JS, Journal, 12, 13, and 16 June 1844.)
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
This man is identified as Philip B. Lewis in Richards, Journal, 26 June 1844.
Bills was a brigade major of the Second Cohort of the Nauvoo Legion. (Major General’s Office, Nauvoo Legion, Nauvoo, IL, to M. K. Anderson, Springfield, IL, 24 Apr. 1843, Illinois Governor’s Correspondence, 1816–1852, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; “Notice,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 4 Sept. 1844, [3].)
Illinois Governor’s Correspondence, 1816–1852. Illinois State Archives, Springfield.
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
The name of Thomas Wilson was likely meant to be inserted here.
On Sunday, the previous day, JS had written a letter to Illinois governor Ford, informing him of threats against the Mormons and asking that he come and investigate. Thomas Wilson had testified in an affidavit that he had heard that 1,500 Missourians and militia companies from Adams County were on their way to Nauvoo to arrest JS and Hyrum Smith. (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 16 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; Thomas Wilson, Affidavit, Hancock Co., IL, 16 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL; JS, Journal, 16 June 1844.)
This possibly refers to the minutes of the Nauvoo City Council meeting in which the Nauvoo Expositor press was declared a nuisance and which JS may have wanted Ford to have. (Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 10 June 1844, 19–31; “To the Public,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844; “To the Public,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 19 June 1844, [2]–[3].)
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
In his affidavit, which he made before Willard Richards, Markham testified that reports in newspapers and “various precincts” indicated that a mob “may be expected to make an immediate attack of the citizens and city of Nauvoo.” (Stephen Markham, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 17 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.)
JS’s order was instead directed to Nauvoo marshal John P. Greene. The order referenced reports that a mob was gathering to attack the city and instructed Greene to “preserve the peace . . . according to the provisions of the cha[r]ter and the laws of the state.” Greene was to coordinate his efforts with the Nauvoo police and Nauvoo Legion. (JS, Proclamation to John P. Greene, 17 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.)