Skip to main content

Minutes, 10 June 1844

  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

Minutes, 10 June 1844

Source Note

Nauvoo City Council, Minutes, [, Hancock Co., IL], 10 June 1844. Featured version copied [ca. 10 June 1844] in Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 10 Feb. 1844–13 Jan. 1845, pp. 19–[31]; handwriting of ; Nauvoo, IL, Records, 1841–1845, CHL. Includes use marks. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, Feb. 1844–Jan. 1845.

Historical Introduction

On 10 June 1844, the , Illinois, city council met to consider what action it should take in response to the publication of the Nauvoo Expositor. The first issue of this newspaper was published on 7 June. The city council subsequently gathered on 8 June for its regularly scheduled meeting and, among other things, heard from witnesses JS had brought in to testify about the character of certain individuals associated with the Expositor. During this meeting, JS stated his belief that the newspaper and its proprietors intended to destroy the peace in Nauvoo and that it was not safe to have this type of publication in the city, as it could lead to mob violence. Moreover, he explained that his statements and the testimony of the witnesses were meant to prepare the city council to act on the matter. In particular, JS urged the city council to pass an ordinance against libels, and city councilor and , who was a city councilor as well as the city’s attorney, received the assignment to craft this legislation. Later during the meeting, Phelps read a draft of the libel ordinance, and JS and city councilor requested certain additions to it. The council then adjourned until 10 June.
The city council held two sessions on 10 June, most likely in the . The first session lasted from ten o’clock in the morning until shortly after one o’clock in the afternoon, when the council adjourned for a recess. At half past two o’clock in the afternoon, the second session began, and it lasted until a little after six o’clock in the evening. During these sessions, the city council heard additional testimony about various men connected to the Nauvoo Expositor and unanimously approved the newest draft of the libel ordinance. At JS’s suggestion, the city council also discussed the possibility of suppressing the Nauvoo Expositor. Most of the council’s members expressed their approval of this course of action. Only , a city councilor who was not a member of the , urged caution and suggested instead giving the proprietors “a few days” notice to desist publishing the alleged libels and assessing heavy fines for noncompliance. After deliberating, the city council rejected Warrington’s suggestion. It then passed a resolution declaring the Expositor a nuisance and ordering JS as mayor to remove any printing equipment and copies of the newspaper found in its office in a manner of his choosing.
City recorder appears to have taken notes during the 10 June city council meeting on loose leaves of paper, one of which is still extant. It seems he then used these notes to craft the minutes of the 10 June city council meeting, which he recorded in the city council’s rough minute book. Later, on 15 and 16 June, Richards prepared a revised version of the minutes for the 8 and 10 June meetings focused on the city council’s deliberations regarding the Nauvoo Expositor. The Nauvoo Neighbor then published the revised version of the minutes in its extra issue dated 17 June and its regular issue dated 19 June. The version in the 19 June issue is identical to the version in the extra, except for some stylistic and clarifying changes. The 10 June minutes that Richards recorded in the city council’s rough minute book are featured here, with significant differences between them and the version published in the Neighbor’s 17 June extra noted.

Footnotes

  1. Nauvoo Expositor, 7 June 1844, [1]; see also Historical Introduction to Minutes, 8 June 1844.

  2. Minutes, 8 June 1844.

  3. Ordinance, 10 June 1844.

  4. Resolution, 10 June 1844.

  5. This loose leaf rests between pages [22] and [23] of Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, Feb. 1844–Jan. 1845.

  6. Richards, Journal, 15–16 June 1844. A synopsis for a portion of the manuscript version of the 8 June minutes is extant; however, the manuscript version of the last portion of the 8 June minutes and the entirety of the 10 June minutes has not been located. (Synopsis of Nauvoo City Council Proceedings, 8 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  7. “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1]; “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 19 June 1844, [2]–[3].

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Minutes, 10 June 1844, Partial Draft Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, February 1844–January 1845 *Minutes, 10 June 1844 Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, February 1844–January 1845 Minutes, 10 June 1844, Extract, as Published in Nauvoo Neighbor Revised Minutes, 17 June 1844 Revised Minutes, 17 June 1844, as Published in Nauvoo Neighbor History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”
<​​> understood <​it was​> for the purpose of having an intervi[e]w an on some matters in contention. asked the Gen if he had any objecti[o]ns to his s coming down.— the Gen replied he had not. but wanted he should be pres[e]nt.— started and said he would be back shortly. before left the men whom the General had nam[e]d to be presnt at the convesatin had were sent for.— went in as the Mayor & were coming out of the Bar room into the Hall. nothing said by the Mayor to ab[o]ut his coming back. Mayor made no offers to abut a settlem[en]t.
Mayor said the fi[r]st thing that occurrd when he stepped into the Hall with . he saw something shin[in]g below his vest.— Mayor put his finger on it. and said what is that. repli[e]d it is my pistol and immediately took out the pistol and showed it fairly & openly.— & wanted Mayor to go with him alone. Mayor said he would not go alone.— never saw the pistol before. had a hook on the side to hang on his suspnders. waistband
. sworn— read his state[me]nts. Marked A. No 1. on File.—
who was sworn— at the last council— <​on satu[r]day—​> said.— Stated that he he came to .— before the Laws and brought much <​considerable​> p[r]operty. it was just before after the was driven from & arriv[e]d in this place. The families. having been robb[e]d of all in were in a sta[r]ving condition. [p. [22]]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 10 June 1844
ID #
17544
Total Pages
13
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

Footnotes

  1. The published version of the city council minutes renders this word as “conversation.” (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  2. This passage was altered in the published version of the city council minutes to read “The Dr’s. Bro. was proposed.” (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  3. Foster’s brother Charles A. Foster had a tumultuous relationship with JS in 1844. (See Historical Introduction to Pleas, ca. 27 May 1844.)

  4. TEXT: Willard Richards inscribed an insertion mark here, after “left”, but then inserted “Foster” before “left”.

  5. This passage is clarified in the published version of the city council minutes. It reads “cross examined witness went into the house as Mayor and Dr. Foster were coming out of the Bar Room into the Hall.” (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  6. The published version of the city council minutes adds the phrase “was that he [Foster] wanted to assasinate him” to the end of this passage. (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  7. The published version of the city council minutes uses “waist-coat” in the place of “waistband.” (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  8. Lamoreaux’s written statement complained that Foster behaved inappropriately toward certain women in late 1839 and early 1840. His testimony was embedded into the published version of the city council minutes. (Andrew Lamoreaux, Statement, 10 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL; “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  9. Haws was sworn as a witness at the city council meeting held on 8 June 1844. While the original wording of this passage suggests that Haws testified on 10 June, the revised wording seems to indicate that he testified on 8 June and Willard Richards inserted the testimony into the 10 June minutes. A loose leaf that was preserved with the 10 June minutes apparently contains a record of testimony Haws gave on 10 June, establishing that at least some of Haws’s testimony was given on that date. The published version of the city council minutes provides no indication that Haws testified on 8 June but instead presents the entirety of his testimony as being given on 10 June. (Minutes, 8 June 1844; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 10 June 1844, loose leaf; “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  10. William Law moved to Commerce (later Nauvoo) in 1839. His brother Wilson Law may have moved to the area at about the same time. (JS History, vol. C-1, 972.)

  11. The Latter-day Saints were forcibly expelled from Missouri in early 1839 and that same year purchased land in the Commerce area of Hancock County, Illinois, where they later founded Nauvoo. (“Part 3: 4 November 1838–16 April 1839”; “Part 4: 24 April–12 August 1839.”)

Go to page