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Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, February 1841–October 1844

Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, Section 25, 16 December 1840 Page 1 Nauvoo City Council, Ordinance, 3 February 1841 Page 2 Minutes, 4 February 1841 • Thursday Page 4 Minutes, 20 February 1841 • Saturday Page 6 Minutes, 2 March 1841 • Tuesday Page 7 Minutes, 9 March 1841 • Tuesday Page 8 Minutes, 12 March 1842 • Saturday Page 10 Resolution, 12 March 1842 Page 16 Minutes, 19 March 1842 • Saturday Page 16 Minutes, 3 June 1842 • Friday Page 16 Minutes, 4 July 1842 • Monday Page 21 Nauvoo City Council, Ordinance, 12 July 1842 Page 21 Minutes, 13 August 1842 • Wednesday Page 22 Minutes, 15 October 1842 • Saturday Page 29 Minutes, 20 May 1843 • Saturday Page 32 Minutes, 10 June 1843 • Saturday Page 34 Minutes, 8 July 1843 • Saturday Page 36 Minutes, 21 October 1843 • Saturday Page 66 Minutes, 25 October 1843 • Wednesday Page 68 Minutes, 4 November 1843 • Saturday Page 68 Recorder’s Note, 8 December 1843 Page 9 Minutes, 13 January 1844 • Saturday Page 70 Minutes, 10 February 1844 • Saturday Page 76 Minutes, 31 August 1844 • Saturday Page 80 Minutes, 20 October 1844 • Sunday Page 82

Source Note

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...

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Court-Martial, Minute Book, 4 Feb. 1841–20 Oct. 1844; handwriting of
Hosea Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

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; eighty-two pages; Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL.
Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, [ca. 8 Dec. 1843]–20 Oct. 1844; handwriting of
Hosea Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

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; 82 pages; Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL. Includes tables, redactions, and archival markings.
Medium-size ledger book measuring 12¾ × 8½ × 1½ inches (32 × 22 × 4 cm). The paper measures 12⅜ × 7¾ inches (31 × 20 cm) and is ruled horizontally with one blue double line and thirty-four single blue lines and vertically with four single red lines and one red double line, demarcating columns. The book contains 180 extant leaves, including one unruled front flyleaf and two unruled back flyleaves. The first eleven ruled leaves compose a tabbed index. The final tabbed leaf was later torn out, along with an unknown number of additional leaves, presumably ten, as the first extant ruled leaf is hand paginated 21. The second front flyleaf was also torn out of the volume. The gatherings were sewn all along. Shell marbled papers, with a blue and black body and red veins, are glued to the inside covers of the boards and to the exterior page of each endpaper. The text block is bound in ledger style to the boards. The boards and spine are covered in brown suede. The front and rear boards are embossed along the edges with vegetal designs. The spine was constructed with four false raised bands demarcating five panels. The second panel, which was painted red, has the word “LEDGER” stamped in gold leaf. The two bands and two panels below the red panel were painted black. Paper labels are glued to the third and fifth panels. The label on the third panel has a handwritten title: “Nauvoo | Legion Min. | 1841–4.” in black ink on lined white paper. There is an archival label glued to the fifth panel that was apparently added later and includes an identification number handwritten in black ink. There is also an archival label affixed to the marbled pastedown on the inside of the front board with archival markings in ink and in graphite.
The first inscription in the book is the headers “Woods” and “Cr.” above two columns on the first extant ruled page following the tabbed index pages, suggesting that the book was originally intended to be an account book. This use was aborted, as evidenced by the removal of the second front flyleaf—which may have contained a title page—as well as the final “XYZ” tabbed index page and the additional ten leaves that would have been paginated 1 through 20. Additionally, none of the extant index pages include any inscription.
Hosea Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

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began inscribing the Nauvoo Legion minutes on the first leaf following the “Woods” account page, beginning pagination anew with the number 1. He apparently added pagination as he inscribed each page, as both the minutes and pagination terminate on page 82. The remaining 124 ruled leaves in the volume are blank.
Before inscribing the minutes 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
’s meetings—which began on 4 February 1841 and were designated as courts-martial—into the volume,
Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

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first inscribed in the book section 25 of “An Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo,” which was passed by 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...

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legislature in December 1840 and provided the legal authority to create the Nauvoo Legion as an independent body of the state militia, and the
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....

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City Council’s 3 February 1841 “ordinance organizing the ‘Nauvoo Legion.’”
1

Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 2–3.


On page 9, following minutes of a court-martial dated 9 March 1841, Stout wrote a note stating that the original drafts of all minutes following 9 March 1841 and prior to 12 March 1842 were missing. Stout speculated that
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 ...

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, former major general in the legion and Nauvoo’s first mayor, took the minutes with him when he was cashiered from the legion and left Nauvoo. Stout dated this note 8 December 1843. It is possible that he inscribed all the text in the book previous to this note on or shortly before 8 December 1843. The minutes continue sporadically until 20 October 1844. Changes in ink density suggest that the 1844 minutes were kept roughly contemporaneously.
The volume was likely included in the “Nauvoo Legion papers” listed in an inventory produced by the Church Historian’s Office (now CHL) in 1846, when they were packed up with church records that were taken to the Salt Lake Valley.
2

“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

The archival labels and markings indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841, 2–3.

  2. [2]

    “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.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Minutes, 20 May–8 July 1843

Page 7

residing within the limits of the City Corporation, between the age of 18 & 45 years, excepting such as are exempted by the Laws of the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

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, shall be exempt of from military duty, unless exempted by a special act of this Court
Fines were assed fixed at the following rates; to wit: for neglecting or refusing to appear on the days of general parade, for generals 25 dollars; Colonels 20 dollars; Captains 15 dollars; Lieutenants 10 dollars; and musicians and privates 5 dollars: and on the days of Company parade, for commissioned officers 5 dollars; non-commissioned officers 3 dollars; musicians and privates 2 dollars.
The 1st and Sixth of April and the 3nd of July, were fixed upon as the days of General parade for the year 1841. Commandants of Companies to fix on the days of Company parade. The Court adopted McCombs’ tactics by Cooper.
Genl 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 ...

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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 ...

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was appointed by the Lieut Genl Smith to disignate the uniform. Adjourned to the 2nd day of March at the above place.
Joseph Smith, President.
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 ...

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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 ...

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, Secratary.
Minutes, 2 March 1841 • Tuesday
Tuesday, March 2nd AD 1841.
Court Martial met pursuant to adjournment Present. J, Smith,
[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
.
[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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D. C [Don Carlos] Smith

25 Mar. 1816–7 Aug. 1841. Farmer, printer, editor. Born at Norwich, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Palmyra, Ontario Co., New York, 1816–Jan. 1817. Moved to Manchester, Ontario Co., 1825. Baptized into Church of Jesus...

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[Albert P.] Rockwood

9 June 1805–25 Nov. 1879. Stonecutter, merchant, prison warden. Born in Holliston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Luther Rockwood and Ruth Perry. Married Nancy Haven, 4 Apr. 1827. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Brigham ...

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,
[Hugh] McFall

Ca. 1798–after 1860. Carpenter. Born in Pennsylvania. Married Elizabeth. Moved to Ohio, by 1834. Moved to Illinois, by 1839. Lived at Hancock Co., Illinois, 1840. Appointed adjutant general in Nauvoo Legion, 9 Mar. 1841, in Nauvoo, Hancock Co. Member of Nauvoo...

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,
C[harles] C. Rich

21 Aug. 1809–17 Nov. 1883. Schoolteacher, farmer, cooper. Born in Campbell Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Rich and Nancy O’Neal. Moved to Posey Township, Dearborn Co., Indiana, ca. 1810. Moved to Tazewell Co., Illinois, 1829. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ...

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,
Solon Foster

8 Jan. 1811–17 Mar. 1896. Farmer. Born at Danby, Tompkins Co., New York. Son of Luther Foster and Ruth Hedges. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1833. Participated in Camp of Israel expedition to Missouri, 1834. Ordained an elder,...

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[Alexander] McRae

7 Sept. 1807–20 June 1891. Tailor, sheriff, prison warden. Born in Anson Co., North Carolina. Son of John B. McRae and Mary. Moved to South Carolina; to Iredell Co., North Carolina; and back to South Carolina. Enlisted in U.S. Army, Mar. 1829, and served ...

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,
[Titus] Billings

24 Mar. 1793–6 Feb. 1866. Stonemason, carpenter, musician. Born in Greenfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Ebenezer Billings and Esther Joyce. Moved to Mentor, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1817. Married Diantha Morley, 16 Feb. 1817, in Geauga Co. Moved to...

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,
[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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,
[Hosea] Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

View Full Bio
,
[John] Scott

6 May 1811–16 Dec. 1876. Joiner, farmer, military officer. Born in Armagh, Co. Armagh, Ireland. Son of Jacob Scott and Sarah Warnock. Immigrated to York, Upper Canada, ca. May 1819. Moved to Trafalgar, Halton Co., Upper Canada (later in Oakville, Regional...

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,
[John D.] Parker

22 Nov. 1799–26 Feb. 1891. Farmer, wainwright. Born in Saratoga, Saratoga Co., New York. Son of Abel Parker and Mary Davies. Served in War of 1812 as teamster in General John E. Wool’s company, 1813–1814. Married Harriet Sherwood. Moved to Galway, Saratoga...

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,
[Harvey] Redfield

31 Aug. 1807–27 Dec. 1878. Teamster, farmer, merchant, coroner. Born at Herkimer, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of Samuel Russell Redfield and Sarah Gould. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by 1831. Ordained a priest by Sidney Rigdon...

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,
[Amos] Davis

Ca. 20 Sept. 1813–22 Mar. 1872. Merchant, farmer, postmaster, tavernkeeper. Born in New Hampshire or Vermont. Son of Wells Davis and Mary. Moved to Commerce (later Nauvoo), Hancock Co., Illinois, ca. fall 1836. Married first Elvira Hibard, 1 Jan. 1837, in...

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,
T[homas] Rich

29 Nov. 1817–26 Jan. 1884. Farmer. Born in New Albany, Floyd Co., Indiana. Son of Landon Rich and Elizabeth Rickets. Family owned land in Missouri, by 1838. Charged along with JS and others with treason and other crimes, 29 Nov. 1838. Married Henrietta Peck...

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,
[Benjamin S.] Wilber

19 Apr. 1810–by 10 Aug. 1853. Merchant. Born in Barnard, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Aaron Wilber and Abigail Salisbury. Married first Sally Ann. Married second Sophia F. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by 3 Mar. 1836. Ordained...

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,
[Stephen] Winchester

8 May 1795–1 Jan. 1873. Farmer. Born in Vershire, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Benjamin Winchester and Bethia Benjamins. Married Nancy Case, 31 July 1816, in Fort Edward, Washington Co., New York. Moved to Elk Creek, Erie Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Baptized...

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[John C.] Annis

17 Nov. 1784–June 1849. Carpenter. Born at Thetford, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of John Annis and Sabra Closson. Married Hannah Marie Crawford, 16 Jan. 1806, at Thetford. Moved to Caledonia, Genesee Co., New York, by 1810; to Mason Co., Virginia (later in West...

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,
Badlam [Alexander Badlam Sr.]

28 Nov. 1808–30 Nov./1 Dec. 1894. Coachmaker, realtor, inventor, author. Born at Dorchester, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. Son of Ezra Badlam and Mary Lovis. Married Mary Ann Brannan, ca. 1833, near Saco, York Co., Maine. Participated in Camp of Israel expedition...

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,
[John] Barnett

20 Oct. 1809–2 Sept. 1905. Farmer, community and civic leader. Born in Sullivan Co., Tennessee. Son of James Henry Barnett and Mary A. Tipton. Moved to Jefferson Co., Tennessee, by 1822. Moved to Springfield, Sangamon Co., Illinois, 1829. Boyhood friend of...

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,
[Nelson] Higgins

1 Sept. 1806–20 Nov. 1890. Farmer, laborer, justice of the peace. Born at Milford, Otsego Co., New York. Son of Daniel Higgins and Mary Daggett. Married Sarah (Sally) Blackman, ca. 1826, at Fitchville, Huron Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ...

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, Tippetts
Lemons [Peter Lemon]

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,
F[rancis] M. Higbee

1820–after 1850. Attorney, merchant. Born in Tate, Clermont Co., Ohio. Son of Elias Higbee and Sarah Elizabeth Ward. Moved to Fulton, Hamilton Co., Ohio, by 1830. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1832. Moved to Jackson Co., Missouri...

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,
C. L. Higbe [Chauncey L. Higbee]

7 Sept. 1821–7 Dec. 1884. Lawyer, banker, politician, judge. Born in Tate Township, Clermont Co., Ohio. Son of Elias Higbee and Sarah Elizabeth Ward. Lived in Fulton, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1830. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1832...

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,
[Darwin] Chase

25 Feb. 1816–4 Feb. 1863. Miner, town officer, military officer. Born in Ellisburg, Jefferson Co., New York. Son of Stephen Chase and Orryanna Rowe. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1831. Moved to Jackson Co., Missouri. Moved to ...

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.
A[lpheus] Cutler

29 Feb. 1784–10 June 1864. Stonemason. Born in Plainfield, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Son of Knight Cutler and Elizabeth Boyd. Married Lois Lathrop, 17 Nov. 1808, in Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Upper Lisle, Broome Co., New York, ca. 1808...

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,
[Thomas] Grover

22 July 1807–20 Feb. 1886. Farmer, boat operator. Born at Whitehall, Washington Co., New York. Son of Thomas Grover and Polly Spaulding. Married first Caroline Whiting of Whitehall, 1828. Became a Methodist preacher, by 1834. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus...

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,
Elias Higbee

23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...

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R[obert] D. Foster

14 Mar. 1811–1 Feb. 1878. Justice of the peace, physician, land speculator. Born in Braunston, Northamptonshire, England. Son of John Foster and Jane Knibb. Married Sarah Phinney, 18 July 1837, at Medina Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of ...

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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, February 1841–October 1844
ID #
11837
Total Pages
122
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Hosea Stout

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