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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 *Minutes, 13 January 1844–B

Page 70

Resolved That the
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
parade be on the fourth Saturday in September, annually instead of the third as at present.
Resolved That the 35th section of the “Revized law[”] be and is hereby repealed, and also the 39th section of the same so far as relates to the pay of the Chief musician and also the 21st section of the same law as far as relates to the Legion parade.
Resolved That Brevet Majr Genl
A 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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be added to the the Committee of Revision.
Resolved That
Col [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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be, and is hereby authorized to pay the expences of the Committee to
Springfield

Settled by 1819. Incorporated as town, 1832. Became capital of Illinois, 1837. Incorporated as city, 1840. Sangamon Co. seat. Population in 1840 about 2,600. Stake of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized in Springfield, Nov. 1840; discontinued...

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for arms, out of the first money that comes into his hands belonging to the Nauvoo Legion.
Resolved That this Court adjourn to the second Saturday (the 13th) in January 1844 at ten o’clock A.M.
A. 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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President
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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Secretary pro tem.
Approved November 8th 1843.
Joseph Smith Lieutenant General Nauvoo Legion.
Minutes, 13 January 1844 • Saturday
January the 13th 1844.
Court Mar tial met according to adjournment at the Lodge Room, at ten o’clock A M.
Major General
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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President.
On motion
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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was appointed Secretary. The minutes of the last Court Martial were then read and accepted
Capt.
Levi <​W​> Hancock

7 Apr. 1803–10 June 1882. Born at Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts. Son of Thomas Hancock III and Amy Ward. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 16 Nov. 1830, at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Clarissa Reed, 20 Mar. 1831....

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moved to have the Band of Martial music be increased and that it be called “The Nauvoo Legion Band,” which was laid upon the table, until the Bands can meet together and arrange matters between themselves
Resolved that the ‘Brass Band’ be restricted to fifteen members, and be notified accordingly.
The report of the Committee of Revision <​was​> then read [p. 70]
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Page 70

Document Information

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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