History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]
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Source Note
JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. F-1, created 9 Apr.–7 June 1856 and 20 Aug. 1856–6 Nov. 1856; handwriting of and Jonathan Grimshaw; 304 pages, plus 10 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the final volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This sixth volume covers the period from 1 May to 8 Aug. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1 through E-1, go through 30 Apr. 1844.
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Historical Introduction
History, 1838-1856, volume F-1, constitutes the last of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 May 1844 to the events following his 27 June 1844 death, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in 1856.The material recorded in volume F-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin, and also assistant church historian . Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the volume and creating a set of draft notes, which Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks. Woodruff gathered additional material concerning the death of Joseph Smith as a supplement to George A. Smith’s work recording that event. Jonathan Grimshaw and , members of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed the draft notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents.According to the Historian’s Office journal, Jonathan Grimshaw initiated work on the text of volume F-1 on 9 April 1856, soon after Robert L. Campbell had completed work on volume E-1. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.) Grimshaw’s scribal work begins with an entry for 1 May 1844. Unlike previous volumes in which the numbering had run consecutively to page 2028, Grimshaw began anew with page 1. He transcribed 150 pages by June 1856, and his last entry was for 23 June 1844. Though more of his writing does not appear in the volume, he continued to work in the office until 2 August, before leaving for the East that same month. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 and 10 Aug. 1856.)assumed the role of scribe on 20 August 1856. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Aug. 1856.) He incorporated ’s draft notes for the period 24–29 June 1844 on pages 151–189, providing an account of JS’s death and its immediate aftermath. He next transcribed a related extract from ’s 1854 History of Illinois on pages 190–204. Pages 205–227 were left blank.provided the notes for the final portion of the text. This account begins with an entry for 22 June 1844 and continues the record through 8 August 1844, ending on page 304. (The volume also included ten pages of addenda.) The last specific entry in the Historian’s Office journal that captures at work on the history is for 6 November 1856. A 2 February 1857 Wilford Woodruff letter to indicates that on 30 January 1857, the “presidency sat and heard the history read up to the organization of the church in , 8th. day of August 1844.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 6 Nov. 1856; Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 2 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 410; see also Wilford Woodruff, Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, 28 Feb. 1857, Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, pp. 430–431.)The pages of volume F-1 contain a record of the final weeks of JS’s life and the events of the ensuing days. The narrative commences with and arriving at , Illinois, on 1 May 1844 from their lumber-harvesting mission in the “” of Wisconsin Territory. As the late spring and summer of 1844 unfold, events intensify, especially those surrounding the suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor in mid-June. Legal action over the Expositor leads to a charge of riot, and subsequently JS is charged with treason and is incarcerated at the jail in , Illinois. The narrative of volume F-1 concludes with an account of the special church conference convened on 8 August 1844 to consider who should assume the leadership of the church.
June 25 met , about 4 p. m., and accused him of seeking Joseph’s life. made use of some very insulting language in reply, when a scuffle ensued, during which a letter dropped out of ’s hat, which stated that there was seventy of the mob ready in to come upon to night.
It is currently reported that the mob intend to make a rush on the jail to night.
A strong guard placed in and round the .
About 9 p. m. it began to rain very heavily.
26 Wednesday 26. 8 a. m. Capt. Singleton arrived, with about sixty mounted militia, to protect [HC 7:130] the in case a mob should come against it. He was authorised to take command of the police, and to use such measures as he might consider necessary.
He read his orders from the , and wanted to know if our men would obey his orders, when the brethren responded “Yes”, whereupon notification was sent to the police to meet at 6 p. m. in the . He further reported that had given him information at , where he would find three presses in , for making bogus money, and said that he wanted to get hold of them.
6 p. m. The police assembled in the , and entered into a temporary organization to act under Capt Singleton. Many of the regular police being officers of the Legion, and on active service, their places were filled for the time.
At midnight Capt Singleton sent a notification to the ’s Quarters, that he wanted the Nauvoo Legion to be in readiness for parade at an hour’s notice, when notifications were sent to the Colonels of the several regiments, accordingly.
27 Thursday 27. About 9 a. m. arrived in with subpoenas for witnesses for the expected trial on Saturday the 29th inst.
At 10 a. m., Orders were received from Capt.Singleton, to call out that portion of the Nauvoo Legion resident within the limits of the , for review at noon. immediately issued similar orders to the commandants.
At noon, about two thirds of the Legion turned out to parade, nearly all of whom were well armed, although all the State arms had been taken away, which caused Capt. Singleton and his company to express their astonishment. The Captain made a remark to the effect that it would not do to come against such a force as this. The Legion was soon dismissed, on account of a messenger from the reporting [HC 7:131] that all the troops were dismissed, except a small escort which was with him.
5 p. m. , with about fifty men, arrived at the , and gave notice that he would shortly address the citizens. In about half an hour he ascended the frame of a building, opposite the , and addressed the people.
We here insert the location of the Twelve Apostles on this memorable day:
Prest and Elder spent a portion of the day together in the city of , and were sitting together in the railway depot [p. 229]
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