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.
July 2 , and visit , and the Eastern country; that assist the South to carry out the foregoing resolutions.
“Resolved, That , and William M. Gheen be a standing committee to negociate for all necesssary supplies to those who are on duty by order of government.
“Resolved, that each of said committees keep an accurate account of all donations and loans, and make returns of the same to the Marshal of the
“Passed July 2. 1844 6 p. m.
, Prest pro tem.”
, Recorder”
“To Whom it may concern
Elder has been deputed by council of the Church [HC 7:158] to bear despatches to , President of the Quorum of the Twelve, relative to the death of the Prophet Joseph, and his brother , and the brethren are requested to see that no means are wanting to speed him on his important mission.
In behalf of the church
Clerk of the Quorum of the Twelve”
failed to perform this mission, although he had plenty of means, but went right through, and carried the word.
wrote as follows:—
“His Excellency ,
I am sorry to inform you that the mob is still prowling between and Golden’s point, waiting for an opportunity to come in and burn and destroy. The mob party are continually threatening us, and are driving our people away from their homes, and they are obliged to come here for protection. I want you to send about one hundred or two hundred men who you can depend upon as loyal, to quarter in the woods between here and Golden’s point, so that they can be between us and the mob and protect us. Our troops are worn out, and I shall soon expect an order from you to discharge my men from the duty they are obliged to perform, to fulfil your order,
I am, Your Excellency’s Obt Servt.
Maj. Gen. Commanding Nauvoo Legion”
“July 2. 1844. 8 P. M.”
At a Council of the Twelve and other elders, held in the Franklin Hall, , there were ordained two elders, and arrangements made for dividing off into different parts of the vineyard; each of the Twelve were appointed to attend several conferences.
Elders and took steamer for Portland, Maine.
Col. delivered a political address at Bunker Hill, at 4 p. m. [HC 7:159]
3 Wednesday 3. We copy from the Neighbor:—
“ July 3. 1844
To the Committee— [p. 249]
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