Mormon History, Jul 1, 1844

-- Jul 1, 1844
[Brigham Young] July 1.-- Attended state convention with our friends en masse in the Melodeon, Boston, for the nomination of an electoral ticket, General Joseph Smith for president of the United States, and appointed delegates to the Baltimore National Convention. (1)

Willard Richards, John Taylor and W. W. Phelps announce that they will await the return of the Quorum of Twelve before deciding the nature of the church's new leadership. In Boston Wilford Woodruff, unaware of the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, attends the Jeffersonian Democracy Convention and nominates Joseph Smith for president of the United States and Sidney Rigdon for vice-president. (2)

-- [circa 1-11] July 1844
Revelation to Parley P. Pratt, member of the Quorum of the Twelve, received between Chicago and Nauvoo, Illinois, in [circa 1-11] July 1844

The Spirit said unto me:

Lift up your head and rejoice; for behold! it is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum [Smith]. My servant Joseph [Smith] still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfil that to which he is appointed. Go and say unto my people in Nauvoo, that they shall continue to pursue their daily duties and take care of themselves, and make no movement in Church government to reorganize or alter anything until the return of the remainder of the Quorum of the Twelve. But exhort them that they continue to build the House of the Lord which I have commanded them to build in Nauvoo.

(Parley P. Pratt [Jr.], ed., Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 294, quotation marks omitted.) (3)

-- summer 1844
John C Bennett: Attended William Law 's "Reformed Church" in summer 1844 (4)

William E Mclellin: Joined William Law 's! Reformed Church of Christ late summer 1844 (4)

-- Jul 2, 1844
[Brigham Young] --2-- I attended conference with the Twelve and elders in the Franklin Hall, and resolved to divide into different parts of the vineyard; each one of the Twelve was appointed to take the over sight of several conferences. (1)

-- Jul 2, 1844 (Tuesday)
Apostle John Taylor was brought home to Nauvoo from Carthage. (5)

-- Jul 2, 1844. Tuesday.
[William Clayton Journal] A.M. went to see Emma. She is in trouble because Mother [Lucy Mack] Smith is making disturbance about the property in Josephs hands. Mother Smith wants Samuel to move into Nauvoo and take the Patriarchs office and says the church ought to support him. There is considerable danger if the family begins to dispute about the property that Joseph's creditors will come forward and use up all the property there is. If they will keep still there is property enough to pay the debts and plenty left for other uses. I had much talk with Emma on the subject. (6)

-- Jul 3, 1844
William Clayton digs up the minutes of the Council of Fifty that he had buried at Joseph Smith's request a week earlier. He finds that they have been damaged by water while buried. (2)

-- Jul 3, 1844, Wednesday
[William Clayton Writings] Wednesday 3rd. A.M at the Temple Office Emma sent for me & Cutler & Cahoon we had conversation with Esqr Wood on the situation of Josephs affairs. Emma has councilled Esqr Wood on the subject. P.M. at the Temple Office & after went to dig up the Records. Water had got into the place where they were & they were damaged. /Clayton does not say that these are the records of the Kingdom or the records referred to on 23 June 1844: The previous day he went home and buried the records of the Kingdom and on ``Sunday 23r. At 5 A.M. Rockwood & Scott came to ask advice what to do with the Cannon &c I went to Joseph & got all the public & private records together and buried them.'' This was another set of records (7)

-- Jul 4, 1844
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 4th I spent the day with Elder Holmes at father Carters & rote a page and a half in a letter to Aphia S. Woodman which Elder Holmes sent to her. I walked with father Carter to see the old meeting house, to see if it would do to hold our Conference in it. We concluded it would. We visited his orchard & garding. All things looked well. Found the papers all through the Country full of stories or reports Concerning mobs armies &c gathering against Nauvoo mostly comes from Warsaw Message & St Louis paper. (8)

[Brigham Young] --4-- Brother Kimball and I visited a grand exhibition of fireworks on the Boston common during the evening with others of the Twelve.

--6 and 7-- Attended conference in Salem; had a good time. (1)

Footnotes:
1 - Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - Marquardt, H. Michael, http://www.xmission.com/~research/central/revel2.htm
4 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 6, Biographical Sketches of General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
5 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
6 - George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton
7 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
8 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies

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Mormon History, June 1844

-- During June 1844
William Law: Recorded shock and disapproval the next day (28 June 1844) in his diary at Joseph Smith Jr. 's murder (1)

William Law: Moved to Burlington, Iowa, June 1844. (2)

Joseph Smith Jr.: Appealed to U.S. president 20 June 1844 for troops (1)

Joseph Smith Jr. Death: 27 June 1844, Carthage, Hancock Co., Illinois, by Carthage Greys militia and accessories, among artifacts and relics kept by widow Emma Smith were Jupiter talisman worn at his death, "Book of Abraham" manuscript and English translation, fragments of original Book of Mormon manuscript, and seer stones. , Estate: $2,022.25 appraised; $25,023.95 debts; (-23,001.70) net (1)

Joseph Smith Jr.: Reportedly ordained son Joseph Smith III successor 11 June 1844 (1)

William E Mclellin: An apostle in Hinkle's church 24 June 1844 and counselor 14 July (1)

Hyrum Smith Death: 27 June 1844, Carthage, Hancock Co., Illinois, by Carthage Greys militia and accomplices. Among artifacts and relics kept by widow Mary Fielding Smith were three magic parchments ("lamens" for summoning good spirit and protection) and ceremonial dagger (inscribed with Joseph Smith Sr. 's astrological birth sign) , Estate: No record (1)

William E Mclellin: Consulted with representative of William Law 's Reformed church 17 June 1844 (1)

[John D. Lee] When spring came, Lee was called on another mission and went to eastern Kentucky, where he was serving in June 1844 when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were murdered. He returned in August to face a new and threatening situation from neighbors who did not want Mormons in Illinois. Brigham Young, the de facto leader of the Mormons, had started preparations for a move to the West where the Mormons could practice their religion in peace. (3)

Joseph Fielding Smith: After death of father June 1844, mother supported Twelve Apostles as legitimate leadership of Church. (2)

-- Jul 1, 1844
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] July 1st 1844 State Convention of Jeffersonian Democracy. General Joseph Smith nominated for President Sidney Rigdon for Vice President. The Convention met at 10 oclok A.M. in the Melodian and was organized as follows:

Hon B. Young of Nauvoo President

Hon. Wm. Smith & Gen Lyman Wight Vice Presidents

Hon Wilford Woodruff, Professor Orson Pratt of Illinois, Ananias McAllister Esqr of Boston, And D. H. Felt Esqr of Salem Secretaries.

The Convention was addressed with much animation and zeal attended with sound argument during the day and evening By the President, Gen. L. Wight, Hon. O. Hyde, D. Spencer, Hon Wm. Smith, Prof. O. Pratt, All of Illinois And George B. Wallace Esq of Boston.

A Preamble and many important resolutions were adopted all of which together with the procedings of the meeting were published in the Boston Daily Times of July 2d 1844.

The Melodeon was Crouded in the evening and it was soon evident that a large number of rowdies were in the galleries & felt disposed to make [a] disturbance. And among others Abby Folsom made her appearance, & arose & commence speaking while the president was addressing the meeting. Soon a young man in the gallery rose and commenced a series of rowdy remarks & was encouraged by some mob companions untill confusion became general in the gallery, untill the policee came in to take him out. They were assaulted and beaten badly by a set of young desperadoes. After much hard fighting however they succeded in clearing the gallery. One person got badly cut in the face but not dangerous. The meeting was soon broaken up. This is a disgrace to Boston & shows the spirit of the times.

Gen Lyman Wight said he had seen Eastern missionaries among the Indians trying to civelize them but he thought they had better commence at home first. He thought it best to send some sax & fox indians to Boston to civelize the city.

But notwithstanding the meeting was closed by a mob yet much good was done. The citizens Could see their was sufficient reasons to awaken the minds of the people upon the affairs of our goverment, in order to save them from ruin. The Convention was adjourned untill tomorrow at Bunker Hill at 4 oclok.

/H. C. Kimball & S B Wallace was Appointed Delegates to the Baltimore National Convention./ (4)

Footnotes:
1 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 6, Biographical Sketches of General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
2 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
3 - Utah History Encyclopedia: John D. Lee, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/l/LEE%2CJOHN.html
4 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies

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About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, Jun 30, 1844

-- Jun 30, 1844
[Anointed Quorum] Sunday evening prayer circle of men: "A Few of the Quorum assembled and agreed to send G. J. Adams to bear the news [of the Smiths' assassinations] to the Twelve" . (1)

[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 30th Met persuant to adjournment. Was addressed in the fore noon by Professor Orson Pratt, who took away all the objections of the world against new revelation.

The meeting was addressed in the afternoon by Elder L. Wight, who showed the principle of the immortality of the body as well as the soul & also the principle of Charity, running it into Baptism for the dead.

Elder W. Woodruff Preached in the evening from the words of Jesus saying "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. The house was full through the day and evening and much instruction was given through the day and evening and during the whole Conference by those that spoke. (2)

Illinois Governor Thomas Ford orders "Colonel Fellows and Captain Jonas" to go to Nauvoo "and ascertain what is the feeling, the disposition, and determination of the people there, . . . ascertain whether any of them propose in any manner to revenge themselves, whether any threats have been used, and what is proposed generally, to be done by them." He orders them then to go to nearby Warsaw to ascertain "whether any attack is intended on Nauvoo. . . . [A]nd in my name forbid any such interference, without my request, on pain of being demanded for punishment." (3)

-- Jun 30, 1844. Sunday.
[William Clayton Journal] ...A few of the Quorum assembled and agreed to send G[eorge] J. Adams to bear the news to the Twelve. [Lucien] Woodworth is bitter against Adams and said many hard things against him. (4)

-- During 1844 (Apr)
[Wives of John Taylor] Jane Ballantyne (b. 1813 Sheffield) - married Nauvoo 25 Feb

Jane's sister Ann married Taylor at Winter Quarters [1847] much to annoyance it seems of Brigham Young; she was granted a divoce in 1852 [Recognized by LDS Church] (5)

-- During 1844. June
(Emma Smith) : Emma has often been blamed for causing Joseph's return across the Mississippi River to Nauvoo by accusing him of cowardice. Actually, businessmen Reynolds Cahoon and Hiram Kimball, worried that the city business district would be adversely affected if the governor were to declare martial law, wrote to the Prophet demanding he return. Emma's letter apparently described the difficulties in Nauvoo and the possible consequences of his leaving or returning. (6)

(Emma Smith) When Joseph requested advice from Porter Rockwell and Hyrum Smith, Hyrum replied, "Let us go back and give ourselves up and see the thing out." Joseph then said, "If you go back I will go with you, but we shall be butchered." Hyrum, anxious to attend his daughter's wedding in Nauvoo, replied: "No, no: Let us go back and put our trust in God, and we shall not be harmed. The Lord is in it. If we live or have to die, we will be reconciled to our fate."

Contrary to popular belief, Joseph seems not to have been planning to go west. On June 23 he wrote Emma, "You may sell the Quincy property or any property that belongs to me that you can find anything about, for your support and children and Mother. Do not despair. If God ever opens a door that is possible for me I will see you again. I do not know where I shall go or what I shall do, but shall if possible endeavor to get to the city of Washington." (6)

-- Before Jun 1844
Joseph Smith tells William Hyde that he carried Sidney Rigdon on his back long enough and he wanted the 12 to help shake him off. (7)

Sidney Rigdon moves to Pittsburgh, PA. (7)

-- During June 1844
Amasa Mason Lyman: Traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, June 1844. (8)

Hyrum Smith Death: 27 June 1844, Carthage, Hancock Co., Illinois, by Carthage Greys militia and accomplices. Among artifacts and relics kept by widow Mary Fielding Smith were three magic parchments ("lamens" for summoning good spirit and protection) and ceremonial dagger (inscribed with Joseph Smith Sr. 's astrological birth sign) , Estate: No record q(8)

Hyrum Smith: Arrested three times June 1844 for inciting riot (acquitted, discharged, freed on bail) q(8)

John Taylor: Arrested three times June 1844 for commission of riot (acquitted by Nauvoo Municipal Court, discharged by Justice of the Peace Daniel H. Wells, future Presidency counselor, and freed on bail 25 June 1844 to stand trial) q(8)

Footnotes:
1 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power
2 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
3 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
4 - George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton
5 - Isle of Man, 'John Taylor' http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/mormon/jtaylor.htm
6 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
7 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
8 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
9 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 6, Biographical Sketches of General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power

LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, Jun 28, 1844, Friday

-- Jun 28, 1844, Friday
[William Clayton Writings] The painful news reached the city the following morning, which filled the hearts of the Saints with the most intense gloom and sorrow.

On the 28th, at half past two, p.m., the bodies were brought to the city in two wagons and were taken to the mansion to be prepared for burial. (1)

[William Clayton Writings] ``The blood of those men,'' he wrote in that long entry of June 28, ``and the prayers of the widows and orphans and a suffering community will rise up to the Lord of Sabaoth for vengeance upon those murderers.'' (1)

-- 1844. June 29
(W. W. Phelps) :W. W. Phelps addressed the nearly ten thousand persons gathered to pay final respects to Joseph and Hyrum Smith two days after their murder. In his lengthy sermon at this memorial service, Phelps predicted: "Be assured, brethren and sisters, this desperate 'smite' of our foes to stop the onward cause of Mormonism, will increase its spread and prosperity an hundred fold ... The priesthood remains unharmed. … The 'Twelve' (most now absent) … when they return will turn the 'mantle' and step into the 'shoes' of the 'Prophet, priest and King' of Israel." Phelps's hymn, "Praise to the Man," is a eulogy of continuing popularity in the Church. (2)

-- Jun 29, 1844
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 29th Boston Conference

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints met in Conference at Franklin Hall on the 29th Day of June 1844. There being present a majority of the quorum of the Twelve viz seven as follows: B. Young H. C. Kimball, O Hyde O. Pratt Wm. Smith, L. Wight & W. Woodruff, And a large number of Elders. Elder B. Young took the Chair. Conference opened by Prayer.

Conference was addressed in the fore part of the day by Elder O. Hyde, in an interesting manner. In the afternoon Elder's Young & H. C. Kimball adress the meeting and also Elder L. Wight.

Resolved that James H. Glines & Wm. Henderson be ordained Elders. They were ordained under the hands of H. C. Kimball & B. Young. Conference adjourned till Sunday morning 10 oclok. (3)

Illinois governor Thomas Ford calls for the state militia in eleven counties to "proceed by voluntary enlistment to enrol as many men as can be armed in their respective regiments. They will make arrangements for a campaign of twelve days, and will provide themselves with arms, ammunition, and provisions accordingly, and hold themselves in readiness immediately to march upon the receipt of further orders." Ford is worried that Mormons will attack Carthage in retaliation for Joseph Smith's assassination. In Nauvoo thousands pass by the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum. W. W. Phelps gives the eulogy and later pens "Praise to the man." The Nauvoo Legion "was paraded and stationed in different parts of the City apprehending an attack by the enemy." (4)

Before the public funeral, about 10000 Latter-day Saints viewed the Bodies of Joseph and Hyrum at the Mansion House in Nauvoo. Afterwards, two fake coffins were filled with sand instead of the real bodies and buried. Following this, at about Midnight, the real coffins were buried secretly in the basement of the yet to be completed Nauvoo House. (5)

[Joseph Smith] Ten thousand people view the bodies throughout the day. The bodies are then removed from the caskets in private, bags of sand are put in their places, and the caskets are closed. A public funeral is held, with W. W. Phelps preaching the sermon. The caskets are buried in a prominent place. Around midnight the coffins containing the real bodies are buried in the basement of the unfinished Nauvoo House. The ground is smoothed over to hide the actual place, and a rainstorm that night helps eradicate the footprints completely. This is all done to prevent the desecration of the bodies by enemies. (In the fall, the bodies were moved and buried side by side near the Mansion. The bodies of Joseph's and Hyrum's deceased children were soon moved to be next to them.) ___ (6)

Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith were buried. (7)

-- Jun 29, 1844 (Saturday)
About ten thousand persons visited and viewed the remains of the martyred Prophet and Patriarch at Nauvoo. The funeral took place in the evening. (8)

-- Jun 29, 1844, Saturday
[William Clayton Writings] On the following day the Saints were permitted to go and see them; and at night they were secretly buried near the mansion.

The foregoing is but a mere sketch of the massacre, designed to show the date of the martyrdom and also the means by which it was brought about. (1)

Footnotes:
1 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
2 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
5 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Kingdom, "On This Day," https://www.lds.org.uk/show_oda.php
6 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
7 - Joseph Smith Resource Center: Daily Events in the Life of Joseph Smith, http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e581001cfb340010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRDlocale=0
8 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology

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Mormon History, Jun 27, 1844

-- Jun 27, 1844
Sidney S Rigdon: Left Nauvoo 18 June 1844 for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; arrived 27 June 1844. (1)

-- Jun 28, 1844
In the morning Orrin Porter Rockwell rides through Nauvoo crying, "Joseph is killed! Goddamn them! They have killed him!" The bodies of Joseph and Hyrum Smith arrive in Nauvoo at 3:00 PM. William Clayton goes to see them and remarks: "Joseph looks very natural except being pale through loss of blood. Hyrum does not look so natural. Their aged mother is distracted with grief and it will be almost more than she can bear." Allen Stout, former Danite, writes in his journal after viewing the bodies: "I stood there and then resolved in my mind that I would never let an opportunity slip unimproved of avenging their blood.... I knew not how to contain myself, and when I see one of the men who persuaded them to give up to be tried, I feel like cutting their throats yet" (2)

The day after the martyrdom, George Cannon (father of Church leader George Q. Cannon) makes death masks of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, providing historians with a valuable source of information about the two men's facial features. (3)

[Joseph Smith] Willard Richards and Samuel H. Smith, Joseph's brother, take the bodies of Hyrum and Joseph back to Nauvoo in two wagons. They are taken to the Nauvoo Mansion, where the doors are closed and the thousands of mourners are told they will be able to see the bodies the next day. Dimick B. Huntington, William Marks, and William D. Huntington wash the bodies and dress them in white. Emma (four months pregnant) and Mary Fielding Smith and children are then admitted to see the bodies. Emma screams and falls back, and is caught by Dimick B. Huntington. She then falls forward onto Joseph's face and kisses him, calling him by name and begging him to speak to her once more. Mary Fielding Smith holds back her grief and keeps her composure. During this time Willard Richards and several others speak to eight or ten thousand Saints who have gathered, telling them to keep the peace and trust in the law to punish the assassins of Joseph and Hyrum. (4)

[Joseph Smith] Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph and Hyrum Smith's bodies were brought through Nauvoo to the Mansion House (the Prophet's home) on two wagons, where thousands of Saints were gathered to lament their death. (5)

[Nauvoo Temple] Workmen suspended work on the temple to guard the temple walls. (6)

-- Jun 28, 1844 (Friday)
Apostle Willard Richards and Samuel H. Smith conveyed the bodies of the martyrs to Nauvoo, where they were met by the officers of the Nauvoo Legion, and a very large number of citizens. (7)

-- Jun 28, 1844, Friday
[William Clayton Writings] /Clayton describes the martyrdom the best he can from the information received/ 46

...And all this brought upon us by those who have shared of the kind sympathies & generosity of Genls Joseph & Hyrum Smith and have received good at their hands. The names of these men are William Law who was one of Josephs council and a member of the Quorum. Wilson Law Robert D. Foster, Charles A. Foster, Francis M. Higbee, Chancy L. Higbee There associates in crime were Austin Cowles, Joseph H. Jackson a murderer, John M. Finch, Wm A. Rolloson Wm H.J. Man /Marr?/, Sylvester Emmans, Alexand Sympson S.M. Marr /Man/ John Eagle Henry O. Norton & Augustine Spencer. These had been aided and abetted by Charles Ivins & family. P.T. Rolfe, N.J. Higbee, Wm Cook & Sarah his wife formerly Sarah Crooks of Manchester England. James Blakeslee. And finally a band of mobacrats scattered through the county amoung whom are Alexander Sympson, Thos. C. Sharp, Colonel Williams, Walter Bagby, &. O. C. Skinner. Some of the aforesaid parties were storekeepers here & have drawn a vast of money from
the place. David Bryant also joined in the clammer but did not take any public measures. ... After the bodies were laid out I went to see them. Joseph looks very natural except being pale through loss of blood. Hyrum does not look so natural. Their aged mother is distracted with grief & it will be almost more than she can bear. (8)

[William Clayton Writings] Early the next morning Orrin P. Rockwell woke him up with the stunning news that Joseph and Hyrum ahd been shot to death. His diary entry for that day is one of the longest he everr wrote, and it contains within it all the sorrow, solemnity, and dismay that any disciple could feel. ``I went out & met brother Cutler & several others,'' he wrote, ``and the news soon became general. Sorrow & gloom was pictured in every countenance and one universal scene of lamentation pervaded the city. The agony of the widows & orphan children [i.e., the wives and children of Joseph and Hyrum] was inexpressible and utterly beyond description.'' He went on with a lengthy description of what had happened at Carthage, as he understood it (which turned out to be a fairly accurate account), emphasizing what he considered to be the culpability of the governor for not providing better protection for the prophet. He then wrote a prayer, that, though vengeful in its tone, is
a perfect reflection of the anger and frustration felt by many at the sudden tragedy:

``And now O God wilt thou not come out of thy hiding place and avenge the blood of thy servants.--that blood which thou hast so long watched over with a fatherly care--that blood so noble--so generous--so dignified, so heavenly you O Lord will thou not avenge it speedily and bring down vengeance upon the murderers of thy servants that they may be rid from off the earth and that the earth may be cleansed from these scenes, even so O Lord thy will be done. We look to thee for justice. Hear thy people O God of Jacob even so Amen.''

Clayton saw the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum arrive in Nauvoo about 2 P.M. and was part of the large procession of mourners that collected on the hill and followed them to the Mansion House. There they heard exhortations to be peaceful and calm and not to utter threats. He concluded his diary entry for the day:

``Few expressions were heard save the mourns for the loss of our friends. All seem to hang on the merch of God and wait further events. Some few can scarce refrain from expressing aloud their indignation at the Governor and a few words would raise the City in arms & massacre the Cities of Carthage & Warsaw & lay them in ashes but it is wisdom to be quiet. After the bodies were laid out I went to see them. Joseph looks very natural except being pale through loss of blood. Hyrum does not look so natural. Their aged mother is distracted with grief & it will be almost more than she can bear.'' (8)

Footnotes:
1 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com
4 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
5 - Joseph Smith Resource Center: Daily Events in the Life of Joseph Smith, http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e581001cfb340010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRDlocale=0
6 - Brown, Lisle (compiler), Chronology of the Construction, Destruction and Reconstruction of the Nauvoo Temple
7 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
8 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries

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Mormon History, Jun 27, 1844

-- Jun 27, 1844
[Lucy Mack Smith] Samuel Smith, eluding armed pursuers, reaches the city just after the mob has dispersed. (1)

[Quorum of the Twelve] Amasa M. Lyman retires from First Presidency. (2)

-- 1844. June 27
(Joseph F. Smith) His father was in the Richmond, Missouri, jail when Joseph F. was born. As a mob ransacked their Far West home looking for papers, a mattress was thrown over the infant and he nearly suffocated. Young Joseph was not seen by his father until several months later, when Hyrum was transferred to Liberty Jail.

1844. June 27: When Joseph F. was five years old, he heard a man knock on his mother's window and announce that his father had been killed. Memories of his grieving mother's moans remained with him throughout his life. (3)

-- Jun 27, 1844
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 27th I had an interview with Elder B. Young. Spent the fore part of the day together. He took cars for Salem & I spent the latter part of the day at Elder Ananias McAllister, 296 Washington st.

/We sat together in the depo while Joseph & Hiram were killed. Brother Young was vary sorrowful & pressed in spirit without knowing the cause.

/I went to meeting in the Evening & confirmed Brother John Hardy & 30 other persons, most of which were rebaptized for the remission of sins. I spent the night with Br Jacob Phelps in Orange st. I wrote a letter to Col Peter Van Avery.

I found on my ariveal to Boston puite an excitement through the country concerning affairs in Nauvoo & reagions round about saying that the whole country was rising in arms in mob to exterminate the Saints. Most of the inflamatory speaches and excitement was got up by the warsaw message and St Louis papers. They desire to exterminate the saints from of the earth, but the work is in the hands of God and he will direct all things aright.

/(J S) (H S) At 5 oclock this day the Prophet Joseph & Patriarch Hiram Smith fell. Sealed their testimony with their Blood. + They were murdered to appeas the wrath of a gentile mob as Christ was by a Jewish mob. Peace be to thy ashes, the most glorious resurrection to thy bodies and the American gentile nation answer for thy blood before the bar of God, And the murderers pay the price of the Lords anointed. * 4 oclok 16 m. 23 sec 5 1/2 at Carthage 6 1/2 at Rochester in the evening./ (4)

[Brigham Young] --27-- Spent the day in Boston with Brother Woodruff, who accompanied me to the railway station as I was about to take cars to Salem. In the evening, while sitting in the depot waiting, I felt a heavy depression of spirit, and so melancholy I could not converse with any degree of pleasure. Not knowing anything concerning the tragedy enacting at this time in Carthage Jail, I could not assign my reasons for my peculiar feeling.

--29 and 30-- Attended conference in Boston. (5)

In August, the church members had a vote and elected the Quorum of the Twelve as the interim leaders of the church, but many had already left the area in many different splinter groups. In 1846, a group of the Mormons left Nauvoo and went to Utah the descendents of these people are what

we call the Mormons today.

Approximately 29 other Mormon men were living polygamy when Joseph died. ( Daynes, More Wives Than One, p 32 ) (6)

Section 135, Place: Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois.

Historical Note: Written by President John Taylor, eyewitness of the tragedy, section 135 is an account of the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on 27 June 1844.

It was the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, a paper aimed at traducing the character of Joseph Smith, that triggered the events resulting in the Prophet's death in Carthage, Illinois. Mormon apostates in Nauvoo, smarting over the loss of their printing establishment and bent on ridding the country of the Mormon prophet, brought legal complaints against Joseph Smith and others in June 1844. Initially the Prophet was impressed to leave the United States for the West, but accusations of desertion by a few close associates motivated him to stay and stand trial. Opposing forces, conspiring with law-enforcement officers, took advantage of this last arrest. Gathering at Carthage, Illinois, where Joseph Smith had been illegally detained, a mob forced their way into the jail and, at 5:16 P.M., murdered the Prophet and his brother Hyrum.

Publication Note. Section 135 was first published as section 111 in the 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. (7)

[D and C] Doctrine and Covenants 135: Martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet and his brother, Hyrum Smith the Patriarch, at Carthage, Illinois, June 27, 1844. HC 6: 629-631. This document was written by Elder John Taylor of the Council of the Twelve, who was a witness to the events.

1-2, Joseph and Hyrum martyred in Carthage Jail; 3, Preeminent position of the Prophet acclaimed; 4-7, Their innocent blood testifies of the truth and divinity of the work. (8)

Footnotes:
1 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books, http://bit.ly/lucys-book
2 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)
3 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
5 - Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).
6 - Tungate, Mel, Mormon Polygamy, http://www.tungate.com/polygamy.htm
7 - Cook, Lyndon, Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
8 - Doctrine and Covenants, http://amzn.to/DoctrineandCovenants

LDS History Timeline
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Mormon History, Thursday 27 June 1844. Jail

-- Thursday 27 June 1844. Jail
[Williard Richards Journal] 3.15. P. M. . . . Taylor sung. "poor way faring man of grief." Hyrum red from Josephus

. . .

5.20. Stigall returned from town and Said Markham was Surrounded by a mob & had gone to Nauvoo and suggested that they would be safer in the jail Joseph said after supper we will go in—Stigall went out.—and Joseph said to Dr. Richards—If we go in the jail will you go in with us.—Dr answered—Bro Joseph you did not ask me to cross the River with you—you did not ask me to come to carthage.—you did not ask me to come to Jail with you—and do you think I would forsake you now.—But I will tell you what I will do if you are condemned to be hung for treason I will be hung in your place stead & you shall go free. Joseph you cannot. Dr said I will.—in a few moments to before 6 o clock before the jailor had come in his boy came in to bring some water & said the guard wanted some wine Joseph gave Dr Richards 2,½ dollars to give the guard—but the guard said one was enough & would take no more. Gouard immediately sent for a bottle of wine, pipe, & 2 small papers of tobacco. & one brought
them in soon after the Jasier went out. Dr topped the bottle presented a glass to Joseph. he toasted Bro Taylor. toasted then Dr Toasted.—gave the bottle to the guard.- who turned to go out. when at the stairstep. some one below called him 2 or 3 times. he went down—a little rustling at the door.—the cry surrender & discharge of 3 or 4 arms followed instantly. Dr glanced an eye by the curtain—saw a 100 amed men around the door.—Joseph Hyrum & Taylor coat were of off—Joseph sprang to his coat for his 6. shooter. Hyrum for his single barrel Taylor for Markhams club cane-- & Dr for Taylors cane—all sprung against the door—the balls whistled up the stair way- & in an instant one came through the door—Joseph Taylor & Richards sprang to the left—Hyrum back in front of the door-- & snapped his pistol.—when a ball struck him in the left side of his nose. fell back on floor saying—I am a dead man Joseph discharged his 6 shooter in the entry reaching round the door casing continual
discharges came in the room. 6 shooter missed fire 2 or 3 times.-- Taylor sprang to leap from the east window-- was shot in the window (1)

-- Jun 27, 1844
5 p.m. - A large group of men approaches Carthage Jail disguised with blackened faces. Joseph Smith at first assumes it is the Nauvoo Legion he has secretly ordered to rescue him. However, major-general Jonathan Dunham has disobeyed orders knowing that a prison escape would beam the annihilation of Nauvoo. Instead the vigilantes storm the upstairs room, instantly killing Hyrum Smith and severely wounding John Taylor. Joseph defends himself with a pistol (smuggled in by Cyrus H. Wheelock who had a written pass from Governor Ford allowing him to go "unmolested" in and out of the jail), fatally wounding two men in the mob. He then jumps out of the window, and begins to shout the Masonic cry of distress: "Oh Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?" Masons in the crowd show no mercy and prop the semi-conscious Smith against a nearby well and shoot him several times at point-blank range. The Carthage Grays arrive at the jail moments later from their encampment half a mi
le away.. Willard Richards is the only one not killed or severely wounded. Mormons immediately attribute this to the fact that he alone wore the undergarment given to endowed persons. (2)

-- June 27, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 6:30 P.M. In Nauvoo, Gov. Ford and his men leave town after a great show of military discipline. Orrin Porter Rockwell later testified that he had overheard one of Ford's men telling him, "The deed is done before this time." Two or three miles from Nauvoo Ford meets two men riding to Nauvoo with the news. Ford holds them until he can get farther away from Nauvoo in case there is a fanatic reaction against him. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:623-24; Harold Schindler, Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God, Son of Thunder 135.)

8:05 P.M. Willard Richards sends a notice to Nauvoo bearing the news of Joseph and Hyrum's death. On Elder Taylor's request he says that Taylor is wounded "not very badly." He also says that he believes it was a band of Missourians, and the citizens have left for fear of Mormon reprisals. "I promised them no!" At midnight Richards sends a second notice, once again urging the Saints not to take any vengeance. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:621-24.) (3)

-- Jun 27, 1844
Joseph Smith, Jr. is killed in Carthage Jail by a mob of about 200 armed men. The succession crisis begins when news of Smith's death spreads. (4)

While in jail, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum are shot and killed by members of a mob. No one will ever be convicted of the crime. (5)

[Prophecy] Dr. Richards will not have hole in garment - Dr. Richards would not be injured in an altercation. HC 6:619 -- Dr. Richards was not injured. (6)

Lucinda Morgan Harris Smith, plural wife of Joseph Smith and widow of Masonic marter William Morgan is seen "standing at the head of Joseph Smith's body, her face covered, and her whole frame convulsed with weeping. She was the widow of William Morgan, of Masonic memory, . . . I had called on her a few days previous to this occasion, and while conversing with her, put my hand on a gilt-edged volume lying on the stand. It was 'Stearns on Masonry,' and contained the likeness of William Morgan. She said she had taken it out, and thought if the mob did come, and she was obliged to flee, or jump into the Mississippi, she would take it with her." (7)

Footnotes:
1 - Williard Richards Journal
2 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
3 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
4 - Wikipedia, Joseph Smith Chronology, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.
5 - Whitney, Helen, Timeline: The Early History of the Mormons, A Frontline and American Experience Co-Production, //www.pbs.org/mormons/timeline/
6 - Wikipedia, Prophesies of Joseph Smith, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecies_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.
7 - Grunder, Rick, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source

LDS History Timeline
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Mormon History, June 27, 1844

-- June 27, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 4:15 P.M. Joseph talks to the guards about Joseph H. Jackson, William Law, Wilson Law, and others.

5:00 P.M. Jailor Stigall returns to the jail and tells the prisoners that Stephen Markham has been run out of town. Stigall suggests that the prisoners would be safer in the cell, and Joseph says that they will go in after supper. About this time a mob of about 150, made up of the disbanded militia and others, begins to march to Carthage chanting:"Where now is the Prophet Joseph?Where now is the Prophet Joseph?Where now is the Prophet Joseph?Safe in Carthage Jail!" (Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church (6 volumes) 2:281.)Joseph asks Willard Richards if he wants to go into the cell with him, and Richards answers, "Brother Joseph, you did not ask me to cross the river with you you did not ask me to come to Carthage you did not ask me to come to jail with you and do you think I would forsake you now? But I will tell you what I will do; if you are condemned to be hung for treason, I will be hung in your stead, and you shall go free." Joseph says, "You cannot
." Richards answers, "I will." The jailer's son brings in some water. The guard sends him for some wine. Soon afterwards, the guard brings in some wine and pipes. Joseph, John Taylor, and Willard Richards taste it and give the bottle back to the guard. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:616.) (1)

[Joseph Smith] 5:16 P.M. The guard is called downstairs, where there is a sudden noise and a cry of surrender, followed by two or three gunshots. Willard Richards looks out the window and sees a hundred men with painted faces. The guards fire at the mob (some say they fired above the mob; others say their guns had blanks). The mob runs up the stairs, opens the door, and begins firing. At the same time shots come through the window. The four prisoners push the door shut, and try to knock down the guns sticking through the door. John Taylor uses Markham's large hickory cane, called "the rascal-beater," and Willard Richards uses Taylor's cane. Joseph grabs his six-shooter, and Hyrum grabs his single barrel. A bullet goes through the door and hits Hyrum on the left side of the nose. He falls back saying, "I am a dead man!" Another ball coming through the window hits him in the back almost simultaneously. Two other balls also hit him as he falls dead. Joseph cries "Oh dear, brothe
r Hyrum!" He fireshis six-shooter down the stairway; two or three shots misfire. The mobbers retreat momentarily and then come back up the stairs and open fire again. John Taylor tries to fight off the rifles and bayonets with his cane, but he is hit time after time. He eventually falls and rolls under a bed for safety, but not until he is hit with five balls. One pierces his stopwatch, stopping it at 5:16. Joseph is also hit with one or two balls. He jumps to the window, pauses for a moment, and cries, "Oh Lord, my God!" and falls. Some reports state that he was still alive when he hit the ground, that he lifted himself up and was shot again. Others state that a man tried to cut off his head but his arm was paralyzed. The cry goes up that "he's leaped the window!"The mob runs down the stairs to see him. During this time, Willard Richards pulls John Taylor's body into the next cell and hides him under a mattress. In all of the shooting, Richards has only been nicked in the e
ar, which, it is said, fulfills a prophecy given by Joseph over a year previously that "balls would fly around him like hail, and he should see his friends fall on the right and left, but . . . there should not be a hole in his garment." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:616-22. Several have argued that Joseph's final words were a Masonic distress signal. See Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church (6 volumes) 2:287; Brigham Young University Studies (various issues), W '68, 213-14; Cecil E. McGavin, Mormonism and Masonry 15-30.)Some go back up into the room but cannot find Willard Richards or John Taylor. The cry goes up that "the Mormons are coming!" and the mob flees to the woods. Most of the town joins them before dawn. Eventually Richards carries Joseph's body back into jail. Ten of the twelve apostles at this time were in various cities in the East. Several of them record that they had definite feelings of depres
sion at a certain time, and later found it to be the same time Joseph had been shot. (1)

-- Jun 27, 1844
(About 5pm) Joseph Smith (38), Hyrum Smith, John Taylor, and Willard Richards attacked in Carthage Jail by mob of 250 or more militiamen from Warsaw, IL with faces painted black. Hyrum Smith killed first with a shot to the head. Joseph Smith shoots and kills two of his assailants and wounds a third with a gun (smuggled by Cyrus Wheelock); Joseph Smith makes Masonic sign for distress before shot and killed. Was carrying Jupiter Talisman. John Taylor badly wounded, taking four bullets; Willard Richards only nicked on ear and cheek. (2)

-- Jun 27, 1844, Thursday
[William Clayton Writings] On the afternoon of the 27th, the governor disbanded his troops except his body-guard; and, leaving the brethern in jail under the charge of the Carthage Greys, some of their bitterest enemies, he came out to Nauvoo and made a harsh address to the people.

When he left Carthage a body of men collected from Nauvoo and started for Carthage, and when within a few miles they stopped to black their faces. They proceeded through the woods to the north side of Carthage; then, leaving the woods, they went to the jail, and the doors being open, they rushed up stairs with their rifles and muskets and commenced firing into the room. The brethern defended themselves as well as they could; but, having no arms, they were soon over-powered. Hyrum was shot through the head and fell backwards dead. John Taylor had four balls shot into him. Joseph jumped through the window and was immediately surrounded by the mob. They raised him up and set him against the well-curb; but as yet it appears he had not been hit with a ball. However, four of the mob immediately drew their guns and shot him dead. This was all the work of about two minutes. The mob then fled as fast as possible. A messenger was dispatched to bring the news to Nauvoo, but was met by
the governor and taken back for fear the whole city would rush out and desolate the country. (3)

Footnotes:
1 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
3 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries

LDS History Timeline
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Mormon History, June 27, 1844

-- June 27, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 10:30 A.M. Gov. Ford and his troops leave for Nauvoo. Joseph sends Dan Jones to request a pass for Willard Richards.

11:00 A.M. John S. Fullmer leaves for Nauvoo to help Cyrus Wheelock gather witnesses for the upcoming trial. James W. Woods, Joseph's lawyer, leaves Carthage for Nauvoo.

11:20 A.M. Dan Jones returns with the pass for Willard Richards, but cannot get one for himself.

11:30 A.M. Almon W. Babbitt comes to the jail and reads a letter from Oliver Cowdery. Joseph and others try to get Dan Jones past the guards but cannot.

12:20 P.M. Joseph sends a letter to a lawyer named Browning asking him to be Joseph's attorney in the upcoming trial. Babbitt gives the letter to Jones and directs him to take it to Quincy, Ill. The guard thinks it is a letter for Nauvoo and claims that "Old Joe" has sent orders to raise the Nauvoo Legion. Dozens of men try to ambush Jones to get the letter, but he accidentally goes the wrong way and eludes them.

1:15 P.M. Joseph, Hyrum, Willard Richards, John Taylor, and Stephen Markham eat lunch.

1:30 P.M. Willard Richards gets an upset stomach. When Stephen Markham is sent out for medicine, the Carthage Greys throw him on a horse and run him out of town at bayonet point. (1)

[Joseph Smith] 3:15 P.M. The guards become "more severe" and argue among themselves. John Taylor sings the full seven verses of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." Joseph asks him to sing it again, but John does not feel like doing so. Hyrum tells him, "Oh, never mind: commence singing and you will get the spirit of it." He sings. Hyrum reads extracts of Josephus. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:614-15; Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church (6 volumes) 2:284.)

4:00 P.M. The guard is changed. Only eight guards remain at the jail, while the remainder camp a quarter mile away. (Some later testified that by this time the jailers' guns were only loaded with blanks.) Gov. Ford arrives in Nauvoo. The Saints assemble and he speaks to them. Among other things he says, "A great crime has been done by destroying the Expositor press and placing the city under martial law, and a severe atonement must be made, so prepare your minds for the emergency. . . . I know there is a great prejudice against you on account of your peculiar religion, but you ought to be praying Saints, not military Saints. Depend upon it, a little more misbehavior from the citizens, and the torch, which is already lighted, will be applied, the city may be reduced to ashes, and extermination would inevitably follow." At the end of his speech he asks for a show of hands as to who would obey the law even in opposition to the Prophet, and the Saints vote unanimously that they
wouldsustain the law. (Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church (6 volumes) 2:278-79; History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:623.) (1)

-- 1844. June 27
(John Taylor): Jailed with Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and Willard Richards in Carthage, Illinois. To cheer up the group, Taylor sang "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." He suggested escape to the Prophet: "If you permit it, and say the word, I will have you out of this prison in five hours, if the jail has to come down to do it." The offer was refused. Asked to sing the song again, Taylor said he did not feel like singing. Hyrum entreated, "Oh, never mind; commence singing and you will get the spirit of it." Shortly after Taylor completed the song again, an armed mob overwhelmed the guard and rushed up the stairs to the prisoner's room while gunmen outside fired into the building:

"After parrying the guns for some time, which now protruded thicker and farther into the room, and seeing no hope of escape or protection there, as we were now unarmed, it occurred to me that we might have some friends outside, and that there might be some chance of escape in that direction but here there seemed to be none. As I expected them every moment to rush into the roomâ€"nothing but extreme cowardice having thus far kept them outâ€"as the tumult and pressure increased, without any other hope, I made a spring for the window, which was right in front of the jail door where the mob was standing, and also exposed to the fire of the Carthage Greys. …

"I was struck by a ball from the door about midway of my thigh, which struck the bone, and flattened out almost the size of a quarter of a dollar, and then passed on through the fleshy part to within about half an inch of the outside. I think some prominent nerve must have been severed or injured for as soon as the ball struck me, I fell like a bird when shot, or an ox when struck by a butcher, and lost entirely and instantaneously all power of action or locomotion. I fell upon the window-sill, and cried out, 'I am shot!'

"Not possessing any power to move, I felt myself falling outside of the window, but immediately I fell inside, from some, at that time, unknown cause. When I struck the floor my animation seemed restored, as I have seen it sometimes in squirrels and birds after being shot. As soon as I felt the power of motion I crawled under the bed, which was in a corner of the room, not far from the window where I received my wound.

"While on my way and under the bed I was wounded in three other places; one ball entered a little below the left knee, and never was extracted; another entered the forepart of my left arm, a little above the wrist, and, passing down by the joint, lodged in the fleshy part of my hand, about midway, a little above the upper joint of my little finger; and another struck me on the fleshy part of my left hip, and tore away the flesh as large as my hand, dashing the mangled fragments of flesh and blood against the wall."

When he reached Nauvoo, Taylor and his family were "not a little startled to find that my watch had been struck with a ball. I sent for my vest, and, upon examination, it was found that there was a cut as if with a knife, in the vest pocket which had contained my watch. In the pocket the fragments of the glass were found literally ground to powder. It then occurred to me that a ball had struck me at the time I felt myself falling out of the window, and that it was this force that threw me inside." (2)

Footnotes:
1 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies

LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, Jun 27, 1844

-- Jun 27, 1844
Carthage, Illinois. Joseph Smith wrote letters from Carthage Jail to his wife, Emma Smith, and lawyer Orville H. Browning. byu-studies-js

-- Jun 27, 1844, Thursday
[William Clayton Writings] Clayton saw the governor arrive in Nauvoo, listened to him talk, and was outraged at what he thought was an unfair and intemperate speech. Little did he realize that late that afternoon his prophet was murdered by a mob. Clayton went to bed on that evening, oblivious of the tragic affair taking place in Carthage. clay1

-- Jun 27, 1844
Before leaving Carthage Jail at 1:30 p. m., Stephen Markham listens as Smith says he has lost the spirit of God for disobedience in returning to Nauvoo.. In 1858 Brigham Young would say later "If Joseph Smith, Jun., the Prophet, had followed the Spirit of revelation in him he never would have gone to Carthage and never for one moment did he say that he had one particle of light in him after he started back from Montrose to give himself up in Nauvoo." Smith tells associate that he has lost the spirit of God for disobedience . Court/Jail PLACE: Cathage Jail, Cathage, IL SOURCE: Brigham Young, A Series of Instructions and Remarks by President Young at a Special Council, Tabernacle, March 21, 1858 (Salt Lake City, 1858) i4m

10 a.m. - Illinois governor Thomas Ford arrives to disband the state militia, then travels with some of his troops to Nauvoo. Although he spares the city the bloody assault planned by the Illinois militia, he leaves Joseph Smith under protection of hostile Carthage Greys, knowingly enabling the assassination. jakehist

[Emma Smith] Emma serves dinner to Governor Ford and sixty of his men in Nauvoo Mansion House about 5:00 p. m. Emma learns about 10:00 p. m. that Joseph and Hyrum have been shot and killed. emma

At 4:00 PM, "Hyrum read extracts from Josephus." Josephus discusses such non-biblical things as Abraham's uncle-relationship to his wife Sarai, and his teaching of arithmatic and astronomy to the Egyptians. mp

-- Jun 27, 1844 (Thursday)
Gov. Thos. Ford went to Nauvoo, leaving the prisoners in jail to be guarded by their most bitter enemies, the "Carthage Greys." About 5:20 p.m. an armed mob with blackened faces surrounded and entered the jail. jenson

-- June 27, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 5:00 A.M. John P. Greene and W. W. Phelps visit the jail on their way to Nauvoo.

5:30 A.M. The prisoners arise. Joseph asks Dan Jones to find out about the gunshot last night. Jones talks with Frank Worrel, one of the Carthage Greys. Worrel says, "We have had too much trouble to bring Old Joe here to let him ever escape alive, and unless you want to die with him you had better leave before sundown. . . . You'll see that I can prophesy better than Old Joe, for neither he nor his brother, nor anyone who will remain with them will see the sun set today." Joseph sends Dan Jones to report what he has heard to Gov. Ford. On the way, Jones hears others plotting to kill Joseph. Ford tells him he is "unnecessarily alarmed" and claims that "the people are not that cruel." Jones also records that he demanded that Ford protect Joseph because Joseph was a Master Mason, and promised that if Joseph was killed, he would testify to the world that Ford knew about it beforehand. Gov. Ford also refuses to give passes to Jones and others, so they cannot pass in and out of th
e prison. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:602-4.)

7:00 A.M. Joseph and four others eat breakfast.

8:00 A.M. Cyrus H. Wheelock receives a pass from Gov. Ford.

8:20 A.M. Joseph writes to Emma. He tells her that he will not be going to Nauvoo with Gov. Ford as he had previously assumed. He adds a postscript, "I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified, and have done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children and all my friends." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:605.) conklin

9:40 A.M. Mr. Woods and Mr. Reid come to the jail. Dr. Southwick reports that he was in a meeting in which delegates from almost every state had met to discuss the best way to stop Joseph Smith's political career, saying, "If he did not get into the Presidential chair this election, he would be sure to the next time." Captain Dunn and his men are ordered to accompany Gov. Ford to Nauvoo. The Carthage Greys are selected by Ford to guard the prisoners in the jail. Ford disbands over 1200 other men at Carthage and a couple of thousand camped eight miles away. Ford tells Cyrus H. Wheelock, "I was never in such a dilemma in my life; but your friends shall be protected. . . . In this pledge I am not alone; I have obtained the pledge of the whole of the army. . . ." Wheelock visits the prison and slips a pepper box revolver into Joseph's pocket. Joseph gives a single-barrel pistol to his brother Hyrum and says, "You may have use for this." Hyrum answers, "I hate to use such things o
r tosee them used." Joseph replies, "So do I, but we may have to, to defend ourselves." Hyrum takes the pistol. Joseph then says that even Jesus did not at times think it wise to reveal all he knew because of physical danger. "So it is with the Church. . . . We have the revelation of Jesus, and the knowledge within us is sufficient to organize a righteous government upon the earth, and to give universal peace to all mankind . . . but we lack the physical strength, as did our Savior when a child, to defend our principles, and we have of necessity to be afflicted, persecuted and smitten, and to bear it patiently until Jacob is of age, then he will take care of himself." A list of proposed witnesses is read, but Alpheus Cutler and Reynolds Cahoon are crossed off. Dr. Richards records notes dictated by Joseph and Hyrum and addressed to their families. Joseph relates a dream he had in Kirtland in which his enemies tried to destroy him but ended up destroying themselves. Both Jose
ph andHyrum bear their testimonies of the divinity of the work. Joseph writes a postscript to Emma, telling her that the troups have been disbanded and Governor Ford will come to Nauvoo to give a speech. He then sends his letter off. John P. Greene tells Gov. Ford that there is a conspiracy to take the lives of Joseph and Hyrum. Ford replies, "Marshal Greene, you are too enthusiastic." One journal records that Joseph also sent a note to Jonathan Dunham requesting that the Nauvoo troupe come to Joseph's rescue. Dunham, however, either never received or never acted upon the request. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:605-11.) conklin

Footnotes:
1 - BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith, http://amzn.to/BYUStudies-JSChron
2 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
3 - Joseph Smith Polygamy Timeline, http://www.i4m.com/think/polygamy/JS_Polygamy_Timeline.htm
4 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
5 - Emma Smith, Woman of Faith, http://emmasmithmormon.com
6 - Grunder, Rick, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source
7 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
8 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology

LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, June 26, 1844

-- June 26, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 12:00 noon Joseph remarks, "I have had a good deal of anxiety about my safety since I left Nauvoo, which I never had before when I was under arrest. I could not help those feelings, and they have depressed me." Joseph and the others take turns preaching to the guards, many of whom become so impressed with Joseph's innocence that they feel guilty guarding him, so they leave. Joseph also comments, "Could my brother, Hyrum, but be liberated, it would not matter so much about me. Poor Rigdon, I am glad he has gone to Pittsburg out of the way; were he to preside he would lead the Church to destruction in less than five years." Joseph's lawyer argues for his release but is turned down. (They cannot be freed until bail is set, and bail for treason, a capital crime, can only be set by a circuit judge. The nearest is at least a day's ride away.)

12:30 P.M. Dr. Bernhisel arrives at the jail.

1:00 P.M. Several threats" If the law will not reach them, powder and ball must" are circulated in the presence of Gov. Ford during lunch.

2:30 P.M. Constable Bettisworth demands that the jailor, Stigall, release the prisoners to him. Stigall refuses on the grounds that by law the justice of the peace can only imprison people, not free them. Threats are made to enforce Justice Robert F. Smith's orders by bringing out his troops, the Carthage Greys. Joseph sends a message to Gov. Ford. conklin

[Joseph Smith] 2:40 P.M. Dr. Bernhisel returns from Ford and says that the governor is doing all he can.

3:00 P.M. Joseph writes his lawyers concerning Bettisworth's recent attempt to take the prisoners.

3:40 P.M. The constable arrives with the Carthage Greys and demands with threats that Joseph be turned over to him. He is. They march Joseph and Hyrum to the courthouse. Joseph, expecting to be shot momentarily, locks arms with the worst mobocrat he can find, and marches with him.

4:45 P.M. After almost an hour of debate about legalities, it is determined that court will be postponed until noon the next day. Subpoenas are granted to get witnesses from Nauvoo (20 miles away).

5:30 P.M. Joseph and Hyrum return to jail with others. Patriarch John Smith, Joseph's uncle, having traveled through several threatening mobs, visits Joseph.

6:00 P.M. Joseph receives several letters.

7:45 P.M. They eat supper.

8:00 P.M. Lawyers Woods and Reid and John P. Greene visit the jail and say that the governor has decided to leave for Nauvoo at 8 o'clock the next morning with all his troops except his 50 most trustworthy. The trial is therefore postponed until June 29. During this time Dan Jones and Stephen Markham try to repair the door latch so it can be shut securely in case of attack.

9:00 P.M. Woods, Reid, and Greene return to Hamilton's hotel.

9:15 P.M. John Taylor prays. Willard Richards, Stephen Markham, Dan Jones, John S. Fullmer, and John Taylor stay with Joseph and Hyrum. Hyrum reads from the Book of Mormon about imprisoned prophets, and Joseph bears his testimony to the guards about the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the gospel, the administration of angels, and the reestablishment of the kingdom of God on earth. He claims these are the real reasons for which he is imprisoned, not because he has broken any law. Willard Richards, to whom Joseph has been dictating during the day, continues to write until the last candle goes out. When a gun fires later in the night, Joseph leaves his bed and lies on the floor between Dan Jones and John Fullmer. During the next few minutes he makes such comments as, "Lay your head on my arm for a pillow, Brother John. . . . I would like to see my family again. . . . I would to God that I could preach to the Saints in Nauvoo once more." Fullmer tries to cheer him up. Willard
Richards takes Joseph's place on the one bed and falls asleep. Joseph asks Dan Jones, "Are you afraid to die?" Dan replies, "Has that time come, think you? Engaged in such a cause I do not think that death would have many terrors." Joseph replies, "You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6: 600-601.) conklin

-- Jun 27, 1844
By this time, he had wed approximately 33 wives ( Per Todd Comptons In Sacred Loneliness. Other authors have different counts, but Todds count is generally accepted by todays historians ). At least 27 others in the Mormon hierarchy had also married multiple women ( Identifying the Earliest Mormon Polygamists, 1841 44, Gary James Bergera, Dialogue volume 38, no 3, Fall 2005, p46 ). This polygamy was exposed by the Nauvoo Expositor, which published only one edition. Joseph and the city council ordered the press destroyed, and the resulting furor resulted in his imprisonment and death from a mob attack. The church was deeply divided. tungate

Joseph Smith writes to Quincy lawyer O. H. Browning for legal counsel. Tidd

The morning of 27 July, Smith sent an order (in his own handwriting) to Major-General Jonathan Dunham to lead the Nauvoo Legion in a military attack on Carthage "immediately" to free the prisoners. Dunham realized that such an assault by the Nauvoo Legion would result in two blood baths, one in Carthage and another when anti-Mormons (and probably the Illinois militia) retaliated by laying siege to Nauvoo for insurrection. To avoid civil war and the destruction of Nauvoo's population, Dunham refused to obey the order and did not notify Smith of his decision. One of his lieutenants, a former Danite, later complained that Dunham "did not let a single mortal know that he had received such orders." Smith orders Nauvoo Legion to free him . Court/Jail PLACE: Carthage Jail, Carthage IL SOURCE: Joseph Smith to Jonathan Dunham, 27 June 1844, in Jessee, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, xxv, 616-17; History of the Church, 6:529 referred to this order but neither quoted nor summarized i
t. i4m

Footnotes:
1 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - Tungate, Mel, Mormon Polygamy, http://www.tungate.com/polygamy.htm
3 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
4 - Joseph Smith Polygamy Timeline, http://www.i4m.com/think/polygamy/JS_Polygamy_Timeline.htm

LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, Jun 26, 1844

-- Jun 26, 1844
John Smith (uncle) visits Joseph and Hyrum. Tidd

Joseph Smith, in Carthage Jail, sends a note to Governor Thomas Ford. Ford comes to the jail to meet with Joseph. Joseph tells him " the origin of the difficulty, the facts relating to the Expositor press, the course pursued by the City Council; the legality, as they thought, of their legislation; the pledges that he had made by letter and sent by expresses to his Excellency, that he was willing to satisfy all legal claims in case it should be shown that the City Council had transcended their legal bounds, etc., and that the Legion had been called out for the protection of the city, while it was threatened with immediate hostilities by an infuriated mob, until his Excellency could afford relief, and not for the purpose of invasion." William Clayton writes to Joseph " to inform you that Mr. Marsh, who lives down the river, and of whom you have had corn, pork, etc., has sent word if you want any bail he is ready for one to any amount; . . ." tdy

Joseph and Hyrum Smith and friends are moved to the jailor's bedroom on the second floor of the Carthage Jail and spend much of the day in conversation with attorneys, visitors to the jail, and Illinois Governor Thomas Ford. woodland

Carthage, Illinois. Joseph Smith sat in an interview with Thomas Ford, governor of Illinois, who promised him and the other prisoners protection. jsresource

Joseph Smith is denied a change of venue. He tells Governor Ford: "If it is deemed that we did a wrong in destroying that press, we refuse not to pay for it. Ford promises to protect the Prophet. hales

[Prophecy] Dan Jones to visit Wales - "Soon after Dr. Richards retired to the bed ... and when all were apparently fast asleep, Joseph whispered to Dan Jones, "are you afraid to die?" Dan said, "Has that time come, think you? Engaged in such a cause I do not think that death would have many terrors." Joseph replied, "You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die" HC 6:601 -- Jones did visit Wales. jsproph

-- Jun 26, 1844 (Wednesday)
Gov. Thos. Ford had a long interview with the prisoners in Carthage jail. He renewed his promises of protection and said, if he went to Nauvoo, he would take them with him. jenson

-- Jun 26, 1844, Wednesday
[William Clayton Writings] On Wednesday, June 26, Clayton had his last chance to perform a service for Joseph Smith. In Carthage jail, about noon, the prophet wrote a letter to Jesse B. Thomas, presiding judge of the circuit court. Thomas was friendly to the Mormons and Joseph thought of him as ``a great man and a gentleman.'' Ten days earlier Thomas had advised Joseph with regard to the Expositor affair, telling him that he should go before some justice in the county and have an examination of the charges specified in the writ against him. Joseph had followed that advice and was dismissed from custody in a habeas corpus hearing in Nauvoo. In his letter Joseph briefly explained his circumstances and asked the judge to go to Nauvoo, make himself comfortable at the Smith home, and be ready to hear another habeas corpus case. Joseph, who expected to go to Nauvoo with the governor the next day, sent the letter to William Clayton with instructions that he should get a messenger to
take it to Judge Thomas. Clayton received the message that afternoon, did as he was instructed, then sat down and wrote his final letter to Joseph Smith. It contained several short messages. One was that a Mr. Marsh, with whom Joseph had done business, was ready to put up bail for him in any amount. He also reported that he had sent the message to Judge Thomas and ended his letter with these words: ``All is peace in Nauvoo. Many threats keep coming that the mob are determined to attack the city in your absence, but we have no fears. With fervency and true friendship, I remain yours eternally, William Clayton.'' The letter arrived at Carthage jail at 6:15. clay1

-- June 26, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 7:00 A.M. The prisoners eat breakfast.

7:30 A.M. Joseph sends several messages to Gov. Ford, requesting a change of venue to Quincy, Adams County.

8:00 A.M. The jailor tells Joseph that Carthage citizens expected 9,000 people to attack Nauvoo, but only 200 show up.

8:10 A.M. Joseph again sends a messenger to Ford requesting an interview.

8:30 A.M. Messengers return to Joseph stating that Gov. Ford has apologized and will come for an interview very soon.

8:50 A.M. Mr. Reid arrives, gives Joseph some legal advice, and lists the witnesses he plans to call in the trial.

9:27 A.M. Gov. Ford arrives at the jail. For over an hour Joseph and Ford discuss the recent problems, each giving his point of view. Joseph says, "If it is deemed that we did a wrong in destroying that press, we refuse not to pay for it. We are desirous to fulfill the law in every particular, and are responsible for our acts." He says he had not wanted to come to Carthage, the most dangerous of all places, for trial. Gov. Ford doubts if Joseph is in any danger in Carthage or anywhere else, but promises that if he goes to Nauvoo tomorrow, he will take Joseph with him. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:576-85. For the actual legality of Joseph's action against the Nauvoo Expositor, see Utah Law Review 9:4 (Winter 1965) 862-903.)

10:15 A.M. Gov. Ford leaves, after again promising the protection of Joseph. conklin

Footnotes:
1 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com
4 - Joseph Smith Resource Center: Daily Events in the Life of Joseph Smith, http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e581001cfb340010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRDlocale=0
5 - Hales, Brian C., Joseph Smith's Polygamy: History and Theology, 2 vols., Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2011 (www.JosephSmithsPolygamy.com)
6 - Wikipedia, Prophesies of Joseph Smith, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecies_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.
7 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
8 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
9 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology

LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, Jun 25, 1844

-- Jun 25, 1844
[Joseph Smith] Returns and surrenders at Carthage, Illinois. (1)

[Joseph Smith] Voluntarily surrenders to constable at Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, on charges of inciting a riot, language used to describe Joseph's action in destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor; the Prophet then is charged with treason for having declared martial law in Nauvoo. (2)

[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph and Hyrum give themselves up to the civil authorities at 8:00 A.M. and are jailed. (3)

[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph and Hyrum surrender at Carthage to face Expositor riot charge. (4)

-- Jun 25, 1844 (Tuesday)
Joseph Smith and his brethren surrendered themselves to a constable at Carthage and submitted to a trial, after which they were, contrary to law, remanded to prison. (5)

-- Jun 25, 1844, Tuesday
[William Clayton Writings] By the next day Clayton and others were fully persuaded that mobsters were ready to attack the city. One piece of convincing evidence appeared when Joseph Smith's colorful and impetuous bodyguard, Orrin Porter Rockwell, got into a fight with one of the dissenters, Francis M. Higbee. A letter fell out of Higbee's hat, and whoever recovered it read that seventy mobsters were gathered on the Iowa side of the river planning to descend upon Nauvoo that night. As Clayton describe the fight. ``O. P. Rockwell has been whipping F.M. Higbee.'' (6)

-- June 25, 1844
[Joseph Smith] 8:00 A.M. Joseph and Hyrum are arrested for treason by Constable David Bettisworth.

8:30 A.M. The troops fall in line in the public square to listen to an excited speech by Gov. Ford.

9:15 A.M. Gov. Ford marches Joseph in front of a line of soldiers.

9:53 A.M. Joseph, Hyrum, Elders Richards, Taylor, and Phelps, and Gen. Deming march in front of the Carthage Greys and the other soldiers. Deming introduces Joseph and Hyrum as "general," at which time the soldiers break into shouting and throwing their hats and swords. Gov. Ford tells the soldiers that they shall have "full satisfaction." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:564.)

10:30 A.M. News reaches the hotel that the Carthage Greys have revolted and have been put under guard by Gen. Deming.

10:50 A.M. The Greys are restored to order.

11:15 A.M. News arrives that the Warsaw militia has marched to Carthage.

12:48 P.M. Joseph tells Gov. Ford that he wants Nauvoo to be protected; he has heard rumors that the apostates are going there to plunder.1:30 P.M. Mark Aldrich visits Joseph.

2:30 P.M. Gov. Ford tells Joseph he has sent a man to protect Nauvoo. Joseph writes Emma expressing hope of an early release. He also writes Orrin Porter Rockwell, warning him to stay away from Carthage and not allow himself to be arrested.

3:00 P.M. Joseph asks several military officers if they think he looks like a desperate character. They answer that they cannot see into his heart. He replies, "Very true, gentlemen, you cannot see what is in my heart, and you are therefore unable to judge me. . . . I can see what is in your hearts, and will tell you what I see. I can see that you thirst for blood, and nothing but my blood will satisfy you. It is not for crime of any description that I and my brethren are thus continually persecuted. . . . You and the people thirst for blood, I prophesy, in the name of the Lord, that you shall witness scenes of blood and sorrow to your entire satisfaction. Your souls shall be perfectly satiated with blood, and many of you who are now present shall have an opportunity to face the cannon's mouth from sources you think not of. . . . They shall seek for peace, and shall not be able to find it. Gentlemen, you will find what I have told you to be true." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:565-66, Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church (6 volumes) 2:256-57,270-73 records the fulfillment of this prophecy.)

3:48 P.M. Joseph hears that the apostates have said "that there was nothing against these men; the law could not reach them but powder and ball would, and they should not go out of Carthage alive." He, Hyrum, and thirteen others are taken before Robert F. Smith, a justice of the peace and captain of the Carthage Greys. H. T. Reid and James W. Woods defend the Mormons and argue that this should be a civil, not a criminal, case. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:566-68.)

5:00 P.M. Bail is set at $500 each ($7,500 total). The Saints claim that the judge is trying to set bail at a higher amount than they can afford, but the amount is paid, and the defendants are freed.

6:00 P.M. Captain Dan Jones says he has overheard Wilson Law say that after so much work to get Joseph here alive, they will arrest him on one charge after another and will not allow him to leave. Jones tells Joseph that he witnessed Joseph H. Jackson touch his pistol and say, "the balls are in there that will decide his case." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:568-69.)

7:30 P.M. Most of the brethren leave for Nauvoo. Joseph and Hyrum go to Gov. Ford for an interview.

8:00 P.M. Constable Bettisworth arrives with a mittimus, a warrant committing Joseph and Hyrum to jail on a charge of treason (a different charge from the one for which they had paid bail). Joseph's lawyers, Reid and Woods, argue that such an order without a preliminary investigation or a possibility of paying bail is illegal. Woods requests that he be given time to appeal the order to Gov. Ford. Bettisworth says he will wait five minutes.

9:00 P.M. Woods returns from Gov. Ford, saying that Ford has told him that an executive cannot interfere in a civil judicial process; therefore he will not intervene. Robert F. Smith, who issued the illegal mittimus, is also a captain of the Carthage Greys, and this makes the Mormons highly suspicious of the fairness and legality of these proceedings. Governor Ford has told John Taylor that although he is sorry the order has been issued, "he thought that the best thing to be done in the premises was to let the law take its course. . . . It was a matter over which he had no control, as it belonged to the judiciary; that he, as the executive could not interfere with their proceedings, and that he had no doubt but that they would be immediately dismissed." Justice Robert F. Smith later says he committed Joseph to jail because he did not think the hotel was safe. Captain Dunn and 20 men escort Joseph and Hyrum together with Willard Richards, John Taylor, John P. Greene, StephenMarkham, and four others to jail. As they march through town, they fight off several drunks with their walking sticks. The jailor, George W. Stigall, puts them in the small criminal's cell, but later moves them to the large, more comfortable debtor's apartment, where the ten men spend the night. (This room, however, has several windows and a door that cannot be locked, and is therefore less secure.) (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:570-74.) (7)

Footnotes:
1 - Scott H. Faulring, An American Prophet's Record, 'A Joseph Smith Chronology', http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
2 - Highlights in the Prophet's Life, Ensign, June 1994
3 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books, http://bit.ly/lucys-book
4 - Proctor, Scott and Maurine Jensen, editors, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother: Revised and Enhanced
5 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
6 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
7 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology

LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, June 24, 1844

-- June 24, 1844
Monday. Sidney Rigdon, having prophesied that Joseph would die and that Nauvoo would fall, leaves for Pittsburgh with his family.

4:00 A.M. Jedediah M. Grant and Theodore Turley reach Nauvoo from Carthage with a message from an angry Gov. Ford that Joseph must be in Carthage by

10:00 A.M., and that he would not be given an escort by the state to protect him.

6:30 A.M. Joseph and the seventeen others named on the arrest warrant (charged with riot) ride from Nauvoo with several others. As they pass the temple, Joseph says, "This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them." Joseph tells Daniel H. Wells, "I wish you to cherish my memory, and not think me the worst man in the world either." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:554.)

9:50 A.M. They are met by Captain Dunn and a militia of 60, four miles west of Carthage. Joseph says, "Do not be alarmed. . . . They can only kill the body." Dunn brings an order from Ford that all state arms of the Nauvoo Legion are to be turned over. Joseph sends one of his men to carry out the order. He then says, "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward all men. If they take my life I shall die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for vengeance, and it shall be said of me 'He was murdered in cold blood!' " Captain Dunn then requests that Joseph return to Nauvoo and aid in the surrendering of the arms. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes)

6:554-55.)

2:30 P.M. Joseph and his men reach Nauvoo and help in gathering the arms at the Masonic Hall. The Nauvoo citizens are frightened and respond very unwillingly.

6:00 P.M. Three cannons and 200 firearms (although rumors claim 30 cannons and 600 firearms) are collected. Joseph goes twice to bid farewell to his family. Before he leaves Emma the last time, she requests a blessing from him. He tells her to write the best one she can think of and he will sign it. In her long handwritten letter, she requests a "fruitful, active mind," "the spirit of discernment," "wisdom to bring up all the children . . . in such a manner that they will be useful ornaments in the kingdom of God," "prudence that I may not through ambition abuse my body and cause it to become old and care-worn, but that I may wear a cheerful countenance," and several other things. Tradition says that after this Emma did not see Joseph again. (More complete versions are in Brigham Young University Studies (various issues), W '74, 216; and Donna Hill, Joseph Smith: The First Mormon 350.) Joseph finally leaves for Carthage. At the Masonic Hall, he says, "Boys, if I don't come b
ack, take care of yourselves; I am going like a lamb to the slaughter." When he passes hisfarm he says, "If some of you had got such a farm and knew you would not see it any more, you would want to take a good look at it for the last time." He later tells Hyrum, privately, "Do not go another foot, for they say they will kill you, if you go to Carthage." When the others ride up, they continue their ride to Carthage. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:558.)

9:00 P.M. They stop at a house four miles west of Carthage for 30 minutes and eat.

11:55 P.M They reach Carthage and go to Hamilton's tavern. The town is full of more than 1400 drinking, celebrating, excited militia troops from nearby towns, including 30 Carthage Greys. They shout curses and threats at the Mormons, until Gov. Ford leans out the window and says, "I know your great anxiety to see Mr. Smith. . . . You shall have that privilege tomorrow morning, as I will cause him to pass before the troops upon the square." The Laws, Higbee, and others are also at Hamilton's tavern. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:559-60.) (1)

-- Jun 25, 1844
Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and several others arrested for the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. Bail was posted and all, but Joseph and Hyrum, were released; Joseph and Hyrum were kept in jail and charged with treason against Illinois for calling out the Nauvoo Legion. (2)

The general of the Carthage militia signs a secret order for a military attack against Nauvoo, with the march of forces to begin at Golden's Point at 2 p.m., Jun 27, 1844. In Carthage, Joseph Smith is charged with "crime of treason against the government and people of the State of Illinois aforesaid." (3)

The Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith appear in court in Carthage. Through legal manipulation, they are sent to Carthage Jail on a charge of treason. They are first confined to the criminal's cell, but because of crowded conditions, they are later placed in the more comfortable debtor's cell. (4)

[Joseph Smith] Carthage, Illinois. After Joseph and Hyrum Smith surrendered to the authorities in the morning, Thomas Ford, governor of Illinois, paraded the brothers through the ranks of the troops assembled by his orders from the surrounding counties; the Smiths were in a hearing with the Nauvoo City Council during the day, but were then taken to Carthage Jail that evening on a new charge of treason. (5)

Carthage, Illinois. Joseph Smith wrote a letter to his wife, Emma Smith from Carthage Jail. (5)

Footnotes:
1 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
3 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
4 - The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com
5 - BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith, http://amzn.to/BYUStudies-JSChron

LDS History Timeline
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Mormon History, Jun 23, 1844, Sunday

-- Jun 23, 1844, Sunday
[William Clayton Writings] Fully aware of the plot afoot to take their lives, Joseph and Hyrum had decided that the best thing for them as well as for the church was to flee across the Mississippi and perhaps find refuge in the Rocky Mountains. Joseph, Hyrum, and Willard Richards were preparing to leave, and Joseph told William W.l Phelps, another close friend and scribe, to inform their wives and get their feelings on the subject. When Clayton arrived at the river, Joseph whispered his assignment to him: he was to give the records of the Kingdom of God (i.e., the Council of Fifty) to a faithful man who would take them away to safety, or he should burn or bury them. Clayton certainly could not bear to part with or destroy the sacred and important records he had so faithfully kept, so he hurried home and early that Sunday morning gathered up not only the private records but also the public records and buried them.
That afternoon Joseph and Hyrum changed their minds, partly because Emma Smith sent a message to her husband urging them to return. They finally decided to submit themselves to arrest, go to Carthage, and try again to be released through the legal process. Late that afternoon as Joseph arrived back in Nauvoo, Clayton was there to greet him. (1)


Footnotes:
1 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries


LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist

Mormon History, Jun 23, 1844

-- Jun 23, 1844
Emma Smith sends Orrin Porter Rockwell, Reynolds Cahoon, Lorenzo D. Wasson, and Hirum Kimball to convince Joseph Smith to return and face charges, as Governor Ford promised their safety and a fair trial. Joseph reluctantly agrees with Hyrum to return but says they will be butchered. (1)

Joseph Smith sends Orrin Porter Rockwell back to get horses and tells him to be ready to start for the Great Basin in the Rocky Mountains.. (1)

Accused of cowardly abandoning Nauvoo, Joseph returns about 6 p.m. He tells Stephen Markham that this is contrary to a revelation and commandment he had received. Joseph and Emma Smith burn the original manuscript of the 1843 polygamy revelation, presumably on this evening. William Clayton preserves a copy. Joseph writes to Governor Thomas Ford, who is in Carthage, "But from the explanation, I now offer to come to you at Carthage on the morrow, as early as shall be convenient for your posse to escort us into headquarters. provided we can have a fair trial, not be abused nor have my witnesses abused, and have all things done in due form of law, without partiality, and you may depend on my honor without the show of a great armed force to produce excitement in the minds of the timid." Joseph also retains a lawyer and witnesses. (2)

Joseph and Hyrum Smith return to Nauvoo from Iowa, submit to Illinois authorities, and consent to appear in court at Carthage on a charge of inciting a riot when the press of the Nauvoo Expositor was destroyed on June 10. (3)

[Joseph Smith] Sunday. They reach the Iowa side at daybreak. Joseph immediately writes Emma a note asking her to let him know her whereabouts. They send Rockwell back across the river. He finds Nauvoo full of confusion, with people unsure whether to defend or flee the city. A posse arrives to arrest Joseph, but they cannot find him. When the news that he has fled fills the town, many who had thought themselves in great danger now consider him a coward. (Gov. Ford later says that he thought Joseph had taken the best solution.) Dr. Bernhisel and Reynolds Cahoon cross the river to see Joseph. At 1 P.M. Emma sends Porter Rockwell back across the river to beg Joseph to return to Nauvoo. Reynolds Cahoon and others accuse Joseph of cowardice, holding that, inasmuch as Gov. Ford has promised him a fair trial, he has nothing to worry about. When Joseph hears that he is considered a coward, he says, "If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself. . . . What shall I do
?" Rockwell says,"You are the oldest and ought to know best; and as you make your bed, I will lie with you." Joseph asks Hyrum for advice. Hyrum says, "Let us go back and give ourselves up, and see the thing out." After a few moments, Joseph says, "If you go back I will go with you, but we shall be butchered." Hyrum says, "No, no; let us go back and put our trust in God, and we shall not be harmed. The Lord is in it. If we live or have to die, we will be reconciled to our fate." Joseph writes a letter to Ford stating that he will give himself up. They head back in the afternoon, but Joseph says, "It is of no use to hurry, for we are going back to be slaughtered." He desires to speak to his people one more time, and Rockwell offers to get them out by starlight, but when Joseph sees his family, he decides to spend the eveing with them. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 6:548-52.) (4)

Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith decided to turn themselves in at Carthage, Illinois, for a hearing. (5)

[Lucy Mack Smith] Hyrum returns to Nauvoo for the marriage of his daughter Lovina to Lorin Walker. (6)

After 1 a. m. Smith tells his secretary, William Clayton to burn or bury the minutes of the Council of Fifty, and Joseph and Hyrum Smith flee Nauvoo. Word of the prophet's departure causes near panic among his devoted followers. Accused of cowardly abandoning Nauvoo, Smith returns about 6 p.m. He tells Stephen Markham that this is contrary to a revelation and commandment he had received. Joseph and Emma Smith burn the original manuscript of the 1843 polygamy revelation, presumably on this evening. William Clayton preserves a copy, which is later canonized as Section 132 of the D&C. Smith burns polygamy revelation, flees Nauvoo but then returns . SOURCE: Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, p.548-550, Manuscript fragment of Nauvoo Legion History for June 1844, LDS archives. (7)

-- Jun 23, 1844 (Sunday)
Through the solicitation of Emma Smith, and several supposed friends, Joseph Smith and his companions returned to Nauvoo. (8)

-- Jun 23, 1844, Sunday
[William Clayton Writings] During the day following some of the brethern, with Sister Emma Smith, despatched messengers to request the President and those with him to come and give themselves up, fearing that the city would be destroyed and the people massacred if they did not do it.

About five o'clock, p.m., the little party returned and concluded to surrender, although it was contrary to the President's feelings to do so. Nauvoo 3 44

Sunday 23rd. At 5 A.m. Rockwood & Scott came to ask advice what to do with the Cannon &c I went to Joseph & got all the public & private records together and buried them. (9)

Footnotes:
1 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com
4 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
5 - Joseph Smith Resource Center: Daily Events in the Life of Joseph Smith, http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e581001cfb340010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRDlocale=0
6 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books, http://bit.ly/lucys-book
7 - Joseph Smith Polygamy Timeline, http://www.i4m.com/think/polygamy/JS_Polygamy_Timeline.htm
8 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
9 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries

LDS History Timeline
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