[37], Black and others filed complaints against Smith and the other identifiable Mormon participants. C LeSueur's The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (1986), Alexander L. Baugh's A Call to During the conflict 22 people were killed (3 Mormons and 1 non-Mormon at Crooked River,[2] one Mormon prisoner fatally injured while in custody,[3] and 17 Mormons at Hauns Mill). Possibly playing on Rigdon's July 4 sermon that talked of a "war of extermination", Boggs issued Missouri Executive Order 44, also known as the "Extermination Order", on October 27, which stated that "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace"[76] The Extermination Order was finally rescinded on June 25, 1976, by Governor Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond.[77][78]. In 1838, however, the state of Missouri entered into a full-scale war against the Mormons. [43] The citizens of De Witt sent non-Mormon Henry Root to appeal to Judge King and General Parks for assistance. On Sunday, October 14, a small company of state militia under the command of Colonel William A. Dunn of Clay County arrived in Far West. 11. On May 6, 1842, Boggs was shot in the head at his home three blocks from Temple Lot. General Parks arrived with the Ray County militia on October 6, but his order to disperse was ignored by the mob. its a blog about my life. [88] Smith and the other leaders rode with Hinkle back to the Missouri militia encampment. After most of the defenders in the blacksmith shop had been killed or mortally wounded, some of the Missourians entered to finish the work. The Grand Mafia. "[60] Some Latter Day Saints claimed that some of the Missourians burned their own homes in order to blame the Mormons. The church relocated from Kirtland to Far West, which became the new headquarters of the church. Eventually, the large portion of the Mormons regrouped and founded a new city in Illinois which they called Nauvoo. He surmised that the perpetrator had fired upon Boggs and lost his firearm in the night when the weapon recoiled due to its unusually large shot. A committee sent to De Witt ordered the Latter Day Saints to leave. I can tell whatever I want to. Mormon leader John Corrill wrote, "the love of pillage grew upon them very fast, for they plundered every kind of property they could get a hold of. [102] Mormon residents were harassed and attacked by angry residents who were no longer restrained by militia officers. On August 19, 1838, Mormon settler Smith Humphrey reports that 100 armed men led by Colonel William Claude Jones took him prisoner for two hours and threatened him and the rest of the Mormon community.[43]. Smith's followers, commonly known as Mormons, began to settle in Jackson County in 1831 to "build up" the city of Zion. He stated that General Parks reported to him that "a portion of the men from Carroll County, with one piece of artillery, are on their march for Daviess County, where it is thought the same lawless game is to be played over, and the Mormons to be driven from that county and probably from Caldwell County." LeSueur, Stephen C. How to Cite: (1989) "The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri", The Annals of Iowa 50 (2-3), 278-280. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/0003-4827.9389 Rights: Copyright 1989 State Historical Society of Iowa. During the conflict 22 people were killed (three Mormons and one non-Mormon at Crooked River, one Mormon prisoner fatally injured while in custody, and 17 Mormons at Haun's Mill). "[82][83][84] The 1838 Mormon War was a conflict that occurred between the Mormon and non-Mormon settlers in Missouri from August to November 1838. I have reviewed five books: Leland H. Gentry's A . [19], In the eyes of many non-Mormon citizens (including Alexander Doniphan),[10] these settlements outside of Caldwell County were a violation of the compromise. On October 29, this large vigilante band of some 250 men assembled and entered eastern Caldwell County. Published July 23, 2017. At 8:00am, Joseph sent word to Far West to surrender.[88]. Rumors among both parties spread that there were casualties in the conflict. [48][49], General David R. Atchison wrote a letter to Governor Lilburn Boggs on October 16, 1838. [50] Boggs, however, ignored this plea and continued to wait as events unravelled. 1838 Mormon War. This literature review will focus on the time period from 1838 to 1839, during which the Mormon War took place. [56], Local citizens were outraged by the actions of the Danites and other Mormon bands. The 1838 Mormon War, also known as the Missouri Mormon War, was a conflict between Mormons and non-Mormons in Missouri from August to November 1838, the first of the three "Mormon Wars". 1838 Mormon War - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia [87][88][89], Lucas' terms were severe. Mormon vigilantes, including many Danites, raided two towns believed to be centers of anti-Mormon activity, burning homes and stealing goods.22 Though . The gun was found to have been stolen from a local shopkeeper, who identified "that hired man of Ward's" as the most likely culprit. The militia promptly arrested Smith and the other leaders. [111] One resolution passed by the Quincy town council read: Resolved: That the gov of Missouri, in refusing protection to this class of people when pressed upon by an heartless mob, and turning upon them a band of unprincipled Militia, with orders encouraging their extermination, has brought a lasting disgrace upon the state over which he presides.[112]. 14 March 1838: Joseph Smith arrives in Far West. A valuable contribution to the study of the Mormon War is A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri (Dissertations in Latter-day Saint history) by Alexander L. Baugh (Provo, Utah: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History and BYU Studies, 2000). He's still alive, ain't he?". [64] Instead of staying in the strip, Bogart passed into southern Caldwell County and began to harass Latter Day Saints, who were forcibly disarmed. [100], General Clark viewed Executive Order 44 as having been fulfilled by the agreement of the Mormons to evacuate the state the following spring. 137 relations. Battle of Crooked River.jpg 564 452; 106 KB. However, under the leadership of William Austin, the vigilantes refocused their efforts on the small Mormon settlement at De Witt The besieged town resorted to butchering whatever loose livestock wandered into town in order to avoid starvation while waiting for the militia or the Governor to come to their aid. Tensions rose in Clay County as the Mormon population grew. But if you've never heard of it, don't feel bad. The conflict expanded to involve state officials, including the governor, and resulted in the incarceration of Joseph Smith and the forced expulsion of the . Today, Mormonism is one of the most widely accepted religions in the US. [27] Two days after Rigdon preached his Salt Sermon, 80 prominent Mormons including Hyrum Smith signed the so-called Danite Manifesto, which warned the dissenters to "depart or a more fatal calamity shall befall you." The church . During early Mormon history, there was a band of clandestine assassins known as the "Danites" or the "Sons of Dan". [24] Possession became unclear and the dissenters threatened the church with lawsuits. Although Mormons won the battle, they took heavier casualties than the Missourians. Language: Atchison said further, "I would respectfully suggest to your Excellency the propriety of a visit to the scene of excitement in person, or at all events, a strong proclamation" as the only way to restore peace and the rule of law. [20], In the eyes of many non-Mormon citizens (including Alexander Doniphan),[11] these settlements outside of Caldwell County were a violation of the compromise. [4] An unknown number of non-combatants died due to exposure and hardship as a result of being expelled from their homes in Missouri.[5]. [95], The defendants, consisting of about 60 men including Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon, were turned over to a civil court of inquiry in Richmond under Judge Austin A. Austin A. Mormon was the name of a prophet from that record who edited religious writings of people who originally came from Jerusalem at about 600 B.C. DeVoto, Bernard (2000). Dunn, acting under the orders of Doniphan, continued on to Adam-ondi-Ahman. [25][26], At the same time Mormons, including Sampson Avard, began to organize a secret society known as the Danites, whose purposes included obeying the church presidency "right or wrong" and expelling the dissenters from Caldwell County. They committed a form ritualized murder known as Blood Atonement. The conflict continued until early November, when the outnumbered Mormons surrendered and agreed to leave the state. We'll get more acquainted with Steve and learn more about his background. In addition, none of the participants in the raid cited the order as justification for their actions.[81]. [97] Brigham Young recounts that, once the militia was disarmed, Lucas's men were turned loose on the city: [T]hey commenced their ravages by plundering the citizens of their bedding, clothing, money, wearing apparel, and every thing of value they could lay their hands upon, and also attempting to violate the chastity of the women in sight of their husbands and friends, under the pretence of hunting for prisoners and arms. [40][41], On July 30, citizens of Carroll County met in Carrollton to discuss the Mormon colonization of De Witt. Unfortunately, the shop had large gaps between the logs which the Missourians shot into and, as one Mormon later recalled, it became more "slaughter-house rather than a shelter". All of the conflicts in the Mormon War occurred in a corridor 100 miles (160 km) to the east and northeast of Kansas City . In an effort to keep the peace, Alexander William Doniphan of Clay County pushed a law through the Missouri legislature that created Caldwell County, Missouri, specifically for Mormon settlement in 1836. Missouri blamed the Mormons for the conflict and forced the Latter Day Saints to sign over all their lands in order to pay for the state militia muster. Tensions built up between the rapidly growing Mormon community and the earlier settlers for a number of reasons: These tensions led to harassment and mob violence against the Mormon settlers. Joseph Smith, returning to Far West from De Witt, was informed by General Doniphan of the deteriorating situation. Mormons established new colonies outside of Caldwell County, including Adam-ondi-Ahman in Daviess County and De Witt in Carroll County. [102][103], During a transfer to another prison in the spring of 1839, Smith escaped. After the court martial, he ordered General Alexander William Doniphan: You will take Joseph Smith and the other prisoners into the public square of Far West and shoot them at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.[100]. [98], It is also believed that Smith's imprisonment had become an embarrassment, and that an escape would be convenient for Boggs and the rest of the Missouri political establishment. "[48], On October 1, the mob burned the home and stables of Smith Humphrey. Rumor reached Far West that a Militia unit from Ray County had taken Mormons prisoner and an armed party was quickly assembled to rescue these prisoners and push the Militia out of the county. [51][52] Although he was sympathetic to the Mormons' plight, Doniphan reminded the Latter-day Saints that the Caldwell County militia could not legally enter Daviess County, and he advised Mormons traveling there to go in small parties and unarmed. John C. Bennett, a disaffected Mormon, reported that Smith had offered a cash reward to anyone who would assassinate Boggs, and that Smith had admitted to him that Rockwell had done the deed. [95], Joseph Smith Jr attempted to negotiate with Lucas, but it became clear that Lucas considered his conditions to be non-negotiable. King found that there was sufficient evidence to have the defendants appear before a grand jury on misdemeanor charges. Lathrop's wife and remaining children died shortly after their rescue. Colonel Hinkle and Mormons of the Caldwell County militia were joined by church leaders including Joseph Smith and also by elements of the Danite organization. Other Mormons, fearing similar retribution by the Missourians, gathered into Adam-ondi-Ahman for protection.[56]. Sheriff Morgan was ridden through town on an iron bar, and died shortly afterward from the injuries he suffered during the ride. 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