Several children also became ill during the ordeal and died later. If after looking through it you still have unanswered questions . One of the Mormons present, Samuel Brown, claimed that Peniston's statements were false and then declared his intention to vote. The Mormon War literallty changed the course of Missouri history.Caldwell and Daviess counties were carved out of the frontier specifically for Mormon settlers experiencing problems in Ray and other organized counties. This scholarly book, based on work Alexander Baugh did for his . Contents 1 Background 2 Compromise breaks down, 1838 3 Salt Sermon and Danites 4 The Election Day Battle at Gallatin 5 Mormons expelled from De Witt 6 Daviess County expedition 6.1 Marsh affidavit 7 Battle of Crooked River However, under the leadership of William Austin, the vigilantes refocused their efforts on the small Mormon settlement at De Witt Their economic cohesion allowed the Mormons to dominate local economies. In 1834, Mormons attempted to effect a return to Jackson County with a quasi-military expedition known as Zion's Camp, but this effort also failed when the governor failed to provide the expected support.[14]. [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. According to an article in the Elders' Journal a Latter Day Saint newspaper published in Far West "The Saints here are at perfect peace with all the surrounding inhabitants, and persecution is not so much as once named among them"[18]. When Joseph Smith and volunteers rode to Adam-ondi-Ahman to assess the situation, they discovered there were no truths to the rumors. Format: Paperback. If they choose to remain, we must be content. When McBride held out a hand, Rogers cut it off with a corn knife, then may have further mangled his body while McBride was still alive. New converts to Mormonism continued to relocate to Missouri and settle in Clay County. [13], Forcefully deprived of their homes and property, the Latter-day Saints temporarily settled in the area around Jackson County, especially in Clay County. "[81] Other Latter Day Saint witnesses remembered that Smith said to "beg like a dog for peace. Although Mormons won the battle, they took heavier casualties than the Missourians. To William Wines Phelps, a fellow Latter-day Saint and witness to the events, Hinkle wrote: "When the facts were laid before Joseph, did he not say, 'I will go'; and did not the others go with him, and that, too, voluntarily, so far as you and I were concerned?"[93][94]. Durante el conflicto fueron asesinadas 22 personas (3 mormones y 1 no mormn en el ro Crooked y 18 mormones en Haun's Mill). History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri from 1836 to 1839 (1965), Stephen 2 . [64] Based on the available evidence, LeSueur estimates that Mormons were responsible for the burning of fifty homes or shops and the displacement of one hundred non-Mormon families. The premeditated assault left seventeen Mormon men and boys dead and more than a dozen others wounded. Lucas tried Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders by court martial on November 1, the evening of the surrender. In mid-September 1838, Brigadier General Alexander Doniphan and his militia troops successfully disbanded and dispersed vigilantes in Daviess County , Missouri. One of the Mormons present, Samuel Brown, claimed that Peniston's statements were false and then declared his intention to vote. Stripped of their property, the Mormons were then given a few months to leave the state. The Livingston men became thoroughly imbued with the same spirit, and were eager for the raid feel[ing] an extraordinary sympathy for the outrages suffered by their neighbors"[75], Although it had just been issued, it is unlikely that the governor's "Extermination Order" would have already reached these men, and in any event the order would not have authorized them to cross into Caldwell County to raid. This is how it was explained in a letter to US Army Colonel R. B. Mason of Ft. Leavenworth: While the state militia gathered, Missourian vigilante parties continued to act on their own, driving Latter Day Saints inward to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman. The Missourians and their families, outnumbered by the Mormons, made their way to neighboring counties. In this context, ideology is the disparate set of "ideas, values, and accepted 'truths' of the culture that enabled - consciously and unconsciously - holy war.". Fearing attack, many citizens of Ray County moved their wives and children across the Missouri River for safety. [1][96] The court of inquiry began November 12, 1838. New converts to Mormonism continued to relocate to Missouri and settle in Clay County. This is how it was explained in a letter to US Army Colonel R. B. Mason of Ft. Leavenworth: The citizens of Daviess, Carroll, and some other counties have raised mob after mob for the last two months for the purpose of driving a group of mormons from those counties and from the State. With peace restored, Smith's group returned to Caldwell County. Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, and other leaders left at Far West warned the veterans of Crooked River to flee. Answer (1 of 3): Original question: What was the cause of the Mormon War? These days, that conflict is known as the 1838 Mormon War. [102][103], During a transfer to another prison in the spring of 1839, Smith escaped. [99], Smith and the other Mormons resettled in Nauvoo, Illinois, beginning in 1839. [57], Even Missourians who had been friendly to the Mormons were not spared. [35][36], When the Mormons heard a rumor that Judge Adam Black was gathering a mob near Millport, one hundred armed men, including Joseph Smith, surrounded Black's home. [1] Latter Day Saint refugees began to flee to Adam-ondi-Ahman for protection and shelter against the upcoming winter. Thomas McBride surrendered his rifle to Jacob Rogers, who shot McBride with his own gun. The church relocated from Kirtland to Far West, which became its new headquarters. The Battle of Crooked River was a skirmish between Latter Day Saint (Mormon) forces and Missouri state militia unit from southeast of Elmira, Missouri in Ray County under the command of Samuel Bogart. One woman died of exposure, the other (a woman named Jenson) died in childbirth. Smith's followers, commonly known as Mormons, began to settle in Jackson County in 1831 to "build up" the city of Zion. In Livingston County, a group of armed men forced Asahel Lathrop from his home, where they held his ill wife and children prisoner. [43] The citizens of De Witt sent non-Mormon Henry Root to appeal to Judge King and General Parks for assistance. Jacob Stollings, a Gallatin merchant, was reported to have been generous in selling to Mormons on credit, but his store was plundered and burned with the rest. 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. Hinkle and other Mormon leaders informed the men that they would fight. [48][49], General David R. Atchison wrote a letter to Governor Lilburn Boggs on October 16, 1838. Mormon vigilantes, including many Danites, raided two towns believed to be centers of anti-Mormon activity, burning homes and stealing goods.22 Though . its a blog about my life. [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. Lathrop's wife and remaining children died shortly after their rescue. Lathrop wrote "I was compeled [sic] to leave my home my house was thronged with a company of armed men consisting of fourteen in number and they abusing my family in allmost [sic] every form that Creturs [sic] in the shape of human Beeings [sic] could invent. My brigade shall march for Liberty to-morrow morning, at 8 o'clock, and if you execute those men, I will hold you responsible before an earthly tribunal, so help me God! Mormon dissenters from Daviess County who had fled to Livingston County reportedly told Livingston County militia under Colonel Thomas Jennings that Mormons were gathering at Haun's Mill to mount a raid into Livingston County. The refinement, the charity of our age, will not brook it.[113]. Once they were established in a county of their own, a period of relative peace ensued. Citizen groups and vigilantes meet in upper counties and resolve to assist Daviess and Carroll counties in bringing alleged Mormon criminals to justice. [43] The citizens of De Witt sent non-Mormon Henry Root to appeal to Judge King and General Parks for assistance. [26][28][29], On July 4, Sidney Rigdon gave an oration, which was characterized by Mormon historian Brigham Henry Roberts as a "'Declaration of Independence' from all mobs and persecutions. They also sent a request for assistance to Governor Boggs, noting that the mob had threatened "to exterminate them, without regard to age or sex". Citizens in Saline, Howard, Jackson, Chariton, Ray, and other nearby counties organized vigilance committees sympathetic to the Carroll County expulsion party. "Porter Rockwell". [1], With the refusal of the Governor or Legislature to intervene, and having surrendered the bulk of their firearms, Mormons were left nearly defenseless to face the mob. On June 19, the dissenters and their families fled to neighboring counties where their complaints fanned anti-Mormon sentiment. David W. Patten, also known as Captain Fearnot, attacked Gallatin. The county seat, Gallatin, is reported to have been "completely gutted" only one shoe store remained unscathed. In this major new interpretation of those events, LeSueur argues that while a number of prejudices and fears stimulated the . [89] Smith believed that Hinkle had betrayed him,[92] but Hinkle maintained his innocence and claimed that he was following Smith's orders. [13] In Daviess County, where Whigs and Democrats had been roughly evenly balanced, Mormon population reached a level where they could determine election results.[22]. King found that there was sufficient evidence to have the defendants appear before a grand jury on misdemeanor charges. The presidency responded by urging the dissenters to leave the county, using strong words that the dissenters interpreted as threats. They believed that if they were righteous they would inherit the land held by others in Missouri. [38], The Mormons also visited Sheriff William Morgan and several other leading Daviess County citizens, also forcing some of them to sign statements disavowing any ties to the vigilance committees. Hinkle and other Mormon leaders informed the men that they would fight. Missouri-Mormon Experience (1831-1839) and its War of 1838 . 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. One key skirmish was the Battle of Crooked River, which involved Missouri state troops and a group of Saints. [73] Generals Atchison, Doniphon and Parks decided they needed to call out the Militia to "prevent further violence". [38], The Mormons also visited Sheriff William Morgan and several other leading Daviess County citizens, also forcing some of them to sign statements disavowing any ties to the vigilance committees. 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. The conflict was preceded by the eviction of the Mormons from Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833. "[86][88], Joseph Smith Jr. and the other arrested leaders were held overnight under guard in General Lucas' camp, where they were left exposed to the elements. The Mormons divided into three columns led by David W. Patten, Charles C. Rich, and James Durphee. The group arrived just before dawn and when they were discovered, fighting soon began. They also reported the existence of the Danite group among the Mormons and repeated a popular rumor that a group of Danites was planning to attack and burn Richmond and Liberty. 780740 226073477 2008-07-16T18:35:16Z Karl Andrews 343115 /* Background */ 226073477 2008-07-16T18:35:16Z Karl Andrews 343115 /* Background */ [17] They had also founded the Caldwell County town of Far West as their Missouri headquarters. Nathan Tanner reported that his militia company rescued another woman and three small children who were hiding in the bushes as their home burned. The specific dates of the war are from August 6, 1838, (the Gallatin election battle) to November 1, 1838, when Joseph Smith surrendered at Far West. Fight against grand gangsters and crime lords to finish mafia crime from city. It should also be noted that none of the participants in the raid ever cited the order as justification for their actions. The skirmish is often cited as the first serious violence of the war in Missouri. [105], Daviess County residents were outraged by the escape of Smith and the other leaders. 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]. [4] All of the conflicts in the Mormon War occurred in a corridor 100 miles (160km) to the east and northeast of Kansas City. [13][102] The court of inquiry began November 12, 1838. [30] The text of this speech was endorsed by Joseph Smith, who appeared at the event and participated in the raising of a liberty pole. They committed a form ritualized murder known as Blood Atonement. If ye are faithful, ye shall assemble yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the land of your inheritance, which is now the land of your enemies.[5]. Doniphan refused to obey the order, replying: It is cold-blooded murder. The order was part of the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. During the fall of 1838, as tensions escalated during what is now known as the Mormon Missouri War, the Danites were apparently absorbed into militias largely composed of Latter-day Saints. "[82][83][84] Once Latter-day Saints were disarmed, mounted squads visited Mormon settlements with threats and enough beatings and destruction of homes to force flight. LDS Living. Even militia commanders such as Clark, Doniphan, and Atchison who were sympathetic to the Mormons came to see a military response as the only way to bring the situation under control.[74]. 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. The soldiers shot down our oxen, cows, hogs and fowls, at our own doors, taking part away and leaving the rest to rot in the streets. The Settlement of The Peculiar People in Jackson County. Lathrop's wife and remaining children died shortly after their rescue. The Missouri Militia had the advantage of position and fired, but the Mormons continued to advance. Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, "Mormonism. [31], In the speech, Rigdon declared that the Latter-day Saints would no longer be driven from their homes by persecution from without or dissension from within, and that if enemies came again to drive out the Saints, "And that mob that comes on us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination; for we will follow them until the last drop of their blood is spilled; or else they will have to exterminate us, for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed". Mormon dissenters from Daviess County who had fled to Livingston County reportedly told Livingston County militia under Colonel Thomas Jennings that Mormons were gathering at Haun's Mill to raid into Livingston County. Smith was charged for treason but escaped custody and fled to Illinois with the remainder of the estimated 10,000 Missouri Mormons, establishing the new settlement of Nauvoo. Battle of Crooked River.jpg 564 452; 106 KB. 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]. "[60], The Missourians evicted from their homes were no better prepared than the Mormon refugees had been. The church relocated from Kirtland to Far West, which became the new headquarters of the church. 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. On October 11, Mormon leaders agreed to abandon the settlement and move to Caldwell County. The day has gone by when masses of men can be outlawed, and driven from society to the wilderness, unprotected. We'll get more acquainted with Steve and learn more about his background. Much of the literature about the Danites is sensationalist fiction, such . 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