Cultures In Conflict : A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois

Now in paperback is this award winning history of religious conflict in early America. Hallwas and Launius have compiled and written one of the most balanced and thorough accounts yet of the events and circumstances that led to the forced Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois in the 1840s. They present an extensive selection of historical documents (a number of which have not been published previously) written by participants and contemporary observers and introduce them with probing discussions of the causes that underlay the conflict. Of particular concern to them are the role of contesting cultural myths and the relationship of events and attitudes in Illinois to the larger frontier and national scene. Contents 6 Preface 10 Introduction 12 I. The Coming of the Mormons 24 Introduction 26 1. The Lay of the Land 29 2. Mormon Nauvoo 31 3. The Nauvoo City Charter 32 4. Mormon Leaders on the Gathering to Nauvoo 35 5. A Non-Mormon Reminiscence of Nauvoo 40 6. A Minister Criticizes Warsaw and Nauvoo 43 7. Remarks of the Prophet to Saints Newly Arrived from England 46 8. A Western Pennsylvanian Reports on Nauvoo 49 9. Josiah Quincy on Joseph Smith 55 10. An Iowa Sheriff on the Mormons 62 11. Celebrating the Power of Mormon Nauvoo 66 12. Life in Nauvoo from a Non-Mormon Perspective 69 13. The Mormon Leadership on Nauvoo 73 II: The Origins of the Conflict 76 Introduction 78 1. A Non-Mormon Report of Mormon Theft 81 2. Oral History Accounts of Mormon Theft 83 3. A Farmer's Wife on Mormon Theft 86 4. An 1840 Assessment of Smith's Political Power 89 5. "Our Position—Again ': An Editorial by Thomas Sharp 90 6. A Brief Historical Sketch of the Anti-Mormon Party 92 7. The Prophet on the Local Political Campaign 93 8. The Prophet and the 1843 Congressional Race 96 9. A Mormon Account of Smith's Missouri Troubles 98 10. The Prophet's Speech on His Arrest and Habeas Corpus 102 11. The State of Warsaw: A Lyceum Speech 108 12. A Neighbouring County Becomes Alarmed 112 13. Concerns about Mormon Despotism: An 1844 Historical Account 114 III. The Trouble in Nauvoo 120 Introduction 122 1. John C. Bennett's Expose 126 2. A Young Woman Rejects a Polygamous Relationship 132 3. An Apostle's Wife Recalls Smith, Bennett, and Polygamy 136 4. Polygamy and Politics: A Non-Mormon Response 139 5. The Reformed Mormon Church 142 6. An Exposé Poem on Smith's Polygamy 143 7. The Prophet Denies "Spiritual Wifeism" 149 8. The Nauvoo Expositor 153 9. The Nauvoo City Council Acts against the "Expositor" 160 10. A Dissenter Reports the Destruction of the "Expositor" 167 11. John Taylor Defends the Destruction of the "Expositor" 170 12. The Dissenters Flee to Burlington 172 13. William Law Recalls the "Expositor" Affair 174 14. Willard Richards Pleads for Help 176 15. Isaac and Sarah Scott Comment on the Trouble in Nauvoo 180 IV. The Murders in Carthage 184 Introduction 186 1. Fanning Flames 192 2. Mormon Justifications 196 3. The Last Speech of Joseph Smith 201 4. "The Condition of Affairs in Nauvoo Were Very Critical" 205 5. Non-Mormon Preparations 210 6. The Last Letters of the Prophet to His Family 212 7. An Official Explanation of the Trouble in Hancock County 214 8. A Mormon Woman's Reflections on the Smith Murders 225 9. The Official Mormon Rendition of the Murders 228 10. Willard Richards's Eyewitness Account from Carthage Jail 231 11. "Such an Excitement I Never Witnessed in My Life" 233 12. "The Work of Death Has Commenced" 237 13. A Youth's Recollection of the Smith Murders 239 14. "An Authentic Account of the Massacre" 242 15. A View from Warsaw 245 16. A Heroic Poem of the Martyrdom 248 V. The Trial and the Violence 252 Introduction 254 1. Thomas Sharp on the Hancock County Conflict 258 2. The Mormons Call for Calmness 262 3. Thomas Ford to the People of Warsaw 264 4. Isaac and Sarah Scott on the Aftermath of the Murders 267 5. John Hay on the Trial of the Smiths' Assassins 270 6. The Anti-Mormons Demand an Investigation 273 7. The Mormon Reaction 276 8. The Repeal of the Nauvoo Charter 278 9. Sheriff Minor Deming and the Resumption of Violence 281 10. The Attack on the Durfee Settlement 284 11. Thomas Sharp on the Killings of Worrell and McBratney 286 12. The Disappearance of Phineas Wilcox 289 13. Jacob Backenstos and his Proclamations 291 14. An Eyewitness Account of the Military Occupation of Carthage 299 15. An Anti-Mormon Plea for Support 302 16. Mason Brayman Assesses the Situation 306 VI. The Exodus and the Battle of Nauvoo 308 Introduction 310 1. The Mormons Decide to Leave Illinois 313 2. The Proceedings of the Carthage Convention 315 3. Eliza Snow's Poem "Let Us Go" 320 4. Governor Ford Justifies the Use of Militia 321 5. Continued Conflict in the Mormon Kingdom 324 6. The Completion of the Temple 328 7. A Mormon Interprets the Last Days of Nauvoo 332 8. Brigham Young Describes the Exodus 335 9. Nauvoo in the Spring of 1846 337 10. The Battle of Nauvoo 340 11. The Treaty That Ended the Conflict 345 12. A Nauvoo Resident Who Tried to Stay Neutral 346 13. A Mormon Woman Recalls the Battle of Nauvoo 349 14. The Final Evacuation 351 15. The Empty City 353 16 Governor Ford Gets Reinvolved 356 17. A Tourist Views Hancock County in 1852 358 Bibliographic Note 362 Index 366 About the Authors 380 Cultures in Conflict offers students of history an invaluable source of documents regarding the history of the Mormon presence in Illinois. Few local histories are so academically sound. —Illinois Times Hallwas and Launius have compiled and written the most balanced and thorough account yet of the events and circumstances that led to the forced Mormon exodus from Nauvoo following the mini civil war that erupted in Illinois during the 1849s