. 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. "[48][49], On October 9, A C Caldwell returned to De Witt to report that the Governor's response was that the "quarrel was between the Mormons and the mob" and that they should fight it out.[48]. [23] These "dissenters," as they came to be called, owned a significant amount of land in Caldwell County, much of which was purchased when they were acting as agents for the church. Once engaged with the commanding officers of the English foe, these seasoned war veterans would have easily defeated King Edward's knights and possibly killed the. [68] Generals Atchison, Doniphon and Parks decided they needed to call out the militia to "prevent further violence." Download Unionpedia on your Android device! Faster access than browser! Download Grand Mafia Crime City Battle apk 1.0.3 for Android. 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 Mormons' economic cohesion allowed for them to dominate the local economy and also became a large voting bloc, threatening the interests of the . A number of Missourians left the scene to obtain guns and ammunition and swore that they would "kill all the Saints they could find, or drive them out of Daviess County, sparing neither men, women or children". In addition, LeSueur views the conflict as an expression of attitudes and beliefs that have fostered a vigilante tradition in the United States. However, under the leadership of William Austin, the vigilantes refocused their efforts on the small Mormon settlement at De Witt Hinkle and other Mormon leaders informed the men that they would fight. INTRODUCTION: The Mormon presence in nineteenth-century Missouri was uneasy at best and at times flared into violence fed by misunderstanding and suspicion. [1][45], Some isolated Mormons in outlying areas also came under attack. The premeditated assault left seventeen Mormon men and boys dead and more than a dozen others wounded. The skirmish is often cited as the first serious violence of the war in Missouri. [57], Even Missourians who had been friendly to the Mormons were not spared. Nathan Tanner reported that his militia company rescued another woman and three small children who were hiding in the bushes as their home burned. With one child in each arm, she waded across an icy creek to safety in Adam-ondi-Ahman. In the early part of 1838, Mormons started to settle outside of Caldwell which, once again, upset some Missourians so conflict broke out. Executive paralysis permitted terrorism, which forced Mormons to self-defense, which was immediately labeled as an "insurrection," and was put down by the activated militia of the county. They believed that the Indians were descendants of Israelites, and proselytized among them extensively. Joseph Smith ordered Colonel George M. Hinkle, the head of the Mormon militia in Caldwell County, to ride out and meet with General Lucas to seek terms. On August 6, 1838, the war began following a brawl at an election in Gallatin, resulting in increased organized violence between Mormons and non-Mormons backed by the Missouri Volunteer Militia in northwestern Missouri. In this 1842 letter, Mormon dissenter George M. Hinkle rashly accused Joseph Smith of plotting to poison the Missourians' water supply. What it's about: Not strictly . Joseph Smith, returning to Far West from De Witt, was informed by General Doniphan of the deteriorating situation. Coming on the heels of news from Daviess County, these reports from the mouths of dissenting Mormon leaders seemed to confirm the Missourians' worst fears. In Livingston County, a group of armed men forced Asahel Lathrop from his home, where they held his ill wife and children prisoner. 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! Many of Boggs' constituents felt that he had mis-managed the situation, by failing to intervene earlier in the crisis, and then by overreacting on the basis of partial and incorrect information. [103][104] Judge Austin A King, who had been assigned the cases of the Mormons charged with offenses during the conflict, warned "If you once think to plant crops or to occupy your lands any longer than the first of April, the citizens will be upon you: they will kill you every one, men, women and children."[1]. When his own troops threatened to join the attackers, Parks was forced to withdraw to Daviess County in hopes that the Governor would come to mediate. I have reviewed five books: Leland H. Gentry's A . [82] Other members of the mob opened fire, which sent the Latter-day Saints fleeing in all directions. Siege of Far West and capture of church leaders. Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, and other leaders left at Far West warned the veterans of Crooked River to flee. [89] Smith believed that Hinkle had betrayed him,[92] but Hinkle maintained his innocence and claimed that he was following Smith's orders. [48], On October 1, the mob burned the home and stables of Smith Humphrey. The men under the command of Lucas were then allowed to ransack the city to search for weapons. The soldiers also turned their horses into our fields of corn.[98][99]. Two members of the Far West High Council, George M. Hinkle and John Murdock, were sent to take possession of the town and to begin to colonize it. [1][42], Sentiment among the anti-Mormon segment of Carroll County's population hardened, and some began to take up arms. Reynolds discovered a revolver at the scene, still loaded with buckshot. The conflict was preceded by the eviction of the Mormons from Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833. Much of the literature about the Danites is sensationalist fiction, such . The Far West militia was marched out of the city and forced to turn over their weapons to General Lucas. Several Mormon homes near Millport were burned and their inhabitants expelled into the snow. But problems only multiplied when Mormons settled in large numbers during a relatively short period of time in this region. The Mormon War is a name sometimes given to the 1838 conflict which occurred between Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and their neighbors in the northwestern region of the US state of Missouri. Once Latter-day Saints were disarmed, mounted squads visited Mormon settlements with threats and enough beatings and destruction of homes to force flight. On the Mormon side, Danite leader Gideon Carter was killed in the battle and nine other Mormons were wounded, including Patten, who soon after died from his wounds. Finally, the Mormons who had taken up arms were to leave the state. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. [53][55] Millport, Grindstone Fork and the smaller Missourian settlement of Splawn's Ridge were also plundered and had some houses burned. "[58], The Missourians evicted from their homes were no better prepared than the Mormon refugees had been. Lucas' terms were severe. Following some players' questions about this new gameplay, we have prepared this Q&A for you. With peace restored, Smith's group returned to Caldwell County. [39], In the spring of 1838, Henry Root, a non-Mormon who was a major land-owner in Carroll County, visited Far West and sold his plots in the mostly vacant town of De Witt to church leaders. This scholarly book, based on work Alexander Baugh did for his . The conflict continued until early November, when the outnumbered Mormons surrendered and agreed to leave the state. [57] Even Mormon leader Parley P Pratt conceded that some burnings had been done by Mormons. Major General Samuel D. Lucas marched the state militia to Far West and laid siege to the Mormon headquarters. 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. 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). 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. "[60], The Missourians evicted from their homes were no better prepared than the Mormon refugees had been. Even people who otherwise would have had no sympathy for the Mormons were appalled by Boggs's Executive Order and the treatment of the Mormons by the mobs. 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. Most Mormon immigrants to Missouri (which was at the time a, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 21:15. [13][45], Some isolated Mormons in outlying areas also came under attack. However, they remained an important part of . There was scarcely a Missourian's home left standing in the county. 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]. [57], Thomas B. Marsh, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church, and fellow Apostle Orson Hyde were alarmed by the events of the Daviess County expedition. [55] The Missourians and their families, outnumbered by the Mormons, made their way to neighboring counties. When Joseph Smith and volunteers rode to Adam-ondi-Ahman to assess the situation, they discovered there were no truths to the rumors. On October 11, Mormon leaders agreed to abandon the settlement and move to Caldwell County. Having taken control of the Missourian settlements, the Mormons plundered the property and burned the stores and houses. which rallied the Mormons and allowed them to drive off their opponents.[36]. The Mormons believedafter a revelation recorded on June 6, 1831that if they were righteous they would inherit the land held by others ("which is now the land of your enemies") in Missouri. The exact circumstances that allowed for him to escape are not certain. Ironically, as a result of his kindness, he was the only Mormon who was positively identified to have participated in the home burnings. [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. Around 200 non-Mormons gathered in Gallatin on election day to prevent Mormons from voting. Click the image for an enlarged map illustrating the Battle of Crooked River. Lilburn Boggs, as a Jackson county resident, and as Lieutenant Governor, was in a position to observe and assist in executing the tactics described by one Mormon historian: In 1833 Boggs passively saw community leaders and officials sign demands for Mormon withdrawal, and next force a gunbarrel contract to abandon the county before spring plantinganti-Mormon goals were reached in a few simple stages. [101] The militia was disbanded in late November.[1]. [12], At the same time, a leadership struggle between the church presidency and Missouri leaders led to the excommunication of several high-placed Mormon leaders, including Oliver Cowdery (one of the Three Witnesses and the church's original "second elder"), David Whitmer (another of the Three Witnesses and Stake President of the Missouri Church), as well as John Whitmer, Hiram Page, William Wines Phelps and others. W. W. Phelps (Mormon) / 40.777; -111.858 ( Salt Lake City Cemetery) William Wines Phelps (February 17, 1792 - March 7, 1872) was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. One historian notes that Governor Boggs was running for election against several violent men, all capable of the deed, and that there was no particular reason to suspect Rockwell of the crime. Nearly every one was burned. [1][96] The court of inquiry began November 12, 1838. In 1838, Missouri witnessed the "Missouri Mormon War". Answer (1 of 3): Original question: What was the cause of the Mormon War? Their economic cohesion allowed the Mormons to dominate local economies. One contemporary critic of the Mormons wrote: Mormonism is a monstrous evil; and the only place where it ever did or ever could shine, this side of the world of despair, is by the side of the Missouri mob. [13] Latter Day Saint refugees began to flee to Adam-ondi-Ahman for protection and shelter against the upcoming winter. Publish Date: Apr 01, 1987. 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! [43] The citizens of De Witt sent non-Mormon Henry Root to appeal to Judge King and General Parks for assistance. [105] 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.[106]. During the conflict, 22 people were killed (three Mormons and one non-Mormon at Battle of Crooked Creek,[1] one Mormon prisoner fatally injured while in custody,[2] and 17 Mormons at Hauns Mill[3]), and an unknown number of non-combatants died due to exposure and hardship as a result of being expelled from their homes in Missouri. Above is a depiction of the Haun's Mill Massacre, where a mob killed seventeen men, women, and children. [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. The vigilante mob that tarred and feathered Partridge was a group that held meetings and signed resolutions. Although Mormons won the battle, they took heavier casualties than the Militia, only one of whom, Moses Rowland, was killed. [105], Daviess County residents were outraged by the escape of Smith and the other leaders. However, Reynolds was unable to capture Rockwell. 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