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Diary of Hosea Stout, (1810-1889)
Vol. 1, Typescript, HBLL
Diary (1844-1846) of Hosea Stout, vols. 1 and 2, typescript, HBLL. For additional information on Hosea Stout and his diary, including notes and comments, see Juanita Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844-1861 (University of Utah Press, 1964).
DIARY (1844-1845) OF HOSEA STOUT
From October 4, 1844 to May 12, 1845--7 months, 8 days
JOURNAL OF HOSEA STOUT, VOL. I
[Hosea Stout left an important record of events impacting the history of the LDS Church. He participated in some of the pivotal incidents at Nauvoo and this journal gives a record of immediate happenings after Joseph Smith was murdered and the Twelve Apostles assumed leadership of the Church. Stout was married to several women while in Nauvoo and by the time he left his wives included Louisa Taylor, Lucretia Fisher and Marinda Bennett. His first wife, Samantha Peck, had died in 1839 at Surgar Creek, Iowa, less than two years after they were married at Far West, Missouri.]
October 4 [1844]. I was ordained an Elder in the Quorum of Seventies on the night of the fourth day of October, 1844, under the hands of Benjamin L. Clapp, Samuel Brown and Henry Jacobs, presidents in the Quorum of Seventies.
October 5. Attended the Court of Inquiry and assessment of fines, which was held at the Seventies' Hall for the 5th Regiment, 2nd Cohort, Nauvoo Legion, and in the evening met with the police.
October 6, 7 and 8. Attended the General Conference on the 8th; the Eleventh Quorum of Seventies were organized at the conference and I was appointed one of the presidents of said quorum upon the nomination of President Brigham Young and was ordained to that office under the hands of Presidents Brigham Young and Amasa [Mason] Lyman.
October 9. At home until in the evening then went to the meeting of the police and at dark went to a public concert of vocal and instrumental music at the Masonic Hall, was [agreeably] entertained until about nine at night and then stood guard with Brother J. [John] D. Lee until twelve o'clock p.m.
October 10. At home until evening and then went to the meeting of the police and at dark met with the Quorum of High Priests at the request of President Brigham Young who taught on the powers and authority of the High Priests and Seventies, in relation to their jurisdiction over each other and the proper order of sending the gospel to the nations, and etc., and about half past ten came home.
October 11. At home, was unwell, at five o'clock met with the police; at dark went on guard and at twelve at night came home.
October 12. At home. At five o'clock met with the police; at dark met with the 11th Quorum of Seventies at the Seventies' Hall; the 3rd and 6th Quorums was also there. President Brigham Young attended and taught on the duties of the Seventies and High Priests as on the evening of the 10th inst. in the High Priests Quorum.
October 13. Sunday at home all day. My wife was very sick.
October 14 and 15. At home till five o'clock; then met with the police, came home at dark.
October 16. In the morning went to see a lot of 100 muskets, at the request of General [Charles Coulson] Rich, which were at Colonel [Theodore] Turley's which had just been purchased at New Orleans for the Nauvoo Legion, by Brother [Theodore] Turley, then came home and [at] five went to the police and came home at dark.
October 17. Worked for Allen Taylor; at five met police and came home an hour after dark.
October 18. At home. Was unwell with a cold. General [Jonathan] Dunham came to get a list of the names of some men who were needed at the Carthage Court; there was a melting snow falling today very fast, which covered the ground about six or seven inches deep.
October 19. At home till in the evening, went to the meeting of the Seventies. No business done.
October 20. Went to the meeting of the Seventies at their Hall. Done business; at twelve, adjourned till two and met again and proceeded to business again. In the meantime there was a request sent in from General [Charles C.] Rich for some preparations to be made for the brethren who had to go to Carthage to court in the morning, whereupon there was thirty teams raised to go and carry the brethren there and all were to await the order of the court. This was in the case against the brethren who had been bound over to the court for riot for executing the orders of the mayor to destroy the "Nauvoo Expositor" which had been declared a nuisance by the city council. After the meeting I had orders from General Rich to raise 100 minute men who were held in readiness to act as occasion required and who were wanted in the morning to go to court, which order I executed and came home about ten at night.
October 21. Early in the morning I went to the Seventies' Hall as agreed the evening before to assist in sending to Carthage according to the arrangements the day before; came home in the forenoon and settled with Jesse D. Hunter; about noon met with the police as usual and came home about nine at night.
October 22. Went down in town; stopped Allen Stout's who came home with me came by B. Jones, and brought home some corn and at five met the police as usual; came home about nine in the evening.
October 23. In the morning went to see General Rich to learn the news from Carthage. There was none received. Came home and crouted away my cabbage. Met the police as usual. Came home after dark.
October 24. In the morning heard from Carthage and went to see General Rich, who sent me to Brother [Joseph W.] Coolidge's to a council of the officers of the legion and others, in relation to affairs at Carthage. The brethren who had gone there as before related having came home the evening before, heard a letter read from the governor authorizing the Lieutenant General of the legion to call out the legion to protect the court at Carthage and suppress all mobs which might rise in Hancock County, if necessary. At that time the mob was gathering at Carthage very fast with the express purpose of depriving the brethren from having the benefits of a fair trial and also to deprive the grand jury from hearing any testimony against those who had assassinated brothers Joseph and Hyrum Smith; for they had sworn that they would murder anyone who dared to appear against them and had sought to take the life of one man, named [William W.] Daniels, who was present at the time the murder was committed and he narrowly escaped with his life to Nauvoo where he now is. [See Oaks and Hill, Carthage Conspiracy; and Roberts, Comprehensive History 2:332-34.]
It was decided by the council that the legion be put in immediate readiness for actual service and I was ordered to call out my regiment forthwith which I did. And at four o'clock p.m. at the stand reviewed it and examined the arms and equipments and made returns of the situation. It was in to General Rich at dark. From thence I went in company with General Rich to see General [George] Miller, where we held another council in relation to affairs at Carthage. We then went to Brother Coolidge's and Taylor's and some other places and learned how matters was going at Carthage. We then came back to General [George] Miller's when it was concluded to send with the deputy sheriff to court at his request, a posse of 30 men to guard the witnesses above referred to, against the violence of the mob. It was then concluded that I procure five wagons to convey the 30 men to Carthage who were to meet at Brother T. [Theodore] Turley's in the morning at sunrise. I then went in company with Brother Cyrus Daniels and engaged the wagons as was decided upon and came home about eleven o'clock at night.
October 25. I went in the morning to [Theodore] Turley's to assist in sending the 30 men to Carthage, as before decided. When I got there I learned that they had received additional intelligence from Carthage upon which they had concluded to send a posse of only [four] men who were now gone. I then came home and in the evening met with the police and at dark went to hear John A. Forgess preach. He was one of those who had left the church in the dissension which Sidney Rigdon had occasioned. He endeavored to show that Joseph Smith was a fallen prophet and that Sidney was a prophet in his place. In his opening remarks he said that anyone who wished to make any remarks after he was done should have the opportunity, when Brother Earsley followed and showed that according to Sidney's own teaching Joseph was not fallen, and finally confounded him in all his points of doctrine against Brother Joseph and the Twelve, and sustained the present organization of the Church under the administration of the leaders. After meeting I came home about twelve at night.
October 26, Saturday. In the morning went to mill; home at noon. Met the police as usual. At dark went to hear a debate between the said Forgess and Brother Earsley, at which Forgess was again beaten.
October 27, Sunday. At ten a.m. went to a meeting of the Eagles at the Masonic Hall. From thence to the meeting at the Stand and at two in the evening met with the meeting of the Seventies. It was here arranged that each quorum should meet one night in succession at the Seventies' Hall that each quorum might have an opportunity to transact their own business. Came home at dark.
October 28, Monday. At home till evening met police and came home at dark.
October 29, Tuesday. In the forenoon went with my wife to the store and at two in the evening met with the Eagles at the Masonic Hall and came home at dark.
October 30, Wednesday. In the morning went to see President Brigham Young on the subject of G.G.E.D. [Eagles ? See JH, 30 Oct 1844], which he disapproved. Wrote in the after [blank] --met the police as usual and at dark met with the Eagles; made a speech and after some remarks by others it was concluded not to have any more meetings at present; came home about ten at night.
October 31, Thursday. Worked at home till in the evening; met the police as usual. Came home about seven o'clock at night.
NOVEMBER 1844
November 1, Friday. Worked the roads; in the evening, met the police, at dark went on guard with J. D. Lee, came home at twelve at night.
November 2, Saturday. Worked the roads. At home in the afternoon.
November 3, Sunday. At home till in the evening then went to the meeting of the Seventies after which I went on guard at H. [Heber] C. Kimball's with Brother Lee. Came home at twelve.
November 4, Monday. Today was the presidential election and the brethren all concluded to vote for Polk and Dallas for President and Vice-President of the United States. However, it was with peculiar feelings that I went to the polls. I thought of the man whom we had elected as the man of our choice for President of the United States: our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith whose voice seemed yet to sound in the air, teaching this nation the way they might be saved and the means to pursue to avoid a disunion and overthrow of our government. I well remembered the never to be forgotten 27th of June, 1844 when fell a sacrifice to the violence of a mob while the constituted authorities of this state winked at their deeds, after the honors of the governor and faith of the state had been pledged for his protection and his blood, is now to be seen on the floor of the jail at Carthage where it cries to God for vengeance on this nation who rejoice at his fall. It is no wonder then, that it was with little confidence that I took part in the election for I could but vote for those, who, if they had not approved of the murder of our own candidate had remained silent and each party was willing to truckle to us for our votes and say all is well. It was a dreadful alternative; truly the corruption of this nation is great. After the election I met the police and we had a reorganization and came home about dark.
November 5, Tuesday. Went to mill in the morning. At home till in the evening. Met the police as usual. Stood guard at Brother Brigham Young's; came home at two in the morning.
November 6, Wednesday. At home till evening; met the police as usual, came home after dark.
November 7, Thursday. Went round through the city on patrol duty with other policemen and came home about three p.m.--very sick with a headache went to bed and at dark got up and went to the meeting of the Eleventh Quorum of Seventies at the Hall. Taught on the necessity of looking up and keeping our genealogy and organizing the Quorum more perfectly and was followed by several other brethren on the same subject. Adjourned about half-past nine and patrolled with other policemen till two and then stood guard at Brother Brigham's till day and came home about sunrise.
November 8, Friday. At home met with the police as usual, came home a little after dark.
November 9, Saturday. In the morning went to the Mansion House to pay taxes. From thence went to the city council at ten to lay the case of the police before them. From thence met the police as usual, came home at dark then went on guard at Brother Brigham's; was relieved at twelve then patrolled till day with other policemen and then came home.
November 10, Sunday. At home in the evening. Met the police as usual, and at dark went to the meeting of the Seventies at the Hall. Brother George A. Smith taught; came home at about ten.
November 11, Monday. At nine met with a General Council [Council of Fifty] at the Masonic Hall composed of the Twelve, the High Council of the Church, Trustee in Trust of the Church, mayor of the city, the police and some of the officers of the Legion, to take into consideration the general welfare of the city and regulate the police, etc. And when it was agreed that the Trustees in Trust for the Church should pay the police all that was due them from the city and redeem or pay up all the treasurer's orders which had been issued to pay the police heretofore. Also, that there be 400 policemen raised in the city and that it be guarded in future by said police force, at twelve adjourned one hour and met again and continued in council till dark. I then went home not being very well.
November 12, Tuesday. At home 'til in the evening met police as usual; came home one hour after dark.
November 13, Wednesday. Went down in town in the morning, came home and met police at Colonel Harmon's at which place the police were to meet in future; came home at dark, and then went on guard at Brother Brigham's and came home about two o'clock a.m.
November 14, Thursday. Worked at home till evening met the police as usual, home a little after dark.
November 15, Friday. Was at home till evening, met the police as usual and at dark stood guard Brother Brigham Young's at which place there was a consultation held with Brother Young and others about building the arsenal and carrying on the public work pertaining thereto and the best method to pursue. Came off guard at one, and patrolled till three with Brother Lee and others; came home very sick with the headache.
November 16, Saturday. In the morning Dr. Barnhisel came to my house, had some talk about the murder of Brother Joseph and Hyrum; let him have several numbers of the old Star and Messenger and Advocate. Was still very unwell in the evening. Met the police, came home at dark and went down in town with Brother A. Lytle. Came home at ten.
November 17, Sunday. At home till in the evening. Met police as usual, came home at eight.
November 18, Monday. At home till evening, met the police as usual. Patrolled on the bank of the river till one; was with C. [Charles C.] Rich and others. Came home about half past one.
November 19, Tuesday. At home in evening. Met police as usual. At dark went to a meeting at the Seventies' Hall which was met for purpose of making up a school to teach the sword exercise by a Mr. [H.] Stanley and signed one scholar. Came home about one hour after dark.
November 20, Wednesday. At home, wife had a quilting. Met police as usual and went on patrol guard with Harmon, Arnold Hamilton and others. Came home about twelve.
November 21, Thursday. At home, met police as usual. At dark met with the Eleventh Quorum of Seventies then stood guard at Brother Brigham's till twelve and then came home.