EP 22 Jesse Perse Harmon Pt 6: Bounty 💰 Treason 🫣 & Arrested

The year 1844 was a pivotal and tragic time for Nauvoo, marked by rising tensions, internal betrayal & external political divisions. Early in the year, dissent grew within the Church, leading William Law and others to establish the Nauvoo Expositor, accusing Joseph Smith of corruption. When the Nauvoo City Council declared the press a public nuisance and ordered its destruction on June 10, anti-Mormon sentiment exploded. In response to growing threats, Joseph declared martial law and called out the Nauvoo Legion. Seeking to avoid greater conflict, he and Hyrum traveled to Carthage under Governor Thomas Ford’s promise of protection. However, that visit would turn our worlds upside down, and would jostle the snow globes of our realities in a way that took years if not decades for the flakes to settle. 

Transcript

Hi there…Jesse Perse Harmon here. Welcome back to my life. This here is part six of my story. Yeah, I’ve lived longer than I expected as well. 

Looking back across time, i feel like i shoulda perished a dozen times or more. God musta had me woven into someone else’s story for him to grant me such life sparing tender mercies along the way. 

I am on my way into town to work my shift as night guard. Say, Why dont you come with me, If’n you dont mind. Ride alongside me for a minute while i give you the cliff notes skinny on my life, and update you on what’s been happening in these here parts…it’s a lot. Context is everything for what I wanna share with you today. 

This should all be repeat for those of you following along…

➡️I was born in 1795

➡️Served in the war of 1812

…where i escaped the grim reaper several times, especially when i attended an open house hosted by a cannonball. 😂 part #2 of my story will give you more of those explosive details.

➡️I met & married my Anna in the spring of 1819 whilst i was living in Pennsylvania.

➡️We bounded around from here to there and ended up in Kirtland, Ohio, then on into Springfield, Illinois, and finally made the move to Nauvoo, Illinois, in the autumn of 1840. 

In the past 3 years this place has been bursting at the seams. I dont know if a town could grow any faster than Nauvoo has. 

From 1839 to 1840 there was a 2,400% growth increase from a population of 100 to 2,500 by the end of 1840. Each year following that it grew, 20%, 33%, 100%, and 50% in 1844 where it peaked somewhere around 12-15,000 people. Astonishing. 

As the Nauvoo city police sergeant i can attest to you that things are on high alert here as we are moving into the new year of 1844. The Missouri governor put a $500 dollar bounty on our mayor, who just happens to be the President of the Church, and a man we claim as a Prophet of God. That $500 equates to $20,000 in your modern day money. Governor Reynolds is still a little perturbed that we organized our Nauvoo Legion to race across Illinois and thwart his little kidnapping scheme last fall. Ever since he put out the bounty we’ve been sifting through some real riff raff here in Nauvoo. Porter Rockwell returned to town on Christmas Day, and nearly gave me a heart attack with his pretending to be a Missourian. I guess he thought it’d be a funny ice breaker for his welcome home.

There were many occasions after his return to share intel together. Porter seemed to have a sense about people, we relied on that. 

Jesse Perse Harmon:
Evening Porter. Dan and i were just discussing the rising tensions, especially amongst self declared “friends”. Feels like a storm brewin’.

Orrin Porter Rockwell:
Storm’s already here, Jesse. Trouble don’t knock; it barges in. And when it does, you’d better be ready to meet it with steel or spirit—preferably both. Ain’t that right Brother Jones?

Dan Jones:
Aye, and trouble’s no stranger to Nauvoo or to Joseph. But tell me this, Jesse—do you really know him? I mean, truly? Not just as the Prophet, but as the man?

Jesse:
I reckon I know him well enough. I’ve seen him lead, preach, fight—seen him grieve, too. But you're asking somethin' deeper, ain’t you?

Dan:
I am. See, when I first came to Nauvoo, I wasn’t so sure about him. I’d heard the stories—wild tales of angels and golden plates. Truth be told, I came with a steamship’s cargo of skepticism and a heart weighed down with doubt. Not about the message, i was convicted of that. But them rumors…

Rockwell:
Didn’t take to him right away, eh?

Dan:
Not in the least. I had been tainted by the lies and mudslinging of others. But then, I spent time with him. Saw the way he treated people—not just Saints, but strangers, even his enemies. He had this… boyishness to him. Loved to laugh, to play. I’ll never forget watching him wrestle with the boys, like he had no care in the world.

Jesse:
That sounds like Joseph. Always had time for a game or a story, even when the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Dan:
Exactly. And then there’s the way he taught. Flexible, tolerant. Never expected perfection, but he loved the intent of a man’s soul. That’s what drew me in—his ability to see the best in us, even when we couldn’t see it in ourselves.

Rockwell:
He’s got that gift, all right. But it’s a double-edged sword, ain’t it? Folks see that light in him, and they’re either drawn to it—or they hate it, ’cause it shows their own darkness too plain.

Jesse:
Funny thing is, some of the ones closest to him are the ones schemin’ against him now. Thinkin’ they can save the Church by fightin’ the man who restored it. Makes no sense.

Rockwell: How can your 40 night-guards defend against a $500 bounty on Joseph. I caught William Marx, trying to cash in on that deal. 

Jesse: Wait a doggone minute! You mean Stake President Marx? 

Rockwell’s: Mhm, Judas Marx.

Jesse: Oh this is making sense now. He just filed a complaint with the city counsel that had something to do with the night guard. That son of a motherless goat! All that because our night patrols were thwarting HIS plans. Thats just chaps my hide. 

Dan:
William and too many others have forgotten what Joseph teaches—the Kingdom of God ain’t meant to be a garden party. It’s a battleground, for the soul. And it requires sacrifice. He told us plain: “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”

Rockwell: 
And sacrifice we’ve seen. Tar, feathers, fed human flesh, prisons. They think they can break him, but Joseph? He’s harder than iron when it comes to doin’ God’s will.

Dan:
Resolved, yet pliable. I’ve seen him weep for the Saints, laugh with the children, and shoulder his trials with the kind of grace most men only dream of.

Jesse:
He’s got the strength of a prophet, sure enough. But what’s amazin’ to me is how human he is. Down to earth. Drinks a glass of Fred Moeser’s German family brew every now and then.

Dan:
Aye, THAT’S the one! Always said he liked the flavor. Personally…I think he enjoyed the good company at Moeser’s grocery even more. And yet, for all his humanness, he’s a man of God through and through.

Rockwell:
That’s what these dough-headed fools don’t get. You don’t follow a man like Joseph halfway. It’s all or nothin’. And if they think they can betray him and still claim to be Saints… well, Heaven might forgive them, but I won’t.

Jesse:
It’s just like Ol William Congreve said: “Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned.”Those who turn on Joseph now… they’ll learn too late what they’ve done.

Dan:
And we’ll stand by him. Whatever comes.

Rockwell:
Damn right, we will.

Jesse: but Porter, there are more than a handful of these dough heads, and they move in the cloak of darkness. How?

Rockwell: Them dough heads might think they are outsmarting Joseph AND us…their oversight is that even though the field mouse is fast…the “owl” sees at NIGHT.

As we patrolled the streets of Nauvoo day and night, Joseph continued to attempt redress for the brutality and property losses in Missouri, which are estimated at $1,381,044 in 1840’s dollars. That figure skyrockets exponentially in modern day valuations, with estimates in the hundreds of millions. Joseph could get no cooperation, no support, and no protection provided by our county officials, the Governor, or our U.S. presidents. This failure on all levels resulted in a new course of action on January 29, 1844. 

Joseph held a meeting in the mayor's office at Nauvoo. It was unanimously decided that Joseph Smith jr. would run as an independent candidate for president of the United States of America.

His platform was daringly reformative. It enraged the Missourians who knew of his influence, and angered those who wanted to keep control of the political narrative in Illinois. If his ideas got foothold in the public mind, many of them would be writhing for years from the backlash. This message could result in a wildfire of public interest that could potentially get Joseph and his influence all the way to the White House. I know what yunz must be thinking…What was this dangerous political platform in 1844? 

Well…let me enumerate the exact bullet points…

1. Abolition of Slavery:
   • Smith advocated for the gradual abolition of slavery by 1845, proposing the federal government purchase the freedom of enslaved people through the sale of public lands and a reduction of congressional salaries.
   • This compensated emancipation plan sought to balance economic and moral considerations, avoiding the upheaval of an immediate abolition.
2. Prison Reform:
   • He believed in rehabilitating prisoners rather than punishing them harshly. His proposals included humane treatment and education for inmates to help them reenter society as productive citizens.
3. Expansion and Settlements:
   • Smith called for the annexation of Texas, Oregon, and other territories, envisioning the expansion of the United States as a means to provide land and opportunity for the growing population.
4. National Bank & Financial Stability:
   • He opposed the banking system's monopolistic practices and favored the establishment of a national bank to stabilize the economy and provide fair credit access.
5. Religious Liberty:
   • Religious freedom was a cornerstone of Smith’s platform. He sought to protect minority faiths and ensure equality regardless of religious affiliation.
6. Reduction of Congressional Pay:
   • He criticized what he saw as excessive salaries for members of Congress and proposed reducing their pay to align them more closely with the common people they represented.
7. Abolishing Debtor’s Prisons:
   • Smith sought to eliminate imprisonment for debt, considering it a cruel and counterproductive practice.
8. Unity, Peace, Justice & Equality:
   • His campaign emphasized fostering unity among Americans, promoting justice and equality to overcome divisions within the country.

What seems commonplace to your day and time, is things that poked the bear, and jostled the hornets nest in my day. 

The bitterly cold winter wind of 1844 swept across the prairie, rattling the wooden walls of the courthouse in Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois. Inside, a small group of men gathered under the cover of darkness. Lanterns cast flickering shadows on their faces, their expressions tense with determination. The air was thick with smoke and whispered words, heavy with the weight of what they were about to plan.

Joseph Smith Jr., the leader of the growing Mormon settlement in Nauvoo, had announced his candidacy for President of the United States just weeks before. To his followers, he was a prophet, a champion of religious liberty, and a beacon of hope for a persecuted people. But to many in Carthage and the surrounding towns, Smith was a threat—an ambitious man whose influence seemed to grow unchecked. His dual role as a religious and political leader, coupled with the controversial Nauvoo Charter, had earned him powerful enemies.

This secret meeting, held in the courthouse under the pretense of a routine gathering, was no mere discussion of political grievances. It was a caucus of conspiracy. Of those in attendance—all 26 states were represented, as well as local politicians, merchants, and prominent settlers—they spoke in low tones, wary of being overheard. They feared Smith's vision of governance, his call for compensated emancipation of enslaved people, and the expansion of Nauvoo’s influence.

Now a Dr. [Edward] Southwick was in that meeting and had seen what was going on, he afterwards told Stephen Markham that the purpose of the meeting was to take into consideration the best way to stop Joseph Smith’s career….

Person 1: “What happens if he wins? Can you imagine the power he’ll wield then?”

Person 2: He won’t win, but he’s already dangerous enough. Look at what he’s done here. The Nauvoo Legion is an army in all but name. He’s above the law.

Governor Ford: Here here…Smith’s vision of a united religious and political community threatens our way of life. Nauvoo as a rival power center, one that operates with a degree of autonomy we can neither tolerate nor control…the problem is, Joseph’s untouchable in Nauvoo. the moment we act, the legion will march.

Person 2: Then we act outside of Nauvoo, If Smith won’t be stopped by the law, then we must stop him ourselves.

Ford: what are you suggesting?

Person 2: We do whatever it takes to light a fire around him…and smoke him “OUT” of Nauvoo…then…we use the mob to finish him. All against one, and no one takes the fall. It’s community justice…ain’t that right governor? 

Governor: Well, Robert, I dont know….

Person 2: Why am I the only one saying the quiet thing out loud? Joseph needs to be silenced…PERMANENTLY!

The plans laid that night would set the stage for a tragedy that would ripple throughout history. 

As the conspirators extinguished their lanterns and stepped out into the cold night, their breaths visible in the icy air, they dispersed quietly into the shadows. None would speak openly of what had been decided, but the echoes of that meeting would soon be felt across Illinois and beyond.

And so, in the waning wintery days of 1844, a plan of treachery was born—a plan that would forever mark the annals of Hancock County Illinois, and the mortal fate of Joseph Smith Jr.

The winter soon evolved into spring. Life seemed mostly normal in Nauvoo. Nauvoo was BUSTLING in 1844. We had increasing requests for more tradesman to move to Nauvoo with the growing population and needs. There was:

Manufacturing

Match Factories 

Hats

Meat markets

Dry goods

Undertakers

Grocers

Lawyers

Thomsonian Botanical Physicians

Fancy Goods 

Why we even had speed limits for horses. 

Yet Nauvoo was far from normal. The anger against Joseph and the City of the Latter Day Saints continued to fester in neighboring communities and states. Secret meetings of treachery continued to escalate on a local level. People found reasons to be angry over community disagreements, elections lost to the influence of block voting, land development around the temple, demands to change doctrinal teachings to keep the church from becoming indifferent to the societal norms, plural marriage vs polygamy (Joseph saw these as Godly vs Worldly opposites). There was a slew of things to be indifferent about. Thats the thing about looking for a fight, it’s not hard to find one when it’s all you can think of. When you’re a hammer, everyone looks like a nail. 

Conspiratorial oaths were taken, the selective believers felt that Joseph had to die to rescue the people from this peril. The lives of the indecisive were threatened from speaking out and potentially alerting Joseph, or outing them. He knew. We knew. The Fosters, the Laws, the Higbees, Joseph Jackson, the ol scoundrel John Bennett…Public sentiment was souring beyond repair, the walls were closing in quickly. The selective believers were the worst infections of our community. 

On April 7, 1844, the second day of the church’s general conference, Joseph set aside his concerns about conspiracy to address the Saints. A strong wind blew through the congregation as he took the stand.

Joseph Smith: “But there has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation; it has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn dodger for a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle. Even the Saints are slow to understand. I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the saints prepared to receive the things of God, but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God will fly to pieces like glass, as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions; they cannot stand the fire at all; how many will be able to abide a celestial law and go through, and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say; as many are called but few are chosen.”

As far as the “normal” goes, i did perform a couple of weddings at the end of May for Joseph and Lucina Mecham, and another in the first days of June for Martin Hanchet and Almeda Barlow.

Porter: Joseph…we have a problem. This is what the Higbee’s and Foster’s have been up to. 

Joseph: What do we have here Porter?

…THE NAUVOO EXPOSITOR

…So this is their answer to my candidacy for president. (Pages turning) The headlines alone are pure slander…this newspaper isn’t even fit for outhouse fodder. We will need to bring this up to the city council. Willard you know what to do. Please make the arrangements.

Willard Richard’s: Yes Mayor Smith. I will notify the council and schedule an emergency meeting. 

Joseph: And keep good notes on this one. It smells like a trap. But if we dont address this, we will have mobs from every neighboring community raining even more ignorant hell, fire, & damnation upon our city. 

After several days of discussion & deliberation, it was the unanimous decision of the city council to declare the Nauvoo Expositor newspaper a public nuisance, and ordered it to be abated. This decision was delivered by Mayor Smith to our Police department on the 10th day of June, 1844. We were ordered to remove and destroy the press. No more. No less. 

As expected, Higbee asked Marshal Green by what authority he was requesting access to his place of business. Marshall stated his authority from City Council’s decision by order of the Mayor for abating the nuisance. 

Mr. Foster, seemingly wanting to comply, asked Mr. Higbee for the key of the office. Door was opened by Mr. Lytle, the press and fixtures were removed & destroyed. 

After the order was carried out, the key was delivered back to Mr. Higbee.

There was no contention between Marshal Green and those working at the press. Several of us hefted the press out of the office. 

There was no defiance. No loud talking. No cussin. No threats. 

It was an order from the city council. Nothing was personal. 

All was done in perfect order, as peaceably as people move on a Sunday. 

There was no other property taken from the building other than the press and things directly pertaining to it.

I was a bit surprised when 2 days later a complaint was read with my name attached. And I, Jesse Perse Harmon, was arrested for riot and destruction of Nauvoo Expositor press.

Riot? Really? They must be confusing this legal action, voted on by public servants, and carried out by law enforcement with what happened 11 years earlier in Missouri. 

On July 20, 1833 a mob of 300 angry settlers tore apart W W Phelps’ printing office in Independence Missouri. Was they publishing slander and hate? No, quite the opposite. It was religious documents for their church. None-the-less, the intolerant mobs took Edward Partridge and Charles Allen to the public square, stripped them, and tarred and feathered them.

There was no city council vote. No orders from the Mayor. No action by the police department. And there was no arrests for the assaults, no recompense for the damages to property and person. 

That contrasting discrepancy had no bearing for those who were hell bent on the permanent silencing of Joseph. On June 12, 1844, Hancock County constable David Bettisworth, traveled from Carthage to Nauvoo, to read in the following writ:

Constable Bettisworth:

STATE OF ILLINOIS, HANCOCK COUNTY,

The People of the State of Illinois to all Constables, Sheriffs and Coroners of State, Greeting:

Whereas complaint hath been made before me, one of the justices of the peace within and for the countv of Hancock aforesaid, upon the oath of Francis M. Higbee of said county, that Joseph Smith, Samuel Bennett, John Taylor and William W. Phelps, Hyrum Smith, John P. Greene, Stephen Perry, Dimick B. Huntington, Jonathan Dunham, Stephen Markham, William Edwards, Jonathan Holmes, Jesse P. Harmon, John Lytle, Joseph W. Coolidge, Harvey D. Redfield, Porter Rockwell and Levi Richards, of said county did on the 10th day of June instant commit a riot at and within the county aforesaid, wherein they, with force and violence broke into the office of the Nauvoo Expositor, and unlawfully and with force burned and destroyed the printing press, type and fixtures of the same, being the property of William Law, Wil­son Law, Charles Ivins, Francis M. Higbee, Chauncey L. Higbee, Robert D. Foster, and Charles A. Foster.

These are therefore to command you forthwith to apprehend the [aforementioned] and bring them before me or some other justice of the peace, to answer the premises, and further to be dealt with according to Law.

Given under my hand and seal at Carthage, in the county aforesaid, this 11th day of June. A. D. 1844.

THOMAS MORRISON, J. P.

(Pistol cocks)

Joseph: Hold on there Porter. Constable Bettisworth is just the messenger. No need to make a fresh batch of Swiss cheese outta him…ain’t that right Constable?

Constable: Yes Mayor Smith…I’m the lactose intolerant messenger…AND very much allergic to bullets.

Porter Rockwell:

These charges are hogwash…and Francis Higbee knows as much. 

He was there! 

He saw the order!

He handed over the key to the building.

And he was present during the entirety of what i would consider history’s most legal, orderly, and peaceful riot. If you took yellow and red highlighters to each of the numerous falsehoods in that writ, you would end up with a blue ribbon winning sunset painting, from a panel of blind judges, at any county fair.

Joseph:

Regardless of your blue ribbon aspirations Porter, …David here has delivered to us a legal document…for which we are required by law to answer. 

Constable:

Yes. Um. Thank you Mayor Smith. I didnt expect such cooperation…

Joseph:

Now it says here that you are to apprehend me, and others, bring me before a justice of the peace, to answer the premises…am I reading that correctly Constable Bettisworth?

Constable: 

Precisely Mayor. Those are my orders. 

Joseph:

Well…Constable Bettisworth, what are we waiting for? Let’s make our way to the Municipal Court of Nauvoo so i can answer to these serious allegations.

Constable:

But Joseph…i mean Mayor Smith. I am supposed to retrieve you and the others to the Hancock County Court in Carthage.

Joseph:

That seems unnecessary David. Why waste a fine afternoon trotting across the countryside, when we have a fine legal system right here in town? We should be finished before supper. You will be my guest of honor…wont you?

Constable:

Uh…yes. I mean….Oh fiddlesticks. Judge Morrison is gonna skin me alive for this. 

Jesse: 

So, rather than return with Constable Bettisworth to the Hancock County Court, on that very same day of June 12, 1844, a hearing of habeas corpus was held at the Municipal Court of Nauvoo, where Mayor Joseph Smith petitioned the court to review the legality of the allegations, and to dismiss the charges. And it did…that very same day. 

On the day following, the municipal court of Nauvoo dismissed the charges against the others named in the Hancock County Court warrant…which included me. 

Unable to compel Smith to return, Bettisworth left Nauvoo without Joseph or any of the others named in the arrest warrant.

Jesse:

As might be expected, those involved in the conspiratorial scheme to silence Joseph, gathered in Carthage for a mass-meeting on June 13th in response to the failed attempts at extricating mayor Smith from the safety of Nauvoo. It was decided to perpetuate their false charges and libelous claims, in a petition to Illinois Governor Ford. As they gathered together their allies and co-conspirators, little did we know that their desired plan was now irreversibly in motion. 

Jesse:

Regrettably, tensions escalated exponentially from that point. Unhallowed hands threatened imminent attacks, persecutions raged, mobs combined, armies assembled, and calumny defamed near and far.

In an effort to thwart the false rumors and to establish understanding with factual communication, defending the destruction of the Expositor Newspaper, Mayor Smith sent the following letter to Governor Ford, 

Letter read by Joseph Smith Jr:

Nauvoo…June 14, 1844

His Excellency Thomas Ford.

Sir— I write you this morning, briefly to inform you of the facts relative to the removal of the press and fixtures of the “Nauvoo Expositor” as a nuisance….

…In the investigation it appeared evident to the council that the proprietors were a set of unprincipled men, lawless, debouchees, counterfeiters, Bogus Makers, gamblers, peace disturbers, and that the grand object of said proprietors was to destroy our constitutional rights and chartered privileges;…and that said paper of itself was libelous of the deepest dye, and very injurious as a vehicle of defamation….

…The city council decided that it was necessary for the “peace, benefit, good order, and regulations” of Nauvoo, that said Expositor should be removed; I send you this hasty sketch that your Excellency may be aware of the lying reports that are now being circulated by our enemies…are false,— false as Satan himself could invent… if your Excellency is not satisfied, and shall demand an investigation of our municipality before Judge Nathaniel Pope or any legal tribunal at the Capital, you have only to write your wishes— and we will be forth coming;…

I remain as ever a friend to truth, good order, and your Excellency’s humble Servant,

…Joseph Smith

With rumors of mobs attacks, the Nauvoo legion continued to assemble and drill. In the spring of 1844 the Nauvoo legion forces had grown to an estimated 4,000 men divided into some well-organized infantry, cavalry, and artillery units. This represented a significant portion of the male population. All able-bodied men in Nauvoo between the ages of 18 and 45 were eligible to serve in the Legion.

On the afternoon of June 18th, the Legion gathered in front of the Nauvoo Mansion. 

Joseph:

 “Will you all stand by me to the death, and sustain, at the peril of your lives, the laws of our country?”

Crowds

“Aye!”

Joseph:

“I love you with all my heart. You have stood by me in the hour of trouble, and I am willing to sacrifice my life for your preservation.”

Crowd:

“Hurrah for Israel”

Joseph’s letter did nothing to win the favor of the Governor. It became increasingly evident that there was an agenda at play. We had heard the rumors. We had friends of Joseph’s IN the secret meetings. Now….the facts didn’t matter, only the conjecture needed towards a desired outcome. 

When the governor demanded a court jurisdiction that was outside of Nauvoo to appease the people, we all knew what that meant. We knew this was a calculated ruse, layered with evil intent. 

Regardless of what we knew, at 6:30 AM, about an hour after sunrise on Monday, June 24, 1844, those of us listed on the indictment, and others, rode from our homes in Nauvoo to the temple, and from there down Mulholland St, and then south east for the 20 mile ride to Carthage. And whatever fate awaited us. 

When we reached Albert G Fellows farm, just 4 miles outside of Carthage, we came across a state militia group that had orders to collect those firearms given by the state, that were presently in the possession of the Nauvoo Legion. Knowing of a similar situation that happened just a few years previous in Missouri, and the massacre that resulted, Joseph knew without him present, this interaction could quickly turn into a blood bath. He therefore felt it necessary to return to Nauvoo with the Militia group. So we watered our horses, and made the 16 mile journey back to Nauvoo. 

Once completed, that same militia group escorted Joseph and the others, on the journey to Carthage. 

Jesse:

It’s nearly midnight Joseph…I must confess, this feels like digging our own grave. Or at least bringing the rope to our own hanging. 

Joseph:

“I hear that Brother Harmon. Knowing that I must seal my testimony with my blood doesn’t make it any easier. I have to do it! This work will NEVER progress until I am gone. For the testimony is of no force “until” the testator is dead.”

Porter: 

I am “afraid” you are going to get your wish Joseph… We are in this WITH you…All for one, and one for all!

Joseph:

You have been MOST loyal to me Porter…and you Jesse. I feel impressed that “This”…is not your time. As for me…I am going like a lamb to the slaughter. Yet, God be praised. I am in His hands now. 

(Howling and swearing greeted the Smith brothers when they arrived at Carthage a little before midnight on Monday, June 24.) 

Joseph:

Keep your composure men. We are now entering into the belly of the beast.

Jesse Narrating:

The same militia unit that had collected the firearms in Nauvoo earlier that day, now escorted our group, including Joseph and Hyrum, through the commotion of Carthage’s streets. One of the units anxiously waiting our arrival, was the infamous and bloodthirsty Carthage Greys. They had camped on the public square near the hotel where our group planned to stay the night. Things got a little rambunctious verbally in those wee hours of the morning. Most likely an extra dose of liquid courage had been consumed because of our delayed arrival.

Carthage Grey soldier #1:

“Where is that damned Mormonite prophet?” 

Carthage Grey soldier #2:

“Clear the way and let us have a view of Joe Smith!” 

Carthage Grey soldier #1

Shush ya mouths…QUIET! Governors talkin.

Governor Ford:

Gentlemen, I know your great anxiety to see Mr. Smith, which is natural enough…but it is quite too late tonight for you to have that opportunity; but I assure you, kind Gentlemen, you shall have that privilege tomorrow morning, as I will cause him to pass before the troops upon the square, and I now wish you, with this assurance, quietly and peaceably to return to your quarters.” 

Soldiers:

 Hurrah for Tom Ford!

That next morning, Tuesday, June 25, we turned ourselves over to constable Bettisworth. Governor Ford then paraded Joseph & Hyrum in front of the assembled troops. He seemed more interested in grandstanding and humiliating than protecting them as he had promised. 

There were many conversations overheard about the plans to assassinate Joseph, some pert near in broad daylight. It was almost as though no one cared what was heard anymore. Like the fervor of the moment made the conspirators fearless & shameless. And when such conversations were brought up to the Governor, he would simply say we were overreacting. 

(Tuesday, 2:30pm, 25 June) It was reported by Israel Barlow, that he had heard resolutions of the Warsaw troops read, to the effect that they would return to Warsaw at 3 P.M., then go to Golden’s Point on Thursday, and thence to Nauvoo.

At four o’clock in the afternoon of that Tuesday, all of us defendants appeared for a preliminary examination, not before Judge Morrison as assigned and supposed, but before Robert Smith, another Hancock County justice of the peace…who also happened to moonlight as commander of the Carthage Greys. Yeah, the same rabid militia unit charged with guarding the prisoners. No conflict of interest there. If this situation didn’t start to smell like three day old fish, nothin did. 

…After some discussion between the attorneys, Justice Smith held that there was probable cause to believe that the defendants had committed a riot in the destruction of the press and ordered that they enter into $500 bond binding them to appear at the October 1844 term of the circuit court for trial. This bail surmounted all precedence at 2½ times the amount of the extreme penalty required by the Statutes of Illinois. All together it was more than four times the entire cost of the Expositor Press and fixtures. It was evident that the Magistrate intended to overreach the wealth of the defendants and our friends, so as to imprison all of us for want of bail; but it so happened that there was strength to cover the demand. For John S. Fullmer, Dan Jones and others secured our bail by leveraging the full worth of their properties.

With that tender mercy all of us, including Joseph and Hyrum, were released to await the October trial on the riot charges. 

BUT…Now that Joseph & Hyrum were finally away from the protection of Nauvoo, they did not intent to let them go free…ever again. By “they” i am referring to those from the secret meetings that had been infiltrated and reported on. Also by the conspiratorial meeting of 26 states that had met to plot to permanently silence Joseph Smith and end his presidential bid. Of which Governor Ford was present. 

So before the brothers could leave town, constable Bettisworth delivered complaints that had been brought against Joseph & Hyrum for declaring martial law in Nauvoo. They were charged with treason against the government and people of Illinois, a capital offense that prevented the men from being released on bail.

Now I am sure its out of pure innocent and sheer coincidence, Capt. Smith, the only Magistrate who could grant subpoenas for witnesses, disappeared until a late hour, as if purposely to prevent the appearing of the defendants’ witnesses, and in keeping with the conviction expressed by Joseph’s enemies the previous day “that the law cannot touch them, but that powder and ball will”

Joseph and Hyrum were confined in the county jail, locked together in a cell for the night. Several of the men, including Dan Jones, chose to stay with them, to protect them and keep them company. That night Joseph wrote a letter to Emma with encouraging news.

Joseph:

“The governor has just agreed to march his army to Nauvoo, and I shall come along with him.” 

Jesse (narrator):

I wanna say this was the beginnings of a game of empty promises. But honestly, Joseph and Hyrum were already neck deep in the coordinated treachery that awaited them, as each minute passed the walls of deception were closing in on them. 

At about 7½ PM, after we had signed the bonds, most of the men left for Nauvoo. 

Dan Jones:

"Porter, could you or Jesse kindly let my missus know that I’ll be staying on with Joseph and Hyrum until they’re set free?

Porter:

You mean “If” they’re set free?…As you wish brother Jones. Keep an eye peeled for trouble. It’s bound to happen sooner than later.

Jesse, you ready to ride?

Jesse:

You go on ahead Porter. I gotta make one stop across the street from the jailhouse before i leave Carthage. 

Porter:

Are we lighting a fire to the courthouse? Do you need matches, or someone to watch your back?

Jesse: 

(Chuckling) not for this stop Porter. Anna asked me to check in on Alpheus’s widow, and deliver a letter. 

Porter: 

Alright Jesse, Dont be too long. This town is lurking with dangers. 

Jesse: There’ll be one less danger when you ride outta town Porter. Haha. I’ll be behind you just a bit…hey that reminds me, if i spook you when i catch up, could you at least give me warning shot in the air before you take aim. I’d rather not die on a Tuesday. 

Porter: 

You got it Jesse. Only for you. Let’s go Teancum. We got some ground to cover, and we’re burnin daylight.

Henry: Mama, mama. Uncle Jesse’s here.

Jesse: Good evening Hulda. 

(Ai Jessica) Hulda: Jesse, I wasn’t expecting you tonight. 

Jesse: I wanted to stop by before leaving Carthage to see how you and the family are doing…and deliver this letter from Anna. 

Hulda: We are fine, thank you….You must be tired after all you’ve been through.

Jesse: Tired, yes. We’ve been released awaiting the trial date in October. Well, not all of us. They concocted some other charges against Joseph and Hyrum to prevent them from returning to Nauvoo…got em across the street there in the jail. Anyhow, Anna would hen peck me to death if’n I didnt stop by. How are you and the family holding up, Hulda?

Hulda: We manage, Jesse. With a mixed family and all….We’ve seen so much change in these last months. I just try to keep the peace in this house.

Henry: Ma does her best, Uncle Jesse. We’re safe, but… it’s been loud outside. For a few days now it’s been like this. Men shouting, horses clomping, like they’re ready for something bad to happen.

Jesse: You’ve got sharp ears, Henry. Just like you had on them turkeys hunts with Ansil. Never let go of that. These are times for sharp eyes and ears alike. If i remember correctly, you just had another birthday. You’re becoming the man of the house.

Henry: Papa said that too, before… before he left us. I don’t feel like much of a man, though.

Jesse: Being a man isn’t about feeling ready, Henry. It’s about standing tall when your family needs you most. Your father saw something in you, and I see it too. Protect your mother, keep watch, and stay alert with all this noise and commotion.

Hulda: He’s been trying, Jesse. But it’s been so hard since Alpheus… since he’s gone. And then moving here, so close to the jail... sometimes I wonder if this is where we’re meant to be.

Jesse: Hulda, you’ve done the best you can under trying circumstances. I can’t tell you what tomorrow holds, but I know you’ve raised a good family. Just keep them safe.

I must leave now—20 miles to ride before the night’s done. But Henry...

Henry: Yes, sir?

Jesse: Look after your mother, and don’t let fear take hold. You’ve got your father’s blood in you. That’s worth more than you know.

Henry: I’ll try my best, Uncle Jesse.

Jesse: That’s all any of us can do, lad. Keep trying. (To Hulda) God keep you, Hulda. I’ll return when I can.

Hulda: Goodbye Jesse. Here’s some food for the ride home. Thank you for the letter. Give Anna my love.

The night felt anxious and long on that ride back to Nauvoo without Joseph, our mayor…and the president of our church & his ever loyal brother Hyrum. I can only imagine that the waxing quarter moon over the skies of Carthage did nothing to quell their feelings of darkness, uncertainty, abandonment, and betrayal.

I’m sorry, not sorry to be asking you to stick around for yet another episode covering even more miraculous and catastrophic events of my life. By 1840’s mortality rate standards, I am pretty much an old codger. Kinda like dog years in your modern days. I mean I could give you a Rip Van Winkle version of my story and just skip 20 years ahead, but then you’d miss all the catastrophes and miracles and fun stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I think you’re gonna find the next episode to be enraging, heartbreaking, enlightening, and inspiring. See ya then.