1838 Mormon War

The Mormon War is a name sometimes given to the 1838 conflict which occurred between Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and their neighbors in northwestern Missouri.

Background to the Conflict

Shortly after organizing the early Mormon church, the founding prophet Joseph Smith Jr. revealed to Latter Day Saints that the Second Coming of Christ was near at hand and that the "centerplace" of the City of Zion would be near the town of Independence in Jackson County, Missouri. Latter Day Saints began to settle in Jackson County to "build up" the City of Zion in 1831. Settlement was rapid and non-Mormon residents became alarmed that they might lose political control of the county to the Latter Day Saints. In October 1833, non-Mormon vigilantes succeded in driving the Mormons from the county. Deprived of their homes and property, the Latter Day Saints temporarily settled in the area around Jackson County, especially in Clay County.

Years elapsed and the Mormon lawsuits and petitions failed to bring any justice: the non-Mormons in Jackson refused to return allow the Mormons to return. Meanwhile, new converts to Mormonism continued to migrate to Missouri and settle in Clay County. In 1836, Alexander Doniphon of Clay County pushed a law through the Missouri legislature that created a county, specifically for Mormon settlement: Caldwell. Even prior to the passage of the bill, Mormons had already begun buying land in what became Caldwell County and they had founded their Missouri headquarters town, Far West.

The Compromise Breaks Down, 1838

Many non-Mormons apparently believed that local Mormon leaders in Missouri agreed that Mormon settlement would be limited to Caldwell County. If so, this agreement would not have had any legal standing.

The compromise that allowed Mormons to live with their Missourian neighbors began to break down in 1838. In the course of 1837, problems at the church's headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio centering around the Kirtland Safety Society bank, led to schism. The church presidency, Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon, and their loyalists relocated from Kirtland to Far West, which became the new headquarters of the church. Mormon settlement increased as hundreds of members from Kirtland and elsewhere poured into Caldwell County. The presidency began to found new colonies outside of Caldwell County, including Adam-ondi-Ahman in Daviess and DeWitt in Carroll.

The Salt Sermon and the Danites

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, Hyrum Page, W.W. Phelps and others. 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. Possession became unclear and the dissenters threatened the church with lawsuits.

The presidency responded by urging the dissenters to leave the county, using strong words that the dissenters interpretted as threats. In his famous Salt Sermon, Sidney Rigdon announced to that the dissenters were as salt that had lost its savor and that it was the duty of the faithful to cast the dissenters out to be trodden beneath the feet of men. At the same time Mormons including Sampson Avard, began to organize a secret society known as the "Daughters of Zion" or the Danites, whose purposes included obeying the church presidency "right or wrong" and expelling the dissenters from Caldwell. Two days after Rigdon preached his Salt Sermon, 70 men including Hyrum Smith signed the so-called Danite Manifesto, which warned the dissenters to "depart or a more fatal calamity shall befall you." The dissenters and their families fled to neighboring counties where their complaints fanned anti-Mormon sentiment.

On July 4th, the church militia and the Danites marched around the Liberty pole in Far West for an Independence Day celebration. Sidney Rigdon gave an oration referred to as the Mormon "Declaration of Independence" from "mobbers." In it, Rigdon declared that the Latter Day Saints would no longer be driven from their homes by persecution from without or dissention from within, and that if enemies came to again drive the Saints, "it will be between us and them a war of extermination!" Joseph Smith and the church presidency approved of this speech and had it published, which further roused negative sentiments among non-Mormon neighbors in Missouri.

The Gallatin Election Day Battle

The first skirmish in what became known as the "Mormon War" was the Gallatin Election Day Battle on August 6, 1838. Non-Mormons in Daviess County tried to prevent Mormons from voting at the county seat, Gallatin. When non-Mormons began the fight, John Butler, one of the Mormons let out the Danite distress call, "Oh Yes, you Danites, here is a job for us!" Although outnumbered, the Mormons held their own in the fight and drove the non-Mormons away.

Mormons Expelled from DeWitt

At the same time, Latter Day Saints who had settled in the town of DeWitt faced serious opposition from the non-Mormon majority of Carroll County. After a lengthy siege (October 1-11) in which hundreds of armed non-Mormon vigilantes encamped around the town, Mormon leaders agreed to abandon the settlement and move to Caldwell County.

Daviess Expedition

Non-Mormon vigilantes from Clinton and other counties began to harrass Latter Day Saints in Daviess County, burning numerous outlying homes and plundering property. On October 14, the church presidency led the Caldwell militia and the Danites north to Adam-ondi-Ahman, to defend church members from these raids and to actively push non-Mormons from Daviess. Splitting into three companies, the Mormons marched on the three major non-Mormon settlements in the county. Apostle David W. Patten led the attack on Gallatin, Lyman Wight headed the troops assigned to Millport, and Seymour Brunson led a smaller detachment against the Grindstone Forks settlement. The non-Mormons fled before the advance of the Mormon units. Property in the homes and stores was "consecrated" (given to the church and brought back to Adam-ondi-Ahman and placed in the bishop's storehouse). The towns were then burned to the ground.

Battle of Crooked River

The next major conflict took place in the no-man's land between Ray and Caldwell counties — an unincorporated 6 mile strip known as "Bunkham's Strip." A state militia unit under the command of Samuel Bogart had been authorized to patrol the strip and report on any Mormon incursions into Ray County. Instead, Bogart had passed into Caldwell County and begun to harrass Mormon settlers who he forcably disarmed. Rumor reached Far West that a "mob" of vigilantes from Ray had taken Mormons prisoner and a militia was assembled to rescue these prisoners and push the mob out of the county.

When the Mormons arrived, the state militia unit was camped along Crooked River just south of Caldwell and in the Bunkham's Strip. The Mormons divided into three columns led by David W. Patten, Charles C. Rich, and James Durphee. The Missourians had the advantage of position and fired, but the Mormons continued to advance causing the state militia to break ranks and flee across the river. Although Mormons won the battle, they took heavier casualties than the Missourians. Of the Missourians, only one, Moses Rowland, was killed. On the Mormon side, Danite leader Gideon Carter was killed in the battle and nine other Mormons were wounded, including David Patten who soon after died from his wounds. Because many Mormons had come to believe their cause would be invicible and that, if need be, angels would fight on their side, the deaths of Carter and Patten were serious blows to Mormon morale.

The Extermination Order

Meanwhile, exaggerated reports of Mormon "rebellion" began to make their way to Missouri's governor, Lilburn Boggs. Boggs had already shown bias against the Latter Day Saints, dating from the time when both he and they had lived in Jackson County, and he was prepared to believe the worst. Although he had done nothing to stop the illegal anti-Mormon seige of DeWitt, he now mustered 2,500 state militia to put down what he perceived to be a Mormon insurrection against the state. Possibly playing on Rigdon's 4th of July sermon that talked of a "war of extermination," Boggs issued his famous Extermination Order 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..."

The Haun's Mill Massacre

Just days after the "Extermination Order" was issued, an illegal militia of non-Mormon vigilantes from Livingston County entered eastern Caldwell County and began to harrass outlying Mormon homes. On October 29, this militia attacked the Haun's Mill settlement. 18 Latter Day Saints were killed in what came to be called the Haun's Mill Massacre.

The Seige of Far West and Surrender of Church Leaders

In the face of the overwhelming power of the state of Missouri, the Latter Day Saints were now clearly on the defensive. Most Mormons gathered to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman for protection. Major General Samuel D. Lucas marched the state militia to Far West and lay seige to the Mormon headquarters.

Hopelessly outnumbered, Mormon leaders surrendered. Lucas wanted to try Joseph Smith Jr. and other Mormon leaders by court martial and ordered General Alexander Doniphan to execute the prisoners. Doniphan refused to obey the illegal order. Later church leaders were given to civil courts where they were tried for "treason" against the state. No non-Mormon vigilantes were ever tried for their part in the Mormon War.

Aftermath

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. Robbed of their property, the Mormons were then given a few months to leave the state. Most refugees made their way east to Illinois, where residents of the town of Quincy helped them. Eventually, the large portion of the Mormons regrouped and founded a new city in Illinois which they called Nauvoo.

Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and other church leaders were held for trial. Smith's lawyers successfully argued for several changes of venue in order to try to get a semblence of a fair trial. Smith was moved from a jail in Richmond to a jail in Liberty. After spending several months in captivity, Smith and other church leaders were able to escape custody and flee to Illinois where they rejoined the main body of the Latter Day Saints.

References

Stephen C. LeSueur, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, University of Missouri Press, 1990.

Alexander L. Baugh, A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, BYU Studies, 2000.

Clark V. Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 1833-1838 Missouri Conflict, Religious Studies Center, BYU, 1992.