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Carthage Jail Carthage, Illinois, United States of America Carthage Jail Carthage, Illinois, United States of America Carthage Jail was the location of the martyr- dom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum on June 27, 1844. Several events led up to the martyrdom. On June 7, 1844, the first issue of the Nauvoo Ex- positor was published in Nauvoo with Sylvester Emmons as the publisher. The newspaper spoke out against Joseph Smith and the leaders of the Church. Thus, a meeting of the city council was called to discuss the printing of the Expositor. The decision was made by the city council to “destroy it without delay” due to it being a “nuisance.”1 The city marshal was sent and “removed the press, type, printed paper, and fixtures into the street, and destroyed them... because of the li- belous and slanderous character of the paper, its avowed intention being to destroy the municipality 2 and drive the Saints from the city.” A statue of Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Hyrum Subsequently, Joseph, Hyrum, and the oth- by Dee Jay Bawden stands outside Carthage Jail. The er leaders were arrested because of the destruc- brick jail is seen in the background. tion of the Nauvoo Expositor press. Governor Photo courtesy of Derek J. Tangren Thomas Ford promised them his full protection was hit in the face with a ball. He was then hit in if they surrendered and went to Carthage for trial. the back from a ball coming through the east win- On their way to Carthage Joseph prophetically re- dow and cried out, “I am a dead man.”5 marked “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; John Taylor, while moving to the window, but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a was then hit in the leg. He then sustained a ball conscience void of offense towards God, and to- 3 to his chest, but his pocket watch prevented the wards all men.” ball from penetrating, saving his life. Nevertheless, After arriving in Carthage, all of those ar- John Taylor was shot three more times. rested were released on bail, except Joseph and Joseph then moved to the window and was Hyrum. They were charged with treason and sub- 4 hit with two balls in the back and one from out- sequently placed in Carthage Jail. Willard Richards side in the chest. He then exclaimed, “Oh Lord, and Elder John Taylor, who were with the Prophet My God!” and fell out the window, 25 feet down.6 and Hyrum when they were killed, stayed at the jail Joseph and Hyrum, like many prophets of old, of their own accord. sealed their testimonies with their blood. On the morning of June 27, Governor Ford Willard Richards remarkably escaped with left and traveled to Nauvoo. That afternoon, the only a grazed ear. He dragged John Taylor to the Prophet asked John Taylor to sing “A Poor Way- cell room and covered him in straw and with a dirty faring Man of Grief,” his favorite hymn. Shortly mattress in order to hide him. Remarkably, John after 5:00 p.m., a mob of 150-200 men converged Taylor survived and later became the third Presi- on the jail. The mob rushed upstairs and Hyrum dent of the Church. Unfortunately, the murders of 2 Carthage Jail, Carthage, Illinois, United States of America the Prophet and the Patriarch were acquitted. as we heard the feet at the stair’s head, a ball was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day sent through the door, which passed between us, Saints purchased Carthage Jail, under the direction and showed that our enemies were desperadoes of Hyrum’s son, Joseph F. Smith, on November 3, and we must change our position. 1903 for $4,000.7 It was the first historic site pur- General Joseph Smith, Mr. Taylor and my- chased by the Church.8 self sprang back to the front part of the room. General Hyrum Smith retreated two-thirds across the chamber directly in front of and facing the SOURCES door. A ball was sent through the door which hit Hyrum on the side of his nose, when he fell back- 1 Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day wards, extending at full length without moving his Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts, (Salt feet. Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1932-1951), 6: 432. From the holes in his vest (the day was 2 warm and no one had their coats on but myself) Ibid, 6:432-433. pantaloons, drawers, and shirt, it appeared that a 3 Doctrine & Covenants 135:4. ball must have been thrown from without through the window, which entered the back of his right 4 Francis M. Gibbons, Dynamic Disciples, Prophets of God: Life Stories side, and passing through, lodged against his watch, of the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996), 65 - 66. which was in the right vest pocket, completely pul- verizing the crystal and face, tearing off the hands 5 Reed Blake, 24 Hours to Martyrdom (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, and mashing the whole body of the watch. At the 1973), 128. same instant the ball from the door entered his 6 Ibid, 130. nose. 7 As he struck the floor he exclaimed em- B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ phatically, ‘I am a dead man.’ Joseph looked to- of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1930), 6: 426. wards him and responded, ‘Oh dear! Brother Hyrum,’ and opening the door two or three inches 8 Ibid. with his left hand, discharged one barrel of a six- shooter (the pistol left him by C. H. Wheelock) at Willard Richards’ Account at random in the entry, from whence a ball grazed Hyrum’s breast, and entering his throat passed into 1 Carthage Jail his head, while other muskets were aimed at him as some balls hit him. “A shower of musket balls was thrown up Joseph continued snapping his revolver the stairway against the door of the prison in the round the casing of the door into the space as be- second storey, followed by many rapid foot-steps. fore, three barrels of which missed fire, while Mr. While Generals Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Taylor with a walking stick stood by his side and Mr. Taylor and myself, who were in the front knocked down the bayonets and muskets, which chamber, closed the door of our room against the were constantly discharging through the doorway, entry at the head of the stairs, and placed ourselves while I stood by him ready to lend any assistance, against it, there being no lock on the door, and no with another stick, but could not come within catch that was unsealable. striking distance without going directly in front of The door is a common panel, and as soon the muzzles of the guns. When the revolver failed, we had no more Carthage Jail, Carthage, Illinois, United States of America 3 firearms, and expected an immediate rush of the ing had proceeded, to learn if the doors into the mob, and the doorway full of muskets, half way prison were open. in the room, and no hope but instant death from When near the entry Mr. Taylor cried out within. Mr. Taylor rushed into the window, which ‘take me!’ I pressed my way until I found all doors is some fifteen or twenty feet from the ground. unbarred, returning instantly, caught Mr. Taylor When his body was nearly on a balance, a under my arm, and rushed up the stairs into the ball from the door within entered his leg, and a ball dungeon, or inner prison, stretched him on the from without struck his watch, a patent lever, in floor and covered him with a bed in such a manner his vest pocket near his left breast, and smashed it as not likely to be perceived, expecting an immedi- into ‘pie,’ leaving the hands standing at five o’clock, ate return of the mob. sixteen minutes, and twenty-six seconds, the force I said to Mr. Taylor: ‘This is a hard case to of which ball threw him back on the floor, and he lay you on the floor, but if you wounds are not rolled under the bed which stood by his side, where fatal, I want you to live to tell the story.’ I expected he lay motionless, the mob continuing to fire upon to be shot the next moment, and stood before the him, cutting away a piece of flesh from his left hip doors awaiting the onset.” as large as a man’s hand, and were hindered only by my knocking down their muzzles with a stick; while SOURCES they continued to reach their guns into the room, 1 probably left handed, and aimed their discharge so Contributor, Vol. 8, No. 11, (September 1887), 440. far round as almost to reach us in the corner of the room to where we retreated and dodged, and there I commenced the attack with my stick. Visitor Information Joseph attempted as a last resort to leap the same window from which Mr. Taylor fell, when two balls pierced him from the door, and one en- Address: tered his right breast from without, and he fell out- 307 Walnut Street ward, exclaiming, ‘O Lord, my God!’ As his feet Carthage, Illinois 62321 went out of the window my head went in, the balls whistling all round.
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