Book Review: Junius and Joseph: Presidential Politics and the assassination of the First Mormon Prophet

 Junius and Joseph: Presidential Politics and the assassination of the First Mormon Prophet, Robert S. Wicks and Fred R. Foister, USU Press, Logan, Utah, 2005.  Available online here.

This is a very serious look at the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the conspiracy against him from the forcing him to Carthage where he could be murdered, to the coordination of activity between the militias and the governor of Illinois.  Governor Ford insisted the men, including Joseph and Hyrum, come to Carthage and promised he would keep them safe.  However he left town to Nauvoo to give an opportunity for murder. 

 It also ties in the Anti-Mormon Party and the Whig Party into this plan to kill Joseph Smith.  After the deed there was secrecy maintained by the murderers so as to get away with the crime.  They also explore if there was a Masonic tie to the crime.   Probably not but they did ignore Joseph's call for help from  fellow Masons.  No one was convicted of any crime with relation to the assassination.  This book also ties Joseph's being a candidate for president with the crime.  He was the first candidate for president to be assassinated in the United States.  Members of the Whig party gave the printing press to the disaffected Mormons so the could oublish the Nauvoo Expositor which was at the center of the controversy.  

There were people involved in the conspiracy from every state of the Union but three.  There were 26 states at the time.  The man credited with the fatal bullet was from Ohio and was a U.S. Marshall.  There were close to 150 men at the jail, not counting the Carthage Grays who were guarding the jail with blanks in their guns.  

The initial stories in the paper was that the Mormons had tried to rescue them resulting in the death of the Smiths as well as the other two in the jail.  However when the other two in the jail, John Taylor and Willard Richards, were ot killed the story had to change.  There were too many witnesses.  

William Daniels was at the scene.  He saw four men prop Joseph against the well and shoot him execution style.  He also saw a bright light which kept a man from severing Joseph's head.  Because of the bright light story his testimony was discredited, allowing the accused to go free.  It wouldn't be until 2004 that the State of Illinois would express regret for the murder of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith. 

The book also lays out the two histories of the martyrdom.  That Joseph was shot in the window seal and fell to the ground dead.  The other that Joseph fell from  the window ledge dazed but alive.  Then he was shot execution style.  John Taylo indicated he was shot on the ground.  Willard Richards said he was already dead.  When B.H. Roberts wrote the history of the church he left out some of the original statement taking out the light and the execution.

This book is worth the read and adds to this story.

Joseph and Hyrum