Article Review: “Silence, Ye Fiends of the Infernal Pit!”: Joseph Smith’s Incarceration in Richmond, Missouri, November 1838

 “Silence, Ye Fiends of the Infernal Pit!”: Joseph Smith’s Incarceration in Richmond, Missouri, November 1838, Alexander L. Baugh, Mormon Historical Studies, pp. 134-159, Mormon Historical Studies, BYU, Provo, Utah, 2012.

This article about the incarceration of Joseph Smith and other church leaders in 1838 provides insight into the personality of the prophet.  A total of 64 Mormon men were arrested.  They were taken to Richmond Missouri for preliminary hearing.  Most stayed at the jail which was still being constructed.  There were seven of them in a make shift jail, made from a log cabin.  These were: Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman Wight, Amasa Lyman, and George W. Robinson.  They were chained to each other at the ankle.  They were there in November of 1838.  It was during this time that the Prophet Joseph Smith rebuked his guards.  They were talking in a gross manner about atrocities they had committed against Mormon women and children.  Finally Joseph Smith reacted, as related by Parley P. Pratt, "SILENCE—Ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute, and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS MINUTE."

This chastisement had the desired effect.  Pratt continued, "He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon,—calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked down upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowered or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards."

 After the preliminary hearings were concluded, many were released due to lack of evidence but more than half were remanded for trial to various counties for such things as larceny, burglary and larceny.  For this they were able to post bail.  However a few were charged with murder in the death of Moses Towland who died in the Crooked River skirmish. They would be tried in Richmond and wait in jail until the trial would comence. Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae and Caleb Baldwin were charged with treason for which bail could not be posted.  They would be transferred to Liberty Jail where Joseph would spend another four months.  

Tragedy at Kingman Army Air Field Kingman, AZ

 Mishaps were somewhat common place.  The airbase was known as half-mast Kingman as a result.  A training run of a B-17 Flying Fortress and a P-39 Airacobra turned tragic at 20,000 feet.  The P-39 was providing mock attacks and the gunners on the B-17 were shooting blanks.  There were actually three B-17s being attacked in a loose formation.  For what ever reason the two planes collided and all were lost.  The pilot on the P-39 had plenty of bomber experience, but very little eperience as a fighter pilot.  Or perhaps the B-17 was out of position.  Whatever the cause the two planes collided, an all were lost, 15 soldiers in all.  This was November 3, 1944.  Many of those aboard the B-17 were scheduled to graduate from gunnery school the next day.  

There was another similar crash earlier that year, January 2, 1944.  This time a plane broke up in the air in inclement weather, and again all were lost. It said that eleven of the men were from Kingman.

Only four days after this tragedy another occurred resulting in even more death.   a bus carrying soldiers back to base collided with a train.  26 students died in this mishap, the instructor and the bus driver.  Another seven soldiers were injured.  AT the time it was the worse loss of life due to an accident in Arizona history.  The train was approaching the crossing which is just outside the air base.  It blew its horn and the bus seemed to stop.  However it lurched forward and was jack knifed by the train.  Those in the bus were returning from night target practice.

Memory of Charles Lindberg

air tower from WWII

Memorial for thos deceased in the bus train crash

Prince Maximilian: German Explorer

 There is, or was a memorial to Prince Maximilian at the Mount Vernon Garden in Omaha.  Prince Maximilian was a German explorer.  He explored Brazil in 1815-1817, and he explored the Missouri River in 1832.  In this trip he was accompanied by Karl Bodmer a swiss painter.  In 1840 he released a book, Reise in das Innere Nord-Amerikas " The North American Journals of Prince Maximilian of WiedIt.  It includes illustrations by Karl Bodmer.

The German community of the area placed a monument at Mount Vernon Garden in Omaha in 1933, marking the 100 year anniversary of his travels. 

The statue as it sits today after some vandalism.  I imagine the stole the bronze.

The original

Train Town and Train School in Omaha: George Francis Train

 George Francis Train was an entrepreneur.  He bought a large tract of land by the Union Pacific Rail Station thinking people would like to live close to the station.  He put many prefabricated cottages on the land and sold them.  This is now known as the Credit Foncier Addition named for the finance company that platted the land.  It was also called Train Town.  It extended from the river to 20th street and the current freeway to downtown.  Train made himself wealthy with this plan,but he eventually left the area and creditors foreclosed on his remaining properties.

Train Elementary on 6th street was close to the heart of the community

George4 Francis Train was an interesting man.  He had become rich before coming to the United States in transportation lines, including ship, train and trams.  He worked with the Union Pacific.  During his oifetime he would circumnavigate the globe three times.  He claimed he was th insiration for Phileas Fogg, fictional character of Jules Verne.  Train circumnavigated the globe in 67 days, and then 60 days.  He was one of the most famous people in America.  However when he passed in 1902 he was living in a shack in New York.  

Lewis and Clark Artwork and Information at Haworth Park in Bellevue

 This is the first Lewis and Clark ppublic informaitonal bulletin I have come across; but I understand there are many of them along the trail.  For the first part of their journey the Lewis and Clark expedition followed the Missouri River.  There is an entry of their meeting below the bluffs in council, and thus we get Council Bluffs.  Bellevue was known as Council Bluffs for a time but the town in Iowa took this title away.  

In this exhibit there is an informational mural and then a mural made up of tiles painted by children.  It is really very intriguing.  It was put up in 2004 for the 200 year celb ration of the expedition.

Pawnee Rock, Kansas on the Santa Fe Trail

 Pawnee Rock traditionally provided a great view of the surrounding area along the Santa Fe Trail.  The rock was a well known landmark along the trail.  However over the years the upper layers of the rock were removed and the rock used in the building of homes.  Today there is a platform on top of the rock to give an idea of the original height of the rock as the height was lowered at least twelve feet.  

From below looking up

Santa Fe Trail Marker

Native American lived close to the rock; battles with other trib es took place near hear, and seasonally the Pawnee would come here to hunt buffalo.  

This mural is from city park in town

Book of Mormon External Evidences: Nauvoo Mounds

 The mounds in Nauvoo are at the end of Main Street going north.  I turns into Sycamore Haven Drive and follows the Mississippi.  There is a Y with Sycamore Creek Drive going to the right.  It is up this road, which turns to gravel that you reach the mound site.  The mounds are marked as an archeological site.  The tour guide said that an archeologist visited the area and felt that this was an ancient fort site.  

Looking across the Mississippi to Iowa to what may be Zarahemla

Across the river from Nauvoo is Montrose, Iowa.  In the D&C 125: 3 Let them build up a city unto my name upon the land opposite the city of Nauvoo, and let the name of Zarahemla be named upon it.

Some people take this to mean that the ancient city of Zarahemla is across from Nauvoo.  There is some speculation of a temple site being there just opposite the Nauvoo Temple.