HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, 1880

Chapter VI, The Mormon Period, by Thomas Gregg

*Joseph Smith is buried in this tomb along with his main wife and brother, Hyrum. The Hancock County History reports Joseph had 33 wives. The burial site is on property owned by the Community of Christ, the current name of the reorganized branch of the Mormons.

"There can be little doubt that the killing of the Smiths was perpetrated by men who had been with or of the Warsaw troops. . . . The guard was soon overpowered, and a rush was made for the stairway, ascending on the outside to the door of the jail, . . . the Prophet fired several shots around the edge with his revolver. The mobbers fired a number of shots through the door, which killed Hyrum Smith, and wounded John Taylor severely. . . . while Joseph Smith hastened to a window on the east, raised the sash and leaned partly out, probably with a view of jumping, when he was shot by several balls from the outside, and he fell to the ground near the well curb (page 324)."

"Of the thirty or forty men who approached the jail that day with stealthy tread, we do not believe there was one with murder in his heart. . . . This purpose, we are convinced, and this only--to take the prisoners and run them into Missouri [to satisfy Missouri warrants for the arrest of Joseph Smith] . . . (page 325)."

Pages 324-325

© 2002, Ken Bowles -- July 05, 2002, Edition

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