the nauvoo legion

pallas · 11th September 2009, 07:11 PM

again tying into my current early 19th century US militaria obsession.....

the nauvoo legion was a military force estabilished ostensibly by the city of nauvoo (commerce) illinois in 1840 under the auspices of a state militia.......in actuality it was loyal to joseph smith (he was the legion's commanding officer) and later the other elders of the church of latter day saints.........it was active in illinois from 1840-46 after which they where forced to evacuate illinois with the rest of the mormons after smith's death.......... the legion was active in various conflicts ( the walker war, utah war and the infamous mountain meadows massacre) until its permanent disbandment with the Edmunds-Tucker act in 1887. they were equipped with the model 1816 musket and the 1803 harpers ferry rifle plus various personal arms.........at least thats what they used during the legion's initial period 1840-46........not sure what their standard armaments were from the 1850's on.........

does anyone have any standards/uniforms/rifles/swords/bayonets/knives/ect of the legion? i have not seen any items fromthe legion on ebay and they seem pretty hard to come by.....

Jim McDougall · 12th September 2009, 08:54 AM

What an incredibly esoteric, and fascinating topic Pallas!!

I am not at all surprised that these weapons would be hard to come by, and am wondering exactly how they might be provenanced. The Nauvoo Legion, first chartered in Illinois in the Mormon city by that name, was supposed to receive guns from the government. These would have been the M1816 flintlock musket and Harpers Ferry M1803 rifle, but there are no accurate accounts of how many were ever actually issued. The very character and climate of the situation was reflected by the bureaucratic resistance to actual issue weapons to a potentially volatile arrangement.

By 1845-46, matters had indeed become chaotic, and the official recognition of the chartered city state of Nauvoo was rescinded. Illinois governor Thomas Ford recalled the weapons issued to the Legion in 1840, but in documents examined by scholars at Brigham Young University in 1995, it revealed these numbers were only possibly about 250 rifles and muskets. There were also three antiquated cannon, one from the War of 1812.
While a small arsenal was built for the Legion, its completion in 1845 would seem to suggest it was likely never used as intended, especially for the small number of weapons that seem to have been in personal possession.

In the interesting situation of the Mormon Battalion, who were a unit of about 543 men who were termed volunteers, but actually coerced into army service in arrangements between Brigham Young and the government, they again likely received the issue weapons as before, M1816 and M1803.
It is doubtful that these had identifiable markings that would attribute them to these individuals, and on August 15,1847 they were told to turn in these weapons.

Meanwhile, the Nauvoo Legion had been reinstated by Brigham Young, as Utan was created officially a territory (1852) and as such, permitted to establish a militia. In "The Rocky Mountain Saints" (T.B.H. Stenhous, p.676) it as noted that "...the arms with which the saints are now equipped are thier own property". Once again, the government was resistant to supply weapons to this this potentially troublesome situation. While these units were of course well known in various historical engagements such as the 'Walker War' (1853-54); Utah War (1857-58) and in degree the Civil War and 'Blackhawk War of 1865-68, it remains unclear just how many weapons were ever 'officially' issued, and if they were, how they might be identified.

In "The Utah Geneological and Historical Magazine" (Vol. 4, 1913, p.137) there is an article, "Relic Hall of the Deseret Museum" by the curator of that museum, Sterling B. Talmage. In it he notes the curious assemblage of arms apparantly of the Nauvoo Legion, though it is unclear which period or incarnation or units these are from.
There are muskets and rifles, some cap and ball, as well as Kentucky rifles and Spencer repeaters. There are single shot pistols such as the .22 rimfire belonging to Hyrum Smith, and the Ethan Allen Dragoon model pepperbox postol of Joseph Smith. There are also the Colt cap and ball revolvers as well as the underhammer percussion pistols known as 'bootleg pistols'.

I would presume many of these types of weapons would have been brought back from the many Saints who had been away on missions, as they were often encouraged to bring back the latest items, including weapons.

Despite the profound presence of symbolism evidenced in Mormon architecture, and tradition, as far as I know there has been no evidence of markings or identifiable motif on weapons attributed to the Mormons, nor suggestion that they ever applied same. As noted, while the Nauvoo Legion was a quasi-military organization, it is unclear if or how any issuance markings might be recognized if they ever were used.

These attachments might be of interest;
The shoulder patch of the Mormon Battalion
The Nauvoo Legion Flag
The Angel Moroni weather vane atop Nauvoo Temple
I had once thought this image was engraved on a Mormon knife or
sword.
The Deseret alphabet
perhaps these characters might be present on a weapon in some manner

All best regards,
Jim

Jim McDougall · 13th September 2009, 10:53 PM

I'm glad to see readers out there, and I'm glad Pallas placed this interesting query, so I hope I can add more as becomes available.

We have been moving north out of Arizona, and have now entered the southern part of Utah, the scenery is breathtaking, and we are now situated near Bryce Canyon, Utah. We have travelled through Utah before, and while we saw some historic places, not nearly enough. I lived in Salt Lake City in my youth, and Utah is an incredible state, obviously with the Mormon faith predominate. One of my brothers did become Mormon in later years.

I am hoping I will have a chance to discover a bit more on this interesting topic as I near Salt Lake City, and if so I will share what I can find.

Perhaps anyone else out there might have heard of any weapons that may have been attributed to these Mormon militia units, and might share any information.
Stay tuned

All the best,
Jim

Jim McDougall · 14th September 2009, 06:03 AM

Just working on more on the topic. The items listed in the 1913 magazine in my previous post were as noted, holdings of the Deseret Museum, which apparantly ceased in 1919. The disposition of these weapons is uncertain at this point, but I am hoping the LDS Church Museum in Salt Lake City might have information.

I do know that they seem to have several of the M1816 flintlock muskets described. These are noted as being of the type issued later to the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican War, not to the Nauvoo Legion in Illinois.
These are of Type II and the casehardened lockplates are stamped Harpers Ferry, with 1827 date. These were .69 cal. flintlocks, and fitted for triangular blade bayonets.

The others used by the Mormon Battalion were the M1803, .54 cal. termed a 'halfstock' with no bayonet fittings.Only a few were issued and are not with holdings.

The only other were the M1841 Mississippi Rifle, known as a 'Jaeger' type rifle (the German term for hunting type rifles) and was a cap lock. Only a few of these issued, none among holdings.

Again, these guns issued to the Mormon Battalion, just over 500 men for service with the army in the Mexican War. On August 15,1847 as this unit was discharged, the men were ordered to leave the guns and by no means to take them to the states.

The Nauvoo Legion essentially ended in Illinois with the assassination of Joseph and Hyram Smith in 1844, and the government rescinsion of the city charter for Nauvoo in 1845. While the unit numbered over two thousand, only about 250 guns of the M1816 and M1803 type were ever issued as far as I have found. as mentioned, no markings are known, and these were believed collected by government.

The Legion began again under Brigham Young in the newly established provincial State of Deseret unofficially in 1849, then recognized in 1852. The name Nauvoo Legion was reestablished until 1870 when prohibited by the territorial governor, then by congress in 1887.

In various references it is noted that the Nauvoo Legion seldom had enough long guns to arms half of the territorial militia in the 1870's
In "The Rocky Mountain Saints" (T. Stenhaus, p.676) it is noted that the arms with which the saints are now equipped are thier own property.
This is of course much the same as it was in Illinois. Another reference noted the presence of Colt M1851 Navy which were of course cap and ball revolvers. There were likely a number of Hawken, or Kentucky long rifles probably brought from Illinois, as they were often readily available in those regions and times, usually about .40 cal.

Jim McDougall · 14th September 2009, 06:40 AM

Another thought that might provide attribution would be if markings or symbols associated with the Mormon faith appeared on either any regulation weapon as described previously, or personal weapons of the period.

In 1854, a board established by Brigham Young had proposed a phonetically structured alphabet as shown here. While this did not find wide use or acceptance, its presence was well established as seen by the coin issued in 1860.
The illustration of the characters are from an 1868 book, but with Brigham Young's death in 1877, the use of the Deseret alphabet diminished and fell out of use.

Another potential device which might be considered would be the beehive symbol. Although I have not ever seen this on a weapon, it is much like the angel of Moroni, significant to the Mormons. The beehive represented 'deseret' which described in the Book of Mormon (Ether 2:3) means bees or beehive, and this was chosen for the name of thier state.

Again, purely speculative suggestions, presuming that some individuals might have been compelled to place such markings on weapons, and hoping that anyone might have information to add.

pallas · 14th September 2009, 09:12 PM

one thing ive noticed about the legion was that they all wore very "napoleonic" uniforms....i saw a painting of joseph smith reviewing the legion with a tricorner hat on that would not be out of place in the revolutionary period........my assumption from this would be that the mormons were outfitted with equipment that was already (becoming) obsolete in the 1840s...........

Jim McDougall · 15th September 2009, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pallas

one thing ive noticed about the legion was that they all wore very "napoleonic" uniforms....i saw a painting of joseph smith reviewing the legion with a tricorner hat on that would not be out of place in the revolutionary period........my assumption from this would be that the mormons were outfitted with equipment that was already (becoming) obsolete in the 1840s...........

Actually that painting was reflective of a great deal of artistic license, and while officers would of course have worn uniforms with a considerable bit of flamboyance, the rank and file would likely have had simple uniformity in thier clothing. It should be noted that for the number of men mustered within the following three years, numbering over two thousand, there were only about 235 muskets issued, despite the 1808 Militia Act mandates.
The guns issued were very much the same as in use by the army at that time. though it was not as much a period of obsolescence as transition.
The M1816 flintlock musket was standard issue, and new cap and ball muskets were just becoming established.

The M1816 guns issued were all confiscated just after the murder of Joseph Smith in Illinois, and the charter for Nauvoo revoked. The remainder of the weapons in use, were of course the property of the men themselves.

There was some evidence of antiquation in one of the three cannon that was issued, which was a 12 pound mountain gun of War of 1812 vintage. That was hidden and kept by the Legion.

Thanks for responding Pallas! This has really become a fascinating topic

All best regards,
Jim

Jim McDougall · 20th September 2009, 04:25 AM

For those out there reading, and for future reference, from the week's research on this topic:

It appears there is only one known example of a gun which bears the making 'NAUVOO LEGION' and from what I understand it was documented some time ago in the Chicago area. As I have noted earlier, only a small number of these guns, the M1816' were issued to this unit. These were all confiscated shortly prior to the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage, Illinois in 1844.
It appears that these were reissued to other units by the state government, and while unclear if just a few or all these guns were stamped with this inscription, it appears the others have been lost to posterity.
There is little likelihood of personal arms being so marked, or if so, they do not seem known to those who have researched these arms, though the possibility certainly remains.

There are three known guns I believe, provenanced to the Mormon Battalion who fought during the Mexican War at the end, and I believe these are at a museum here in Salt Lake City.

The guns of the Nauvoo Legion in Utah, holding that title in honor of the Illinois unit of Joseph Smith, was officially the Utah Territorial Militia, and their weapons were privately purchased and owned.

Best regards,
Jim

11th September 2009, 07:11 PM	#1
pallas Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 53	the nauvoo legion again tying into my current early 19th century US militaria obsession..... the nauvoo legion was a military force estabilished ostensibly by the city of nauvoo (commerce) illinois in 1840 under the auspices of a state militia.......in actuality it was loyal to joseph smith (he was the legion's commanding officer) and later the other elders of the church of latter day saints.........it was active in illinois from 1840-46 after which they where forced to evacuate illinois with the rest of the mormons after smith's death.......... the legion was active in various conflicts ( the walker war, utah war and the infamous mountain meadows massacre) until its permanent disbandment with the Edmunds-Tucker act in 1887. they were equipped with the model 1816 musket and the 1803 harpers ferry rifle plus various personal arms.........at least thats what they used during the legion's initial period 1840-46........not sure what their standard armaments were from the 1850's on......... does anyone have any standards/uniforms/rifles/swords/bayonets/knives/ect of the legion? i have not seen any items fromthe legion on ebay and they seem pretty hard to come by.....

12th September 2009, 08:54 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,943	What an incredibly esoteric, and fascinating topic Pallas!! I am not at all surprised that these weapons would be hard to come by, and am wondering exactly how they might be provenanced. The Nauvoo Legion, first chartered in Illinois in the Mormon city by that name, was supposed to receive guns from the government. These would have been the M1816 flintlock musket and Harpers Ferry M1803 rifle, but there are no accurate accounts of how many were ever actually issued. The very character and climate of the situation was reflected by the bureaucratic resistance to actual issue weapons to a potentially volatile arrangement. By 1845-46, matters had indeed become chaotic, and the official recognition of the chartered city state of Nauvoo was rescinded. Illinois governor Thomas Ford recalled the weapons issued to the Legion in 1840, but in documents examined by scholars at Brigham Young University in 1995, it revealed these numbers were only possibly about 250 rifles and muskets. There were also three antiquated cannon, one from the War of 1812. While a small arsenal was built for the Legion, its completion in 1845 would seem to suggest it was likely never used as intended, especially for the small number of weapons that seem to have been in personal possession. In the interesting situation of the Mormon Battalion, who were a unit of about 543 men who were termed volunteers, but actually coerced into army service in arrangements between Brigham Young and the government, they again likely received the issue weapons as before, M1816 and M1803. It is doubtful that these had identifiable markings that would attribute them to these individuals, and on August 15,1847 they were told to turn in these weapons. Meanwhile, the Nauvoo Legion had been reinstated by Brigham Young, as Utan was created officially a territory (1852) and as such, permitted to establish a militia. In "The Rocky Mountain Saints" (T.B.H. Stenhous, p.676) it as noted that "...the arms with which the saints are now equipped are thier own property". Once again, the government was resistant to supply weapons to this this potentially troublesome situation. While these units were of course well known in various historical engagements such as the 'Walker War' (1853-54); Utah War (1857-58) and in degree the Civil War and 'Blackhawk War of 1865-68, it remains unclear just how many weapons were ever 'officially' issued, and if they were, how they might be identified. In "The Utah Geneological and Historical Magazine" (Vol. 4, 1913, p.137) there is an article, "Relic Hall of the Deseret Museum" by the curator of that museum, Sterling B. Talmage. In it he notes the curious assemblage of arms apparantly of the Nauvoo Legion, though it is unclear which period or incarnation or units these are from. There are muskets and rifles, some cap and ball, as well as Kentucky rifles and Spencer repeaters. There are single shot pistols such as the .22 rimfire belonging to Hyrum Smith, and the Ethan Allen Dragoon model pepperbox postol of Joseph Smith. There are also the Colt cap and ball revolvers as well as the underhammer percussion pistols known as 'bootleg pistols'. I would presume many of these types of weapons would have been brought back from the many Saints who had been away on missions, as they were often encouraged to bring back the latest items, including weapons. Despite the profound presence of symbolism evidenced in Mormon architecture, and tradition, as far as I know there has been no evidence of markings or identifiable motif on weapons attributed to the Mormons, nor suggestion that they ever applied same. As noted, while the Nauvoo Legion was a quasi-military organization, it is unclear if or how any issuance markings might be recognized if they ever were used. These attachments might be of interest; The shoulder patch of the Mormon Battalion The Nauvoo Legion Flag The Angel Moroni weather vane atop Nauvoo Temple I had once thought this image was engraved on a Mormon knife or sword. The Deseret alphabet perhaps these characters might be present on a weapon in some manner All best regards, Jim Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 12th September 2009 at 09:09 AM.

14th September 2009, 06:03 AM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,943	Just working on more on the topic. The items listed in the 1913 magazine in my previous post were as noted, holdings of the Deseret Museum, which apparantly ceased in 1919. The disposition of these weapons is uncertain at this point, but I am hoping the LDS Church Museum in Salt Lake City might have information. I do know that they seem to have several of the M1816 flintlock muskets described. These are noted as being of the type issued later to the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican War, not to the Nauvoo Legion in Illinois. These are of Type II and the casehardened lockplates are stamped Harpers Ferry, with 1827 date. These were .69 cal. flintlocks, and fitted for triangular blade bayonets. The others used by the Mormon Battalion were the M1803, .54 cal. termed a 'halfstock' with no bayonet fittings.Only a few were issued and are not with holdings. The only other were the M1841 Mississippi Rifle, known as a 'Jaeger' type rifle (the German term for hunting type rifles) and was a cap lock. Only a few of these issued, none among holdings. Again, these guns issued to the Mormon Battalion, just over 500 men for service with the army in the Mexican War. On August 15,1847 as this unit was discharged, the men were ordered to leave the guns and by no means to take them to the states. The Nauvoo Legion essentially ended in Illinois with the assassination of Joseph and Hyram Smith in 1844, and the government rescinsion of the city charter for Nauvoo in 1845. While the unit numbered over two thousand, only about 250 guns of the M1816 and M1803 type were ever issued as far as I have found. as mentioned, no markings are known, and these were believed collected by government. The Legion began again under Brigham Young in the newly established provincial State of Deseret unofficially in 1849, then recognized in 1852. The name Nauvoo Legion was reestablished until 1870 when prohibited by the territorial governor, then by congress in 1887. In various references it is noted that the Nauvoo Legion seldom had enough long guns to arms half of the territorial militia in the 1870's In "The Rocky Mountain Saints" (T. Stenhaus, p.676) it is noted that the arms with which the saints are now equipped are thier own property. This is of course much the same as it was in Illinois. Another reference noted the presence of Colt M1851 Navy which were of course cap and ball revolvers. There were likely a number of Hawken, or Kentucky long rifles probably brought from Illinois, as they were often readily available in those regions and times, usually about .40 cal. Attached Images

14th September 2009, 06:40 AM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,943	Another thought that might provide attribution would be if markings or symbols associated with the Mormon faith appeared on either any regulation weapon as described previously, or personal weapons of the period. In 1854, a board established by Brigham Young had proposed a phonetically structured alphabet as shown here. While this did not find wide use or acceptance, its presence was well established as seen by the coin issued in 1860. The illustration of the characters are from an 1868 book, but with Brigham Young's death in 1877, the use of the Deseret alphabet diminished and fell out of use. Another potential device which might be considered would be the beehive symbol. Although I have not ever seen this on a weapon, it is much like the angel of Moroni, significant to the Mormons. The beehive represented 'deseret' which described in the Book of Mormon (Ether 2:3) means bees or beehive, and this was chosen for the name of thier state. Again, purely speculative suggestions, presuming that some individuals might have been compelled to place such markings on weapons, and hoping that anyone might have information to add. Attached Images

13th September 2009, 10:53 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,943	I'm glad to see readers out there, and I'm glad Pallas placed this interesting query, so I hope I can add more as becomes available. We have been moving north out of Arizona, and have now entered the southern part of Utah, the scenery is breathtaking, and we are now situated near Bryce Canyon, Utah. We have travelled through Utah before, and while we saw some historic places, not nearly enough. I lived in Salt Lake City in my youth, and Utah is an incredible state, obviously with the Mormon faith predominate. One of my brothers did become Mormon in later years. I am hoping I will have a chance to discover a bit more on this interesting topic as I near Salt Lake City, and if so I will share what I can find. Perhaps anyone else out there might have heard of any weapons that may have been attributed to these Mormon militia units, and might share any information. Stay tuned All the best, Jim

14th September 2009, 09:12 PM	#6
pallas Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 53	one thing ive noticed about the legion was that they all wore very "napoleonic" uniforms....i saw a painting of joseph smith reviewing the legion with a tricorner hat on that would not be out of place in the revolutionary period........my assumption from this would be that the mormons were outfitted with equipment that was already (becoming) obsolete in the 1840s...........

20th September 2009, 04:25 AM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,943	For those out there reading, and for future reference, from the week's research on this topic: It appears there is only one known example of a gun which bears the making 'NAUVOO LEGION' and from what I understand it was documented some time ago in the Chicago area. As I have noted earlier, only a small number of these guns, the M1816' were issued to this unit. These were all confiscated shortly prior to the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage, Illinois in 1844. It appears that these were reissued to other units by the state government, and while unclear if just a few or all these guns were stamped with this inscription, it appears the others have been lost to posterity. There is little likelihood of personal arms being so marked, or if so, they do not seem known to those who have researched these arms, though the possibility certainly remains. There are three known guns I believe, provenanced to the Mormon Battalion who fought during the Mexican War at the end, and I believe these are at a museum here in Salt Lake City. The guns of the Nauvoo Legion in Utah, holding that title in honor of the Illinois unit of Joseph Smith, was officially the Utah Territorial Militia, and their weapons were privately purchased and owned. Best regards, Jim