Their home in Caldwell County was not to be the last for the Rockwell’s. In late 1838, the Saints were again violently driven out of their homes, this time from the state, under an infamous extermination order from Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. Rockwell fled with his wife and two daughters. This time the Saints began again in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was early in the establishment of Nauvoo that Rockwell’s father died, in September 1939. Early in this period Rockwell accompanied Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Elias Higbee, and Dr R.D. Foster to petition President Martin Van Buren to help the Saints recover their lost properties from the Missouri persecutions. They carried affidavits from the Saints testifying of the treatment they received and detailing the losses they had suffered. This trip ended in disappointment when Van Buren reportedly declared the cause just but not politically expedient. Rockwell arrived home to Nauvoo in 1840 to a newborn son.
By early 1842 Rockwell’s wife was again pregnant and the family relocated to Independence to be with Luana’s parents until after the baby was born. But in May of that year someone attempted to shoot the former Governor Boggs and the suspicion quickly feel on Rockwell. Rockwell fled leaving Luana in the protection of her family, but was arrested in early 1843 and brought back for trial in Missouri. While traveling in chains to Missouri, Rockwell’s coach, driven by a drunk, crashed into a tree. Rockwell fixed the carriage and the trip went on. The second time the coach crashed, Rockwell offered to drive the rest of the way and did so in his shackles. At the next station Rockwell was promptly lodged in the jail. Finally, in late 1843, after spending nine months freezing and starving in jail, he was tried, but not for shooting Boggs. Instead he was tried for attempting to escape custody. He was found guilty and sentenced to five minutes in jail. After five hours he was released with only the rags on his body and desperately made his way back to Nauvoo.
During Rockwell’s Missouri imprisonment the jailers had often kept him updated on their attempts to capture Joseph Smith. At one point they offered to reward him with anything he asked and protection if he would help them capture him. With typical Rockwell loyalty he responded “I’ll see you all damned first, and then I won’t.” Rockwell’s concern for the safety of the Prophet increased when he overheard the conspirators talking about someone inside the church leadership who was helping them. As soon as Rockwell rejoined Joseph Smith he informed him of the threat of a traitor. Joseph Smith asked Rockwell to be his bodyguard. The two would rarely be separated from then until the Prophets death.
Search This Blog
Popular Posts
-
I ran across a passage in the comments at a feminist mormon website, that sparked a response in me. The discussion was commenting on an arti...
-
I came across Ernest Hemmingway Snows at Killimenjaro at the library and brought it home yesterday. I tried to read it but didn't get f...
-
I just finished Epicenter by Joel Resenberg. It is the most remarkable book I've read in a long time. He tells about the plot lines in ...
-
Did the media think that we would suddenly turn away from Joe when they found out he owes back taxes? Holy cow- it made him more real to us ...
-
Spring is almost here! Driving through Idaho last week in the sunshine I realized how much I really love the sunshine. Nothing like going wi...
-
During the 1830s through the 1880s, many Americans moved west into the frontier in familiar covered wagons, or Conestoga wagons, pulled by t...
-
If by calling Mill’s theory hedonism, one means the elevation of bodily or physical pleasure above all else, he has in my view misinterprete...
-
I've been thinking of BY quote comparing wheat to gold and here it is .(update, Journal of Discourses website changed. This is from Jour...
-
After seeing Ron Paul interviewed regarding the economy several times, I decided to look into his philosophy and read his book The Revoluti...
-
I found this really innovative couple who began producing short video's about Mormons. They are simplified for the purpose of sharing th...