Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Jacksons vs. Smiths: Rooted in History: Missouri Mormon War 1838

What I find delightfully interesting is that approximately 102 years before my grandparents, Rosetta Ellen Jackson and John Hyrum Bowman, met in Kansas City, Missouri, both of their ancestors (Jacksons and Smiths) fought a religious war in the counties where the Jackson family and their extended kin settled.

Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), his family, and followers migrated to Missouri to set up Zion, the Kingdom of God on Earth. In fact, Joseph Smith proclaimed that a section of land in Daviess County was, in fact, the original spot where God had established a home for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He named this spot Adam-Ondi-Ahman, which is about 53 miles from the Clinton County, where the Jacksons established their homestead. * For the Missourian side of history, discussion of the Mormons in the Missouri legislature and Governor Boggs' extermination order of Mormons see:  https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/mormon.asp.

There were many reasons why Missourians objected to Mormon settlement which included plural marriage, business competition and their opposition to slavery. Tensions grew and squabbles developed into armed attacks, including a Missourian attack on a Mormon settlement at Haun's Mill. These events are documented in the History of Clinton County, Missouri : including its history of the County, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Clinton County in the late war, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Missouri, map of Clinton County, etc., etc. St Joseph, Mo.: National Historical Co., 1881.

It is unknown if my Jackson ancestors were directly involved in said actions, but at least four of Ezekiel's boys were listed on government militia muster lists. They included the Joseph, age 41; Abner, age 40 (who was involved in two separate companies); Elijah, age 39, and Hezekiah, age 35. This information can be found on the Missouri Digital Heritage website at: 
https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/archives/archivesdb/soldiers/Results.aspx

* The Smith listed in the registry are not related to Joseph, Hyrum, or any Mormon soldiers. These Smith families listed in the website are founders of various townships in Missouri. 
NameJackson, Joseph
RankPrivate
ConflictMormon War
Name of UnitCapt. Edward Smith's Company Mounted Volunteers
Alternate Unit Name3rd
Company 
Muster In10/19/1838
Muster Out11/4/1838
Note 
Record GroupOffice of Adjutant General
Series TitleRecord of Service Card, Mormon War, 1838
Box 
Reel 

NameJackson, A.J.
RankPrivate
ConflictMormon War
Name of UnitCapt. Abram Engat's Company Mounted Volunteers
Alternate Unit Name3rd
Company 
Muster In10/28/1838
Muster Out11/5/1838
Note 
Record GroupOffice of Adjutant General
Series TitleRecord of Service Card, Mormon War, 1838
Box 
Reel 

NameJackson, A.J.
RankPrivate
ConflictMormon War
Name of UnitCapt. Jesse Barber's Company Mounted Volunteers
Alternate Unit Name3rd
Company 
Muster In10/28/1838
Muster Out11/3/1838
Note 
Record GroupOffice of Adjutant General
Series TitleRecord of Service Card, Mormon War, 1838
Box 
Reel 

NameJackson, Elijah
RankPrivate
ConflictMormon War
Name of UnitCapt. Abram Engat's Company Mounted Volunteers
Alternate Unit Name3rd
Company 
Muster In10/28/1838
Muster Out11/5/1838
Note 
Record GroupOffice of Adjutant General
Series TitleRecord of Service Card, Mormon War, 1838
Box 
Reel 
NameJackson, Hezikiah
RankPrivate
ConflictMormon War
Name of UnitCapt. John Sconce's Company Mounted Volunteers
Alternate Unit Name3rd
Company 
Muster In10/26/1838
Muster Out11/10/1838
Note 
Record GroupOffice of Adjutant General
Series TitleRecord of Service Card, Mormon War, 1838
Box 
Reel 


No comments:

Post a Comment