The Day Joseph Smith Was Killed

Authors

Alex D. Smith

Keywords

Carthage, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith

Abstract

Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed on June 27, 1844, in the recently constructed jail in Carthage, Illinois. Years later, local resident Amanda Benton Smith recorded her own account of the events of that day. Twenty-eight years old and a mother of six, Amanda was the wife of Carthage Grey captain Robert F. Smith—the militia officer responsible for protecting the Latter-day Saint prisoners and defending the town. In her reminiscence, Amanda describes learning of the Smiths’ deaths and draws a vivid picture of the vacant Hancock County seat as local citizens fled to the countryside in anticipation of the Latter-day Saints’ retaliation, which never came.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Alex D. (2019) "The Day Joseph Smith Was Killed," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 58: Iss. 2, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol58/iss2/7