The Buckey’s First Epistle to Jo – Warsaw Signal – 25 April 1844

 Background:

I n 1844 two lyrics appeared in the Warsawnewspaper under the pseudonym Buckey. Both criticized Smith”s polygamy. They were obviously written by a very well-informed person who had become disenchanted with him. Mormon historians have traditionally assigned the authorship to Wilson Law, the brother of dissident leader William Law. The Laws had come to Nauvoo late in 1839. The Laws had come to Nauvoo late in 1839. Wilson became a well-respected leader, serving one term as president of the city council. He was also appointed brigadier general of the Nauvoo Legion, a position that he held until his association with the dissenting Mormons caused him to be dismissed in May 1844.

The first poem, not reproduced here, was “Buckey”s Lamentation for Want of More Wives,” which appeared in the Warsaw Message on 7 February 1844, p. 2. It asserted that Smith and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles do “slyly practice” the “secret doctrine,” although “in public they deny.” And the poet used bird images to reveal the identity of some of the prophet”s plural wives:

He sets his snares around for all —
And very seldom fails
To catch some thoughtless PARTRIDGES
SNOW-birds or KNIGHT-ingales!

The references are to the daughters of Edward Partridge, Emily Dow and Eliza M., who were married to Smith in 1843; Eliza R. Snow, married to Smith in 1842; and Lydia Knight, the wife of Vinson Knight. The poet clearly knew a great deal about the inner workings of Nauvoo, and he viewed polygamy as a corrupt practice — the seduction of women by men in positions of religious authority.

The second poem, which is reprinted here, is entitled “The Buckey”s First Epistle to Jo,” and it appeared in the Warsaw Signal on 25 April 1844, p. I. A more effective lyric, it is a verse epistle — a poetic form that had been popular with eighteenth-century satirists like Alexander Pope. The poet views Smith as a fallen prophet, who has betrayed his “Mighty and sublime” calling by engaging in “dark deeds.” As an example, the poet describes the prophet”s attempt to induce Nancy Rigdon, daughter of Mormon leader Sidney Rigdon, to enter into a polygamous relationship. The detailed nature of his account, in stanzas six through fourteen, suggests that the poet knew what he was talking about. Moreover, he accuses the rejected prophet of resorting to his “usual plan,” that is, “circulating lies” about the young woman to cover himself in case she spoke out against him. When confronted by the influential Sidney Rigdon — who may have been the source of this detailed account — Smith asserted instead that he was just testing her virtue. In short, the poem depicts Smith as not only a seducer but a man who spread lies to cover his tracks. This was an important and timely denunciation of Mormonism”s leader and helped to solidify opposition to him in Hancock County.

Of equal significance is the poet”s view of himself. As the closing stanzas reveal, Law — or whoever was the author — had begun to see himself as a champion of freedom, standing opposed to a tyrant. The events of recent months — including the increasing conflict with Smith, the formation of a new Reformed Mormon Church, and the subsequent excommunication of the dissidents — had given the poet a new sense of authority. He was a man with a cause, and perhaps his most powerful weapon was his insider”s knowledge of Smith”s “dark deeds” in both Nauvoo and Missouri, as outlined in stanza twenty. Clearly, by April of 1844, Smith had formidable critics within the community. (Cultures in Conflict: A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois. Contributors: John E. Hallwas – editor, Roger D. Launius – editor. Publisher: Utah State University Press. Place of Publication: Logan, UT. Publication Year: 1995, pp. 132-133)

 The following anonymous poem attributed to Wilson Law appeared in the Warsaw Signal on 25 April 1844, p. I:

[Source:
Gary James Bergera, “Buckeye”s Laments: Two Early Insider Exposes of Mormon Polygamy and Their Authorship,”Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Winter 2002, vol. 95, no. 4, pp. 350-390.]