The Wasp (9 July 1842)[1]

Several very appropriate speeches were made before the Legion [2] was dismissed. Gen. Smith's was able and satisfactory; setting forth the conduct, harmony and union of our citizen soldiers, in their true light.

—4 July 1842

Notes

[1] See History of the Church, 5:56-57. Not in Teachings. The History of the Church account is either a reconstruction of the details of the occasion based on The Wasp (9 July 1842) or taken from an entry in the "Book of the Law of the Lord." The salient points of this Independence Day celebration were the appearance of the Nauvoo Legion on parade and addresses by Joseph Smith, General Swazy, and others. The History of the Church offers the following insight: "At the close of the day General Smith expressed his entire satisfaction in an animated speech, in which he illustrated the design of the organization of the Legion, viz., to yield obedience to the institutions of our country, and protect the Saints from mobs, after which leave was given for strangers to address the Legion, when General Swazey, of Iowa, expressed his friendly feelings towards Nauvoo, and his gratification at the good discipline of the Legion" (History of the Church, 5:57).

[2] That is, the Nauvoo Legion.