| Notes |
- TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM STAFFORD.
Manchester, Ontario Co. N. Y. Dec. 8th, 1833.
I, William Stafford, having been called upon to give a true statement of my knowledge, concerning the character and conduct of the family of Smiths, known to the world as the founders of the Mormon sect, do say, that I first became acquainted with Joseph, Sen., and his family in the year 1820. They lived, at that time, in Palmyra, about one mile and a half from my residence. A great part of their time was devoted to digging for money: especially in the night time, when they said the money could be most easily obtained. I have heard them tell marvellous tales, respecting the discoveries they had made in their peculiar occupation of money digging. They would say, for instance, that in such a place, in such a hill, on a certain man's farm, there were deposited keys, barrels and hogsheads of coined silver and gold -- bars of gold, golden images, brass kettles filled with gold and silver -- gold candlesticks, swords, &c. &c. They would say, also, that nearly all the hills in this part of New York, were thrown up by human hands, and in them were large caves, which Joseph, Jr., could see, by placing a stone of singular appearance in his hat, in such a manner as to exclude all light; at which time they pretended he could see all things within and under the earth, -- that he could see within the above mentioned caves, large gold bars and silver plates -- that he could also discover the spirits in whose charge these treasures were, clothed in ancient dress. At certain times, these treasures could be obtained very easily; at others, the obtaining of them was difficult. The facility of approaching them, depended in a great measure on the state of the moon. New moon and good Friday, I believe, were regarded as the most favorable times for obtaining these treasures. These tales I regarded as visionary. However, being prompted by curiosity, I at length accepted of their invitations, to join them in their nocturnal excursions. I will now relate a few incidents attending these excursions.
Joseph Smith, Sen., came to me one night, and told me, that Joseph Jr. had been looking in his glass, and had seen, not many rods from his house, two or three kegs of gold and silver, some feet under the surface of the earth: and that none others but the elder Joseph and myself could get them. I accordingly consented to go, and early in the evening repaired to the place of deposit. Joseph, Sen. first made a circle, twelve or fourteen feet in diameter. This circle, said he, contains the treasure. He then stuck in the ground a row of witch hazel sticks, around the said circle, for the purpose of keeping off the evil spirits. Within this circle he made another, of about eight or ten feet in diameter. He walked around three times on the periphery of this last circle, muttering to himself something which I could not understand. He next stuck a steel rod in the centre of the circles, and then enjoined profound silence upon us, lest we should arouse the evil spirit who had the charge of these treasures. After we had dug a trench about five feet in depth around the rod, the old man by signs and motions, asked leave of absence, and went to the house to inquire of young Joseph the cause of our disappointment. He soon returned and said, that Joseph had remained all this time in the house, looking in his stone and watching the motions of the evil spirit--that he saw the spirit come up to the ring and as soon as it beheld the cone which we had formed around the rod, it caused the money to sink. We then went into the house, and the old man observed, that we had made a mistake in the commencemnt of the operation; if it had not been for that, said he, we should have got the money.
At another time, they devised a scheme, by which they might satiate their hunger, with the mutton of one of my sheep. They had seen in my flock of sheep, a large, fat, black weather. Old Joseph and one of the boys came to me one day, and said that Joseph Jr. had discovered some very remarkable and valuable treasures, which could be procured only in one way. That way, was as follows: -- That a black sheep should be taken on to the ground where the treasures were concealed -- that after cutting its throat, it should be led around a circle while bleeding. This being done, the wrath of the evil spirit would be appeased: the treasures could then be obtained, and my share of them was to be four fold. To gratify my curiosity, I let them have a large fat sheep. They afterwards informed me, that the sheep was killed pursuant to commandment; but as there was some mistake in the process, it did not have the desired effect. This, I believe, is the only time they ever made money-digging a profitable business. They, however, had around them constantly a worthless gang, whose employment it was to dig money nights, and who, day times, had more to do with mutton than money.
When they found that the people of this vicinity would no longer put any faith in their schemes for digging money, they then pretended to find a gold bible, of which, they said, the book of Mormon was only an introduction. This latter book was at length fitted for the press. No means were taken by any individual to suppress its publication: No one apprehended any danger from a book, originating with individuals who had neither influence, honesty or honor. The two Josephs and Hiram, promised to show me the plates, after the book of Mormon was translated. But, afterwards, they pretended to have received an express commandment, forbidding them to show the plates. Respecting the manner of receiving and translating the book of Mormon, their statements were always discordant. The elder Joseph would say that he had seen the plates, and that he knew them to be gold; at other times he would say that they looked like gold; and other times he would say he had not seen the plates at all. I have thus briefly stated a few of the facts, in relation to the conduct and character of this family of Smiths; probably sufficient has been stated without my going into detail. WILLIAM STAFFORD.
State of New York, Wayne County, ss:
I certify, that on this 9th day of December, 1833, personally appeared before me, William Stafford, to me known, and made oath to the truth of the above statement, and signed the same.
TH. P. BALDWIN,
Judge of Wane County Court.
From Palmyra and Vicinity by Thomas L. Cook
Passing on a little further ... was the old William Stafford homestead, until a few years ago when it was destroyed by fire.
Mr. Stafford came here at an early date and was one of the earliest settlers in the town of Manchester. He was in the War of 1812 and was taken prisoner. One dark night he made his escape by passing the guards, crawling on his hands and knees through a prickley ash bramble and before he had gotten beyond speaking range he heard the guard call out "One o'clock and all is well?. When daylight came, he found himself covered with mud and blood he had received from the scratches of the prickley ash.
He was also a neighbor of the Smiths and had a good opportunity to know something of the wonderful power Joseph possessed and he was at one time personally interested in one of Joseph's prophetic visions. While passing, mention might be made of a little circumstance that transpired between him and Joseph. But before doing this we will go back to a time a little previous to this transaction with Joseph.
In September 1819, the older Smith and his sons, Alvin and Hiram in digging a well (of which the location will be pointed out ....) threw up a stone of vitreous though opaque appearance and in form like an infant's foot. This stone was secured by Joseph and turned to account as a revalator of present and future in the role of fortune telling. Small amounts were received from the credulous, and thus the imposter was encouraged to enlarge his field by asserting a vision of gold and silver, buried in rion chests in the vicinity. The stone was finally placed in his hat to shade its marvelous brightness when its sevices were required. Persisting in his apparitions, there were those who in the Spring of 1820 contributed to defray the expense of digging for the buried treasure.
At midnight dupe's laborers and himself, with lanterns, repaired the hillside east of the Smith house, where following mystic ceremony, digging began in enjoined silence. Two hours elapsed when just as the money box was about to be unearthed, someone spoke and the treasure vanished. This was the explanation of the failure and to this they all agreed.
But Joseph had another vision, assuming to see where vast treasures lay entombed. Joseph asserted tha a "black sheep" was necessary as an offering upon the ground before the work of digging could begin.
As various stories have been told about the sacrificing of the sheep perhaps the following might be interesting to some. I therefore quote from Wallace W. Miner, what Mr. Stafford told him, and as I hav been personally and intimately acquainted with Mr. Miner for over 80 years, I believe this to be true:
"The location for this sacrifice was on the second hill east of the Smith house, at that time on the Chase farm. This hill was called by the neighbors, 'Old Sharp' and by divine command he was to go to the barnyard of William Stafford and take from the fold a black sheep without leave or license, and lead it to the place where it was to be sacrificed. That night the parties met at the appointed hour, at the chosen spot with lanterns. Joseph traced a circle within which the wether was placed and his throat cut; the blood saturated the ground. Silently and solemnly, but with vigor, excavation began.
"Three hours of futile labor had passed, when it was discoverd that the older Smith, assisted by one of his boys, had taken the sheep quietly away, thus giving the Smith family a stock of fat mutton for family use.
"The next day Joseph went to Mr. Stafford and said to him: 'I suppose you have missed your black wether. God owns all the cattle and sheep on the hills and commanded me to come and take that wether. I am willing to pay for the sheep. I have no money, but I will work for you until you are satisfied you are paid.'
"Joseph could make good sap buckets and Mr. Stafford needed a few more so he told Joseph he could make him sap buckets enough to pay for the sheep, which he did to the satisfaction of Mr. Stafford.
"In regard to the sheep, who knows but what there was an understanding between Joseph and his father, that he was to come for the carcas after Joseph had sacrificed the blood of the sheep, and if Joseph paid for the sheep, why was not the sheep his, and who had a better right than he and his family? This matter we will leave for philosophers to decide upon."
The above was told to Mr. Miner by Mr. Stafford.
Census:
- Listed as William Stafford
1 male over 46
1 male age 16 to 26 (including heads of families)
1 male age 16 to 18
1 male age 10 to 16
1 female age 26 to 45
1 female age 16 to 26
1 female age 10 to 16
2 females under 10
- Listed as William Stafford
1 male age 50 to 60
2 males age 20 to 30
1 male age 15 to 20
1 male age 5 to 10
1 female age 50 to 60
1 female age 20 to 30
2 females age 10 to 15
- Listed as William Stafford
1 male age 60 to 70
1 male age 30 to 40
1 female age 60 to 70
1 female age 30 to 40
1 female age 15 to 20
- Listed as a farmer with wife Mary and daughter Anna.
- Listed with wife Mary, Mary A. Stafford age 53 b. NY, William Smith age 17 b. NY and Horatio Stafford age 25 b. NY.
Died:
- A William Stafford was listed in the Surrogate Court Records for Ontario, Co. NY in 1863 for Manchester, NY.
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1776 - 1863 (86 years)
