Samuel Bogart (2 April 1797 – 11 March 1861) was an itinerant
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
minister and
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
captain from
Ray County, Missouri who played a prominent role in the
1838 Missouri Mormon War before later moving to
Collin County, Texas, where he became a
Texas Ranger and a member of the
Texas State Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful arm ...
. He is best remembered, however, for his role in leading opposition to
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
settlers in northwestern Missouri, and for the active role he took in operations against them in the fall of 1838. These operations led to the expulsion of nearly all Mormons from the state following the issuance of Governor
Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Williams Boggs (December 14, 1796March 14, 1860) was the sixth Governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1840. He is now most widely remembered for his interactions with Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell, and Missouri Executive Order 44, known b ...
' infamous
Extermination Order in October of that year.
Early years and family
Samuel Bogart was born in
Carter County, Tennessee, the son of Cornelius Bogart (1761–1809) and Elizabeth Moffett. Orphaned at the age of fifteen, Bogart enlisted in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, serving in Capt. Wm. McLeland's company, 7th Infantry. He fought at the
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the French ...
, then later in the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...
in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, where he served as a Major in the Illinois state militia.
Bogart was married to Rachel Hammer on 19 May 1818, in
Washington County, Tennessee, and had two sons and three daughters:
*1) Eliza Ann, born 15 November 1821 in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois; died 17 April 1917 in Caddo County, Oklahoma.
*2) Cornelius H. Bogart, born 10 March 1823, Morgan County, Illinois; died 3 December 1846 in Illinois.
*3) William Bogart, born 1826, Schuyler County, Illinois; died August 1828 in Schuyler County, Illinois.
*4) Jane Elizabeth Bogart, born 17 July 1832, McComb, Schuyler County, Illinois; died 14 April 1918 in Decatur, Wise County, Texas. She married Leroy Clement on 25 July 1846, in Fannin County, Texas. Son Lee Clement married Julia Clement August 24, 1883 in Whitesboro, Texas and had seven children.
*5) Margaret Ellen Bogart, born 29 Jan 1835, Ray County, Missouri; died 7 May 1906 in Weatherford, Parker County, Texas.
Opposition to the Mormons
Bogart relocated from Illinois to
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
in 1833, where he settled in rural Ray County in the northwestern part of the state. Here, he served as a farmer and itinerant Methodist minister, as well as the captain of his local
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
unit.
Peter Burnett
Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807May 17, 1895) was an American politician who served as the first elected Governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851. Burnett was elected Governor almost one year before California's ...
, a lawyer from Ray County who would later become the first
Governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
, wrote that Bogart was "not a very discreet man, and his men were pretty much of the same character".
During the fall of 1838, Bogart became involved in an ongoing dispute between members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The chu ...
, commonly known as "Mormons," and their non-Mormon neighbors in
Daviess County. Having been forcibly expelled from
Jackson County in 1833, the Mormons had migrated north to a county specially created for them by the legislature,
Caldwell
Caldwell may refer to:
People
* Caldwell (surname)
* Caldwell (given name)
* Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada
Places
Great Britain
* Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet
* Caldwell, East ...
. However, the influx of new Mormon converts into Missouri caused them to start settling in adjacent counties (including Daviess), which many older settlers felt they had no right to do. Fears arose that the Mormons would take control of all political offices in nearby counties, and this combined with prejudice and fears about the Mormons' economic practices, attitudes toward
Native Americans and slaves, and other factors to create an explosive situation by the fall of 1838.
Bogart first took an active role in anti-Mormon activities during a disturbance in
Carroll County, where Mormons had established a settlement called
De Witt, in violation of an alleged agreement with non-Mormons not to settle in that county. No written agreement to this effect was ever produced, but this did not stop renegade Missouri militiamen from laying siege to the Mormon settlement from October 1 to October 10, 1838. When General
Hiram Parks
Hiram may refer to:
People
* Hiram (name)
Places
* Hiram, Georgia
** Hiram High School, Hiram, Georgia
* Hiram, Maine
* Hiram, Missouri
* Hiram, Ohio
** Hiram College, a private liberal arts college located in Hiram, Ohio
***Hiram Terriers, th ...
arrived with militia troops—Bogart and his company among them—to restore order, Bogart and his unit immediately sided with the anti-Mormon mob, refusing to obey General Parks' orders to such a point that Parks had to order them back to Ray County to prevent them from joining the vigilantes. Parks unsuccessfully endeavored to have Bogart expelled from the State Guard for his insubordination.
Following a fight between Mormons and non-Mormons during a county election in
Gallatin, county seat of Daviess County, Bogart impetuously called out his militia unit, ostensibly to prevent an imminent invasion of Ray County by the Latter Day Saints. No such invasion was actually contemplated, but Bogart decided to act aggressively against the Mormons, anyway. He marched his company to the Caldwell County line, picking up volunteers along the way, then obtained permission from his new superior, General
David Atchison, to "range the line" between the two counties to prevent any invasion of Ray County. However, Bogart and his men decided that the defensive posture ordered by Atchison was not to their liking, and so they divided into smaller units and proceeded to disarm Mormons living first in northern Ray County, then in southern Caldwell, as well. Though clearly exceeding his original mandate, Bogart continued to harass and threaten local Mormon settlers and even threatened to give
Far West Far West may refer to:
Places
* Western Canada, or the West
** British Columbia Coast
* Western United States, or Far West
** West Coast of the United States
* American frontier, or Far West, Old West, or Wild West
* Far West (Taixi), a term used ...
—county seat of Caldwell County, and the main Mormon settlement in Missouri—"thunder and lightning" if the Mormons did not leave the area forthwith. However, Mormon assertions that Bogart plundered Mormon farms and houses have not been substantiated by contemporary witnesses, according to Stephen LeSueur, a modern historian of this conflict. Nevertheless, lurid reports of alleged depredations by Bogart, who was already known for his vehemently anti-Mormon stance, were readily believed by Mormon leaders and historians.
Battle of Crooked River
![Battle of Crooked River](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Battle_of_Crooked_River.jpg)
On the afternoon of 24 October 1838, some of Bogart's men, operating independently of Bogart's main command, took two Mormon spies prisoner at a home where the Mormon "spy company" (a group of Mormons who had been assembled to scout the movements of Bogart and other anti-Mormon vigilantes in the area) was quartered. The two prisoners, after being threatened with death, were taken together with a third prisoner to Bogart's camp on the
Crooked River, in northern Ray County, where they were interrogated and further threatened by Bogart's men. Other Mormons living in the house were warned that they would be killed if they had not vacated the county by morning, and they took news of the spies' capture to
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...
and other Mormon leaders in Far West. Although Bogart apparently intended only to hold his prisoners overnight and then release them the next day, the Mormons in Far West believed that he intended to execute them, and accordingly resolved upon a rescue operation.
Led by Mormon
apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
David W. Patten
David Wyman Patten (November 14, 1799 – October 25, 1838) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was killed at the Battle of Crooked River and is regarded as a martyr ...
, a unit of Mormon militia from Caldwell County crossed into Ray County early in the morning of 25 October, and attacked Bogart's sleeping men at approximately 3 am in their camp alongside the river. A savage fight ensued, resulting in the deaths of three Mormons (including Apostle Patten) and seven wounded, to one dead and six wounded for Bogart's company. The Mormons rescued their hostages and drove Bogart from the field; however, when exaggerated accounts of the battle reached Missouri governor
Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Williams Boggs (December 14, 1796March 14, 1860) was the sixth Governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1840. He is now most widely remembered for his interactions with Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell, and Missouri Executive Order 44, known b ...
(a notorious anti-Mormon), the governor responded by issuing his infamous "
Extermination Order," which directed that the Mormons be "exterminated, or driven from the state"; the State Guard was directed to carry out this order.
Following the Crooked River battle, Bogart (who had survived unscathed) took part in the Missouri militia siege of Far West, which resulted in the final surrender of the Latter Day Saints and their agreement to leave Missouri completely. During the subsequent preliminary hearing before Judge
Austin King of Ray County, Bogart and his men were detailed to guard Joseph Smith and other high-ranking Mormon prisoners, as well as those witnesses assembled to testify in their behalf. Bogart and his men intimidated the Mormon leaders and witnesses, even threatening to shoot them on more than one occasion. Following the conclusion of the hearing and the confinement of the Mormon leaders at the
jail
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
in
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
, Missouri, Bogart commenced a search for any Mormons who had participated in the attack on him at Crooked River, intending to shoot any that he might find; he was unsuccessful in this effort, however. Later, after the Mormons and their leaders (who had been permitted to escape from custody) had relocated to
Nauvoo, Illinois, Bogart wrote a letter to the postmaster at nearby
Quincy, Illinois; he described the Crooked River battle, and named nine alleged participants whom he asked the postmaster's help in locating and apprehending, together with property he claimed the Mormons had stolen from him. No record exists as to whether Bogart ever recovered any of his alleged belongings.
Move to Texas and later years
Following the conclusion of the Mormon War, Bogart was involved in an altercation with fellow-citizen Alexander Beattie during a militia election, during which Bogart shot and killed Beattie, then fled to Texas with a thousand-dollar bounty on his head. He settled in
Washington County, where he joined the
Texas Rangers and became a company commander in that organization. While in the Rangers, Bogart participated in the abortive
Mier Expedition in 1842–43 into
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, which resulted in the infamous "black bean" incident, where seventeen Texans were executed after drawing black beans in a random death lottery instituted by orders of Mexican President
Santa Anna Santa Anna may refer to:
* Santa Anna, Texas, a town in Coleman County in Central Texas, United States
* Santa Anna, Starr County, Texas
* Santa Anna Township, DeWitt County, Illinois, one of townships in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. ...
. Bogart survived his experiences in Mexico, and upon his return to Texas in 1844, settled down in
Collin County. Here he would serve four two-year terms in the
state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
, including one as a
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
.
Bogart was never brought to justice for his murder of Beattie, nor for any of the depredations he had committed against the Mormons in Missouri.
Bogart resigned from the Texas legislature in 1861 on account of ill health, after signing the Texas ordinance of
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
. He died on 11 March 1861, and is buried in Collin County in an unmarked grave.
Major Samuel A. Bogart
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bogart, Samuel
1797 births
1861 deaths
1838 Mormon War
History of the Latter Day Saint movement
American people of the Black Hawk War
United States Army personnel of the War of 1812
People from Carter County, Tennessee
People from Collin County, Texas
Religious leaders from Missouri
Texas state senators
Members of the Texas House of Representatives
People from Ray County, Missouri