St. Louis, Baby!

St. Louis was a hoot. We only stayed there about 24 hours but it was enough to see the arch and go to the museum. There was an Obama convention at the hotel we were going to stay at so we switched hotels. (I'm sure he didn't miss us).

Carthage Jail

The gardens at Carthage are amazing. As you can tell by Oakley's hair and face, it was very hot and humid. Awful for people, wonderful for flowers.

An outside look at the window Joseph fell out of after he was shot.

If you look closely you can see the actual bullet holes in the door.

The window that Joseph fell out of after he was shot. There was an amazing feeling of peace and serenity in that room.

On 27 June 1844, four men were held in the jail's upper bedroom: Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Dr. Willard Richards. They noticed a large group of men with disguised faces and guns rush toward the jail. The four men tried to hold the door against the mob, but Hyrum was immediately shot and killed. The mob forced the door open just as Joseph turned to leap out of the window, perhaps to distract attention from his friends. He was shot twice in the back and twice in the chest as he fell from the second-story window. John Taylor was shot four times but miraculously survived. Willard Richards escaped without even a hole in his clothing. The Saints in Nauvoo grieved the loss of Joseph and Hyrum but remained at Nauvoo for almost two more years.

A statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith outside the jail that sealed their fates.