Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-05-08
That any sane person should rar


it higher than any other merely human
composition, is matter of the greatest as
constituent; yet it is received as divine by
some who dwell in enlightened New
England, and even by those who have
sustained the character of devoted Christ
lans. Learning recent y, that Mormon
ism has found its way into church in
Massachusetts, and has impregnated some
Of its members with its gross decisions,
so that accommodation has become ne
cessary, | am determined to delay no long
or doing what | can to strip the mask
from this monster of sin, and to lay open
this pit of abomnltions.
Rev. Solomon Spaulding. to whom |
was united in marriage in early life, was
a graduate of Dartmouth College, and
was distinguished for lively imagination
and great fondness for history At the
time of our marriage, he resided in Cher
ry Valley, n. Y. From this place we
removed to New Salem, Ashtabula coun-
Ity, Ohio; sometimes called Conneaut
Creek. Shortly after our removal to this
place, his health sunk, and he was laid
aside from active lahoFs In the town of
New Salem, there are numerous mounds
and forts, supposed by many TO be the d.
lapidated dwellings and Notifications of
race now extinct. These ancient relics
arrest the attention of the new settlers
and become objects of research for the Gu
rious. Numerous implements were found,
and other articles eyincing great skill in
the arts. MIR. SpauIding, being an edu-
Gated man and passionately fond Of histo-
ry, took a live V interest in these develope
ments of antiquity and in order to be-
guile the hours Of retirement and furnish
employment for his lively ina gination, he
conceived the idea of giving an historical
sketch Of that long lost race Their ex-
treme antiquity of course would lead him
10 write in the most ancient style, and as
the Old Testament is the most ancient
book in the world, he initiated it's style as
nearly as possible. His sole object in
, writing this historical romance was to
amuse himself and his neighbors This
was about the year 1912. HulPs sur
render at Detroit occurred near the same
time, and recollect the date well from
that circumstance. AS he progressed in
, his narrative, the neighbors would come
in from time to time to hear portions read
and great interest in the work was eX-
cited among them. II claimed to have
been written by one Of the lost nation,
and to have been recovered from the earth
and, assumed the title of Manuscript
Found The neighbors would often in
quire how Mr.. S. progressed in decipher-
ing the manuscript and when he had a
sufficient portion prepared he would in
form them, and they would assemble 10
hear it read He was enabled from his
y acquaintance with the classics and ancien
history to introduce many singular names
which were particularly noticed by the
g people and could be easily recognized b,
=, them. Mr. Solomon SpauIding had
:. brother. Mr. John Spaulding, residing il
- the place at the time, who was perfectI
y u familiar with this work and repeated,
- heard the whole of it read.
% From New Salem, we removed t.
IT Pittsburgh, Pa. Here MIR. S. found a
u acquaintance end friend, in the person c
Mr.. Patterson, an editor of a newspaper
- He exhibited his manuscript to Mr.. [
no who was very much pleased with it, an
~, borrowed it Tor perusal. He retained it
- long time and informed Mr.. S that if
wv would make out 4 title page and preface
" he would publish it and it might be
a source of profit. This Mr.. S. refused t
a do for reasons which cannot now stat
h. Sidney Rigdon, who has figured so larg
", lv in the history Of the Mormons, was
,re this time connected with the printing G
nd fee Of Mr. Patterson, as is we'll known
that region, and as Rigdon himself hi
frequently stated. Here he had amp
ns opportunity to become acquainted Wi
nat Mr.. Spauding's manuscript, and to cop
1t it if he chose. 1t was a matter of not
vas rietv and interest to all who were connee
MS ed with the printing establishment.
'c" length the manuscript was returned to i
author, and soon alter we removed to Al
ny, Washington county, Pa, where NJ
spauldioy died in 1916. The manuscri
len then fell into my hands and was earefu
of ly preserved. It has freq1ently been G
ate amined by ny daughter, Mrs. McKe
as strv, of Monson, Mass, with whom
sst- now reside, and by other friends. Aft
ing the Book Of Mormon came out, CO
his of it was taken to New Salem, the pIa
OF of Mr. Spaulding's former residence, a
the the very place where the SManuscr
arr, Found was written. A woman preac
the err appointed meeting there, and in t
nu- meeting read and repeated copious
ked tracts from the Book of Mormon I
rted historical part was Immediately recogn
lew ed Dy all the older inhabitants, as
uch identical work OF Mr. Spaulding, in VIII
IRIS, they had been so deeply interested We
n Il