Introduction:
Misfire

On an island in the middle of Lake Michigan, a man was walking through the crowd. He had a look that set him apart from those around him- he had a bushy beard, a receding hairline, and a pair of the most piercing eyes. He was wearing simple clothes, though he wore a somewhat gaudy red sash- one of the few swatches of color in this conservatively dressed assembly. He carried himself with the grace and airs of a monarch- for that was what he was.

This man was James J. Strang, King of the Kingdom of God on Earth, and the leader of a dissident branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He had been invited by the captain of the USS Michigan, the flagship (and arguably only effective vessel) of the Great Lakes Patrol, for a visit. This was not the first time that Strang had been aboard the Michigan. In 1851,he had been arrested and taken to trial aboard the vessel; and soon after his acquittal, he was returned to his island “kingdom” aboard that same ship. Strang had no idea what was expected of him today- perhaps the captain (a rugged sailor named McBlair) wanted to question him about some bit of timber piracy; perhaps he simply wanted to assert some authority over the “monarch”.

Little did he suspect the real reason- Strang was being drawn in to a trap.

The island king had made several enemies in his time. As a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives, Strang had attacked the sale of liquor to Native Americans- this earned him the ire of many who had profited from such endeavors. His wielding of complete religious authority made several hate him, as did his unorthodox pronouncements (such as proclaiming women of his faith could only wear bloomers). Yet others detested him for his near-tyrannical reign over the island’s inhabitants, encoring his dictates with punishments such as flogging.

Strang was well aware that he had enemies, but he had a firm belief that God would protect him. To demonstrate that faith, Strang would neither carry a weapon with him or employ a bodyguard.

This played into the plans of four dissidents, who believed that they had found the perfect time to strike and achieve revenge for perceived wrongs that Strang had committed against them. Strang would never have suspected that among them were members of his own Kingdom.

One of these traitors was Thomas Bedford, who was resentful for a flogging that he had received for adultery. He was joined by Dr. H.D. McCulloch, who, after enjoying the favor of Strang, had been excommunicated for drunkenness. These two men, disillusioned and deciding to conspire against their former leader, joined forces with two “gentiles”- Alexander Wentworth and Dr. J. Atkyn, who had attempted (unsuccessfully) to blackmail the followers of Strang into paying off certain debts they owed. These four men believed their mutual problems and hatred could be solved in one simple step- remove Strang, and let the whole “rotten structure” collapse.

During their plotting, they had contacted Captain McBlair, and asked him to become an accomplice. This was an easy task, for McBlair already had a deep hatred for Strang, whom he strongly suspected was heavily engaged in timber piracy. The plan was simple- McBlair would invite Strang to his vessel, and at the dock, Wentworth and Bedford would attack him with pistols (as they were the best shots of the group) and then escape onto the Michigan. They had managed to conceal the plan from Strang and his loyalists for weeks- and today was the day appointed to strike.

As Strang approached the Michigan and raised a hand in salutation to the Captain (who, with his crew, stood along the railing), Bedford and Wentworth emerged from the crowd and pointed their revolvers at Strang’s back. Bedford pulled the trigger first- but no bullet came out. Wentworth did the same- but nothing happened. The two conspirators frantically tried to adjust their weapons, while the crowd, at first horrified, began to transform into a mob. The Strangite loyalists among them tried to attack the two men, while a few gentiles present did their best to defend them. They were soon overwhelmved, but not before Bedford managed to raise his pistol one more time- only to have another misfire.

Strang, who, at the sound of the crowd’s initial gasp, had turned around and stared down his two attackers, watched rather impassivly as the two men and their few defenders were quickly subdued. He turned to Captain McBlair, who was staring in disbelief at this unexpected turn of events, raised his hand a second time, and informed the Captain that “he would be unable to keep his appointment at this time.” McBlair cast off, despite the shouted protests of the two conspirators, who asked for him to come to their aid.

The game was up for the two men, and the stage was set for one of the strangest chapters in American history- a twenty-two year epic of court cases, pitched battles, piracy, feuds, and conspiracy, centered around the enigmatic figure of James J. Strang.
 
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Chapter One, Part One:
Trial

As the USS Michigan sailed away, Wentworth, Bedford, and the few men that had come to their defense were dragged off to what passed for a jail on the island. There, they were cast into a small cell, and, with a posted guard, left there until nightfall. Loyalist’s of Strang stood outside the jail, armed to the teeth, facing a band of gentiles that arrived shortly after word was spread of the incident. The gentiles, also armed, were fewer in number than the Strangites, but they had the courage that is given to men when they consume alcohol.

Led by a rather bury fisherman named Peter Jennings, the gentile mob ranted and raved, demanding the release of the men inside the jail. The Strangites held firm, refusing to back down. Hings may have come to a head then and there, but as time wore on and the Strangites refused to budge or fire the first shot, the mob slowly dispersed, disappointed in a lack of action.

That night, Bedford was taken from the cell (while the other, gentile members of the conspiracy were left inside), and taken to a wooded section of the island. There, he was tied to a tree and savagely flogged. This was his second flogging, so he was somewhat used to the pain-witnesses recalled that he stood there “at the beginning and toke the blows without flynching (sic).” However, after initially standing firm to the flogging, things changed when Strang himself arrived on the scene.

Strang, witnesses say, strode up to Bedford and calmly asked him why he had tried to kill him. Bedford responded by cursing Strang and calling him a fraud. Strang, with the same dignity he had exhibited earlier that day, ordered the flogging to continue until he was willing to talk. About sixty lashes later, an extremely pained Bedford screamed that it was Dr. McCulloch’s idea. Strang, satisfied with this response, ordered Bedford cut down and returned to the cell, while also taking several of his men to search for McCulloch.

McCulloch and his fellow “Doctor”, Atkyn, as soon as they had heard that things had gone sideways, rushed to pack up and attempt to escape from Beaver Island. McCulloch had a small boat that he had concealed on a little-used beach, and Atkyn and he planned to use that vessel. However, McCulloch and Atkyn were discovered by Strang and his band just as they prepared to cast off. Ignoring the order to halt, Atkyn gave a powerful stroke of the oars, only for a shot to ring out and for him to collapse. McCulloch tried to reach for the oars, but the delay allowed for Strang’s men to wade in and reach the vessel.

Hit over the head with the butt of a rifle, McCulloch was hauled in to the same jail cell that held Bedford, Wentworth, and the other suspected conspirators. There, they waited a tense hour or so, while Strang and a few members of his inner circle held an impromptu trial in an adjoining office.

In this trial, the men accused were not allowed to speak in their defense, and the sentence was a foregone conclusion. Strang, attempting to avoid possible incrimination, encouraged his followers to swear an oath to not reveal his involvement in the proceedings of that evening. As oaths were the most sacred aspect of the Strangite religion, he was confident that none of them would say anything to incriminate him. Strang returned to his home, and the “court” sent for the prisoners- and several feet of rope.

Sometime in the early morning hours of June 17, 1856, Wentworth, Bedford, McCulloch, and three other men were lynched by a vigilante band of Strangites. Their bodies were not left up, as in other cases of lynching, but were fairly quickly cut down and cast into the waters of the lake, weighted down with a substantial stone.

This was the first example of extra-judicial killing of this violent period, and it marked a change in Strang’s temperament. The attempted assassination, while reaffirming his faith that he was, indeed, God’s chosen monarch of His Kingdom on Earth, made Strang intensly paranoid. He believed that this conspiracy went even further than the four men. His blame eventually came to rest upon the gentile population of Beaver Island- it was obvious that they were plotting something against him and his people.

This certainty would lead into the first feud of this time- the Jennings Feud.
 
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Chapter One, Part Two:
The Purge

With the immediate threat of assassination eliminated, with the bodies of his would-be killers at the bottom of the lake, James Strang’s paranoia was such that it would not be satisfied with the idea that this was a small conspiracy. No, the idea that four men who had grievances had collaborated to carry out this dastardly mission made no sense. Why would petty hatred and jealousy move a man to strike at the monarch of God’s Kingdom? Surely, there was more; more individuals were in the grip of this Satanic Plot. If Strang wished for his Kingdom to survive, he would have to strike hard and he would have to strike fast.

The first part of this plan was to purify the faithful of any sinful urge to harm Strang and the Kingdom. A series of sermons were held, were Strang (noted for his eloquent speaking) urged those who held hard feelings against him to forgive him, “for,” said he, “I am but a man, and a poor vessel for God’s Holy Work.” No one stepped forward, but it had the effect of reinforcing his rather charismatic and open persona among his more faithful followers. What effect, if any, it had on those that were somewhat dissatisfied with his reign is unknown.

As this did not have the intended result of identifying those who had hard feelings toward him, and preventing him from making amends (or taking action), Strang undertook a more hardline approach. Relying on trusted members who relayed information about the sinful behavior of less-zealous members, Strang organized a band that would travel under the cover of darkness and punish the most grievous sinners. There were floggings for adulterers, there were beatings for drunks, and a host of other punishments for other sins. Strang reasoned that if he attempted to root out sinners within his own ranks, he would be able to cut off any further attempts on his life originating from the Kingdom.

This reign of terror did manage to quell some measure of dissent, but it created a bit of a rift in the Strangite community. Several families, who felt that they were likely targets, attempted to either leave the island or gather together for protection. A few took shots at the “mob” that came to enforce Strang’s dictates, while others barricaded themselves in and refused to come out. Strang had not anticipated this reaction, and this set his paranoid mind down another track of reasoning.

What if, he wondered, these groups united with the gentiles to overthrow him? Ever mistrustful of the gentile community on Beaver Island, Strang came to believe that they were responsible for arming and aiding not only those resisting his purification efforts, but also those who had attempted to kill him. By taking the gentiles out of the picture, Strang would be able to establish full control over the Kingdom and create an environment where God’s Word and Strang’s authority would not be questioned.

For several days, Strang and his closest advisors plotted ways to drive out the gentile community of Beaver Island; some, who had been members of the original Church under Joseph Smith for some time, believed that a hard line had to be taken, as this would be God’s punishment on the gentiles for the crimes committed in Missouri and Illinois. Strang came to agree with them, and a plot was soon hatched to force the gentiles from the island and ensure that it would be completely under Strang’s control.

To this end, Strang began to bring his followers on the mainland back onto the island, somewhat boosting his numbers. He and his officer’s began to train makeshift militias in the woods at night, preparing for the day appointed (October 1st). A sense of foreboding overshadowed the island, as some gentiles, feeling that something big was coming, banded together to from their own militias. Others took the chance to flee for the mainland, knowing that with their numbers on the island as they were, they would be unable to fend off any attempt made by Strang.

On October 1st, having spent the night in prayer and recieing the blessing of God for their work, the Strangite militia began the purge of Beaver Island. Going from house to house, both of those Strangites who had resisted their entreaties earlier and the gentile population, the Strangites broke in, forced the inhabitants out, and “requisitioned” property. Many people were beaten; some were tarred and feathered. At least two men who resisted boldly were shot. When the gentile’s militia attempted to gather, Strang’s followers fired a cannon at them, scattering them.

By October 3rd, after an orgy of violence, the remaining gentiles and those Strangites who had chosen not to repent were loaded on two leaky fishing boats and sent to the mainland. Some went to the authorities, who promised to make an investigation of the incident; but Strang, who had been conspicuously absent from the proceedings (in order to avoid incrimination), had his pocket-controlled county sheriff investigate the situation.* The sheriff determined that the reports were greatly exaggerated, though he did fine three men $1,25 for disorderly conduct. Hands tied by legal proceedings, and blocked by Strang’s allies in the State Legislature (for, despite his odd religion and his somewhat erratic behavior, Strang had a surprisingly amount of clout in that body), the authorities back off.

Many of the disappointed exiles chose to start new lives elsewhere, but one man in particular refused. This was burly fisherman Peter Jennings, who had led a mob that had sought to free Strang’s would-be assassins. Jennings was furious at the inaction of the state and local authorities, and was determined to “see Strang to his berth in Hell.” Using familial connections, as well as his own rough charm, Jennings found other like-minded individuals in coastal communities around Lake Michigan. He was surprised at the large amount of men who readily volunteered to strike at Strang’s people; by January of 1857, he had the support of between 1,250 to 1,750 men. These were fishermen, timber pirates, legitimate lumberjacks, dirt farmers, other vagabonds who were attracted by rumors of a treasure that Strang had buried on the island itself.

These “Re-Conquistadors” as they termed themselves were prepared to take Beaver Island from this “Marmon Cult”, though Strang himself was equally prepared to hold his Kingdom…


* Beaver Island and its surrounding islands were, at the time, their own county This county was dominated by Strangites, and was seen as little more than an extension of Strang’s political influence.
 
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