Porter Rockwell: heroic saint or destroying angel?

[_Livingstone22]

Not too long ago I saw a new book being advertised from Deseret Book about Orrin Porter Rockwell--portraying him as an admirable figure of LDS church history. I was very much under the impression throughout my church-going days that this man was a terrible person--even a murderer. I thought this position was even held by members of the church; I was shocked. So, just the other day, I was talking to an admirer of him who said that I had been mistaken by rumors that were fabricated by enemies of the church. So, what's the deal with Porter Rockwell? What is his legacy?

"Porter Rockwell was that most terrible instrument that can be handled by fanaticism; a powerful physical nature welded to a mind of very narrow perceptions, intense convictions, and changeless tenacity. In his build he was a gladiator; in his humor a Yankee lumberman; in his memory a Bourbon; in his vengeance an Indian. A strange mixture, only to be found on the American continent" (Fitz Hugh Ludlow, 1870).

[_Polygamy Porter]

In the eyes of the deceived and their deceivers(Mormon membership) if Rockwell was doing the killing for the lord then it does not matter.

Hell, look what the Nephi dude did in their fantasy novel the Book of Mormon. He hacked off the head of a poor helpless drunken man, and the members have no problems telling the story to their kids.

[_Mercury]

Not too long ago I saw a new book being advertised from Deseret Book about Orrin Porter Rockwell--portraying him as an admirable figure of LDS church history. I was very much under the impression throughout my church-going days that this man was a terrible person--even a murderer. I thought this position was even held by members of the church; I was shocked. So, just the other day, I was talking to an admirer of him who said that I had been mistaken by rumors that were fabricated by enemies of the church. So, what's the deal with Porter Rockwell? What is his legacy?

"Porter Rockwell was that most terrible instrument that can be handled by fanaticism; a powerful physical nature welded to a mind of very narrow perceptions, intense convictions, and changeless tenacity. In his build he was a gladiator; in his humor a Yankee lumberman; in his memory a Bourbon; in his vengeance an Indian. A strange mixture, only to be found on the American continent" (Fitz Hugh Ludlow, 1870).

He represented a public face of the secret combinations that made up Joseph Smiths enforcement caste, a gestapo-like group of "rightfully violent" members of the priesthood that shook down those who could be intimidated. The danites, the Whistling/whittling brigade, etc. Rockwell stands out because instead of intimidating farmers and businessmen he foolishly tried to assassinate a US Govt representative. This alone spells what kind of men these Mormons were. Porter was a very well connected assassin for the bumbling confidence man, and these orders from joe to Rockwell to asassinate Boggs constitute a justified hanging.[/img]

[_Doctor Steuss]

in my opinion, it’s hard to tell whether he was a Saint or a Satanic Sadist. There are so many embellished accounts (both from the Mormon side and the non-Mormon side) that it makes it quite difficult to separate the man from the mythology. Compound that with the fact that OPR didn’t keep a journal, and he’s a bit of a hard character to pin down.

The best two books I’ve read on him are “Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God Son of Thunder” by Benita N Schindler, and one by Richard Lloyd Dewey (I believe titled “Orrin Rockwell: A Biography"). The Dewey biography does a good job at dispelling some of the myths, but at the same time, he has the habit of “imagining” OPR into a lot of situations that there isn’t any evidence for. It’s still worth picking up though for the information it provides on the Utah War. If you’re only looking to buy one though, I’d go with the Schindler book.

[_Blixa]

“Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God Son of Thunder” by Benita N Schindler.

Steuss! I know you're into man crushes and all, but now you've gone too far: changing Hal Schlinder's gender! As the poor man is dead, perhaps this is some new and nefarious form of post-mortal baptism? Is this new doctrine or a policy of your own revelation? Are we witnessing the birth of yet another lds splinter sect? "The Church of Jesus Man Crush (Stuessite)" ?

All LOL-ing aside, Harold Schlinder's book on Rockwell is very good. I'm not familiar with the newer Dewey bio.

I have run across mention of Rockwell in two western folk ballads (I've been researching "murder ballads,"). I found the first in Utahn Olive Burt's American Murder Ballads (she aslo has an article on "Mormon Murder Ballads"), and the second comes from an old book called "Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads" that I downloaded via Google Book Search.

Here they are:

(as Burt points out, Rockwell's war cry was "Wheat!," signifying that the tares were expendable.")

Old Port Rockwell

Old Port Rockwell has work to do,
So he saddles his sorrel and rides away;
And those who are watching wonder who
Will be a widow at break of day.
The waiting wife in the candle light,
Starts up as she hears a wild hoof-beat,
Then shrinks in terror as down the night,
Comes the wailing of Port’s dread war cry, “Wheat!”

Wheat!
She looks at her babes and tries to pray,
For she knows she’s a widow and orphans they.

Old Port Rockwell looks like a man,
With a beard on his face and his hair in a braid,
But there’s none in the West but Brigham who can
Look in his eyes and not be afraid.
For Port is a devil in human shape
Though he calls himself “Angel,” says vengeance is sweet;
But he’s black, bitter death, and there’s no escape
When he wails through the night his dread war cry, “Wheat!”

Wheat!
Somewhere a wife with her babes kneels to pray
For she knows she’s widow and orphans are they.



The Mormon Bishop’s Lament

I am a Mormon bishop and I will tell you what I know,
I joined the confraternity some forty years ago.
I then had youth upon my brow and eloquence my tongue,
But I had the sad misfortune then to meet with Brigham Young.

He said, “Young man, come join our band and bid hard work farewell,
You are too smart to waste your time in toil by hill and dell;
There is a ripening harvest and our hooks shall find the fool,
And in the distant nations we shall train them in our school.”

I listened to his preaching and I learned all the role,
And the truth of Mormon doctrine burned deep within my soul.
I married sixteen women and I spread my new belief,
I was sent to preach the gospel to the pauper and the thief.

Twas in the glorious days when Brigham was our only Lord and King,
And his wild cry of defiance from the Wasatch tops did ring.
Twas when that bold Bill Hickman and that Porter Rockwell led,
And in the blood atonements the pits received the dead.

They took in Dr. Robertson and left him in his gore,
And the Aiken brothers sleep in peace on Nephi’s distant shore.
We marched to Mountain Meadows and on that glorious field,
With rifle and with hatchet we made man and woman yield.

Twas there we were victorious with our legions fierce and brave,
We left the butchered victims on the ground without a grave.
We slew the load of emigrants on Sublet’s lonely road
And plundered many a trader of his then most precious load.

Alas for all the powers that were in the bygone time,
What we did as deeds of glory are condemned as bloody crime.
No more the blood atonements keep the doubting one in fear,
While the faithful were rewarded with a wedding once a year.

As the nation’s chieftain president says our days of rule are o’er,
And his marshals with their warrants are on watch at every door.
Old John he now goes skulking on the by-roads of our land,
Or unknown he keeps in hiding with the faithful of our band.

Old Brigham now is stretched beneath the cold and silent clay,
And the chieftains now are fallen that were mighty in their day.
Of the six and twenty women that I wedded long ago,
There are two now left to cheer me in these awful hours of woe.
The rest are scattered where the Gentiles’ flags unfurled,
And two score of my daughters are now numbered with the world.

Oh my poor old bones are aching and my head is turning grey,
Oh the scenes were black and awful that I’ve witnessed in my day.
Let my spirit seek the mansion where old Brigham’s gone to dwell,
For there’s no place for Mormons but the lowest pit of hell.


Sadly, I don't have music for either one of them...

[_Alter Idem]

Hi Livingstone, welcome to the board.

I read the book Dr. Steuss mentioned about Porter Rockwell; Man of god, Son of thunder. I would recommend it. As a lifelong member, I'd say the impression I had was mixed. I never thought he was "terrible" or a "murderer"...I knew that he killed people and he was "colorful"; However, he was in law enforcement and in his day and age, killing was definitely part of the job description.

The one story I always remember about him is that Joseph Smith promised Porter Rockwell that if he never cut his hair, his enemies could not harm him. He only cut his hair once--he gave it to a woman who'd lost all her hair so she could have a wig made of it. Then he let it grow out again.

[_Doctor Steuss]

“Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God Son of Thunder” by Benita N Schindler.

Steuss! I know you're into man crushes and all, but now you've gone too far: changing Hal Schlinder's gender! As the poor man is dead, perhaps this is some new and nefarious form of post-mortal baptism? Is this new doctrine or a policy of your own revelation? Are we witnessing the birth of yet another lds splinter sect? "The Church of Jesus Man Crush (Stuessite)" ?

All LOL-ing aside, Harold Schlinder's book on Rockwell is very good. I'm not familiar with the newer Dewey bio.
[...]

Groovy ballads! I recently found one on the Utah War. I don't have a copy of it here, but it's about Johnson and the "Mormon question" being bad for “indigestion.”

Are you sure that Harold Schindler wrote it? Has my memory gone that awry that I now must change the gender of authors in order to justify my man-crushes? I know that I love Teresa... err... Terryl Givens; but have I committed the unpardonable sin here? YIKES!

Please tell me it was at least a collaborative project between Harold and Bonita... I don't want to admit to being this dead wrong. I am sorry Mr. Harold... please spare me your wrath.


PS.
"The Church of Jesus Man Crush (Stuessite)" ?
LOL! I believe I might change your gender so I can have a man-crush on you.

[_Blixa]

Amazon and Alibris list only one author for Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God, Son of Thunder. Unfortunately I don't have a copy (looks like its out of print? damn!). It's been over 30 years since I last read it and spoke to Hal about it, but I don't remember a Benita (is that his wife's name?) involved.

I wish Hal were still alive, too. I recently started working on a small Utah history research project that I'm spinning my wheels on. The only person who seems to have ever written anything on it, and it was just a tiny newspaper article he did years ago for a Tribune Utah history series, was Hal. I suspect he could have answered my questions or pointed out where to look next for information. If I had only thought to work on this while he was alive!

[_Doctor Steuss]

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/087480440X

[_Blixa]

Well, I stand corrected. Wonder why that didn't come up when I looked there?

Anyway, since you showed me yours, here's mine. I actually hope I don't look too manly: