Can Anybody Help Me Understand Elder G. J. Adams?

[Uncle Dale]

From 1840 to 1845 he was a rather important and

highly respected member -- a New England LDS

leader -- sometimes called the "13th Apostle."

 

George Jones Adams -- aka George J W Adams.

 

But I hardly know anything about him -- and I distrust

the reliability of much of what has been written about

the guy.

 

I'm particularly interested in knowing about his first

wife, Caroline, who acted with Brigham Young and

others in the 1844 stage play "Pizzaro" in Nauvoo.

 

Then there was his second wife Louise (Pratt?)

who was a temperance lecturer, even while he

was sinking into ever worse alcoholism. What

was her story?

 

Does anybody have any info (or even access to

the early church members database)?

 

UD

 

[mapman]

I don't know if you've seen this already, but there's an article about him in the New England Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 4 called "Prophet in Zion: The Saga of George J. Adams."

[Uncle Dale]

I don't know if you've seen this already, but there's an article about him in the New England Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 4 called "Prophet in Zion: The Saga of George J. Adams."

 

 

Yeah -- that is one of the better sources -- at least it contains

some verifiable details.

 

Here is what grabbed my interest -- and what I'm hoping somebody

has looked into:

 

(Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier)

Volume 14

Dale Morgan on the Mormons:

Collected Works, Part 1; Parts 1939-1951

 

[422-423]

 

#19

Traveling Theatre Royal, Late from Beaver Island. Adams' New Drama. The Famous Original Five Act Drama,

"Improving the Household," by Mr. G. J. Adams, Author, Manager and Star Actor

(Saint James: Cooper & Chidester. 1850)

5-column broadside. [hostile satirical pseudograph] 55.2 x 36.9 cm.

This devastating broadside would seem to be the very first issue of the Beaver Island press. Its

existance had gone entirely unsuspected before a copy was turned up in the summer of 1850 by

Mr. Lindley Eberstadt. Evidently it was published by Strang as a rejoinder to the proceedings

at Mackinac [Michigan], October 26-28, 1850, where he had been tried on charges of

threatening the life of Adams' wife, Louisa. The history of this quarrel between Adams

and Strang was thus described: a few weeks later, in the first issue of the Northern Islander:

"G. J. Adams, last winter. became acquainted with a woman of indifferent fame in Boston,

by the name of Louisa Pray, alias Louisa Cogswell, whom he took to Baltimore and

introduced to his family and friends as a wealthy widow just returning from a large estate

in Charleston, South Carolina. In April he appeared at Beaver with Miss Pray as Mrs.

Adams, alledging that his wife, who was known to be far gone with consumption, was

dead, and he married to the rich widow. Soon the fact transpired that he had sent Mrs.

Adams to New Jersey, and abandoned her. The regular acts of discipline were taken in

the premises, and went on step by step until Mr. Adams lost his standing in the church.

In the mean time his real wife, who was a most excellent and amiable lady, died. He left

here for Mackinac, breathing vengeance on the Mormons in general, and the prophet

in particular." -- Adams returned to Beaver Island October 20 with a writ against Strang

charging him with having threatened the life of Mrs. Adams. Strang evaded service but

went on his own account to Mackinac. In the court proceedings there, so the _Islander_

declared, "Adams testified that he had no wife but this, and had not had for many years.

But when Mr. Strang pressed him hard concerning his real wife, whom he had lived with

some fifteen years down till last March, and who died in August, Mr. Justice [Charles]

O'Malley abruptly closed the examination of the witness."

Although the broadside bears no date or place of publication, it must have been printed

shortly after Strang's return to Beaver Island in November, 1850, and it may have been

intended primarily for the Saints on the island, since the originals of the documents it

contained were declared to be available "at the place of publication, for the inspection of

literary connoiseurs." Attacking Adams at one of his most vulnerable points, his proclivity

for the stage, the broadside is made up of five letters dealing with his tangled marital affairs,

each constituting one act in this "famous original five act drama,"

 

Act First is "The great tragedian's anonymous letter accusing his wife of being a drunkard,

and scolding her for not dying sooner."

 

Act Second is "The rich widow's anonymous letter endorsing her own excellent and amiable

character."

 

Act Third is "The great tragedian in ill luck. Imposture exposed. Discovery on the testimony

of the woman herself that his wife was not dead."

Act Fourth is "The catastrophe. Letter of Mrs. Margaret Duff [[apparently Adams' sister]]

to Mr. G. J. Adams. Death of Mrs. Adams."

 

Act Fifth is "The after piece. Sorrow of the great tragedian, not for the dead, but the living.

The strong minded man growing gray. Jealous of DR. AKENSIDE. Asking his friend to peep

behind the scenes."

 

This last letter is from Adams to Strang himself, dated Dark Co., Twin Township, Ohio, Aug. 14, 1850,

written in his most extravagant vein: "James!! I love!! Louisa!!! My _Dear Wife!!!! Yes love

her to_ MADNESS." The letter asks Strang to watch over Louisa and keep her pure and inviolate:

"She must Not be ruined, one in particular I Mean a _tall man under the Garb of friendship,_ if

he Suckceeds I am a lost ruined undone Man."

 

With his polished irony Strang adds some closing remarks concerning "the great tragedian and

his talented assistant," and aims a gibe at Charles O'Malley, the justice of the peace with whom

he had lately contended at Mackinac.

 

 

?????

 

UD

[volgadon]

Uncle Dale, I am sending you a private message.