--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1840 to 1841. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 2 number: 8 published: 1841-02-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“An Ordinance organizing the Nauvoo Legion.,” *Times and Seasons* 2, no. 8 (February 15, 1841): 321–322." printed_title: An Ordinance organizing the "Nauvoo Legion." source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-02-15_2_8 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v2n08.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-02-15_2_8 start_page: 321 end_page: 322 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1841 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-02-15_2_8 publication_year: 1841 --- # An Ordinance organizing the “Nauvoo Legion.” Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Nauvoo, That the inhabitants of the City of Nauvoo, and such citizens of Hancock county as may unite by voluntary enrollment, be, and they are hereby organized into a body of independent military men, to be called the "Nauvoo Legion," as contemplated in the 25th section of "An act to incorporate the City of Nauvoo," approved, December 16, 1840. Sec. 2. The Legion shall be, and is hereby, divided into two Cohorts,-the horse troops to constitute the first Cohort, and the foot troops to constitute the second Cohort. Sec. 3. The general officers of the Legion shall consist of a Lieutenant General, as the chief commanding and reviewing officer, and President of the Court Martial, and Legion; a Major General, as the second in command of the Legion, the Secretary of the Court Martial, and Legion, and Adjutant and Inspector General; a Brigadier General, as commander of the first Cohort; and a Brigadier General, as commander of the second Cohort. Sec. 4. The staff of the Lieutenant General shall consist of two principal Aids-de-camp, with the rank of Colonels of Cavalry, and a guard of twelve Aids-de-Camp, with the rank of Captains of Infantry, and a Drill Officer with the rank of Colonel of Dragoons, who shall likewise be the chief officer of the guard. Sec. 5. The staff of the Major General shall consist of an adjutant, a Surgeon-in-Chief, a Cornet, a Quarter Master, a Pay-Master, a Commissary, and a Chaplain, with the rank of Colonels of Infantry; a Surgeon for each Cohort, a Quarter Master Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and Chief Musician, with the rank of Captains of Light Infantry; and two Musicians, with the rank of Captains of Infantry. Sec. 6. The staff of each Brigadier General shall consist of one Aaid-de-Camp [Aid-de-Camp] with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry; provided that the said Brigadiers shall have access to the staff of the Major General when not otherwise in service. Sec. 7. No officer shall hereafter be elected by the various companies of the Legion, except upon the nomination of the court Martial, and it is hereby made the duty of the Court Martial to nominate at least two candidates for each vacant office, whenever such vacancies occur. Sec. 8. The Court Martial shall fill and supply all offices ranking between Captains and Brigadiers general by granting brevet commissions to the most worthy company officers of the line, who shall thereafter take rank and command according to the date of their brevets; provided that their original place in the line shall not thereby be vacated. Section 9. The court Martial consisting of all the military officers, commissioned or entitled to commissions, within the limits of the City corporation shall meet at the office of Joseph Smith, on Thursday the 4th day of February 1841, at 10 o'clock A. M. and then, and there, proceed to elect the general officers of the Legion as contemplated in the 3rd section of this ordinance. 10. The Court Martial shall adopt for the Legion, as nearly as may be, and so far as applicable, the dicipline [discipline], drill, uniform, rules and regulations, of the United States Army. Sec. 11. This ordinance shall take effect, and be in force, from and after its passage. Passed, Eeb. [Feb.] 3rd, A. D. 1841. JOHN C. BENNETT, Mayor. James Sloan, Recorder.