1844.

GREAT FLOOD OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

975

In 1821, another State bank, with a capital of half a million, was chartered, to be managed by the legislature. This went into operation with but little or no real capital, so that its notes were soon at an enormous discount, and it failed. In February, 1835, a third State bauk was formed, with a capital of a million and a half, which in 1837 was increased to three and a half millions of dollars. This institution survived till January, 1843, when the legislature was forced to close its doors   its bills being worth about fifty cents on the dollar.*

In June of this year there occurred a rise of the Missouri and 1844.] the middle section of the Mississippi rivers, which far exceeded all former floods of these rivers, ever known or spoken of either in history or even romantic tradition. Many plantations on the former river were rendered useless for years, by tbe heavy deposit of alluvion, and fences and property of great value were carried away.

On the Mississippi, the greatest damage was done on the American bottom, between the mouths of the Missouri and Kaskaskia rivers, where a large area of land of au average width of over six miles was submerged, so that steamboats were navigating over it for a number of days. The ancient town of Kaskaskia was submerged several feet, which calamity was a further drawback to the prosperity of the place. The more ancient hamlet of Cahokia was almost depopulated, and several settlements along the bank of the river were for the time broken up. The suffering aud damage caused by the flood, were enormous.

On the 27th of June, 1844, Joseph Smith, the founder and leader of that remarkable system, called Mormonism, was killed by an armed mob at Carthage, Illinois. Smith was born in Vermont, about 1807, and reared in New York; his education was imperfect, and his family are said to have been superstitious. "When about fifteen or sixteen years old he began to see visions, which continued through some seven years. At length, on the 22d of September, 1827, the " records " upon which Mormonism rests, were delivered to the prophet.

"These records," says Cowdrey, "were engraved on plates which had the appearance of gold.   Each plate was not far from seven

*Seo on Illinois Banks, Brown's History, 428 to 441.