SOLOMON SPAULDING, A RESIDENT OF CONNEAUT, THE REPUTED AUTHOR OF THE MORMON BIBLE.

Solomon Spaulding came to Conneaut to live in the year 1809, and shortly after began to write a book, claimed to be identical with the Golden Bible of the Mormons. We append the following statement of his brother, John Spaulding, copied from the work entitled “ Mormonism Unveiled,” written by E. D. Howe, of Painesville, Ohio :

“Solomon Spaulding was born in Ashford, Connecticut, in 1761, and in early life contracted a taste for literary pursuits. After he had left school, he entered Plainfield academy, where he made great proficiency in study and excelled most of his classmates. He next commenced the study of law in Windham county, in which he made little progress, having in the mean time turned his attention to religious subjects. He soon after entered Dartmouth college, with the intention of qualifying himself for the ministry, where he obtained the degree of A.M., and was regularly ordained. After preaching three or four years he gave it up, removed to Cherry Valley, New York, and commenced the mercantile business in company with his brother Jonah. In a few years he failed in business, and in 1809 removed to Conneaut, Ohio. In the year following I removed to Ohio, and found him engaged in building a forge. I made him a visit about three years after, and found that he had failed, and was considerably in debt. He then told me he had been writing a book, which he intended to have published, the avails of which, he thought, would enable him to pay his debts.

“ The book was entitled ‘ Manuscripts Found,’ of which he read to me many passages. It was an historical romance of the first settlers of America, endeavoring to show that the American Indians are the descendants of the Jews or lost tribes. It gave a detailed account of their journey from Jerusalem by land and sea, till they arrived in America under the command of Nephi and Lehi. They afterwards had quarrels and contentions, and separated into two distinct nations, one of which he denominated Nephites, and the other Lamonites. Cruel and bloody wars ensued, in which great multitudes were slain. They buried their dead in large heaps, which caused the mounds so common in this country. Their arts, sciences, and civilization were brought into view in order to account for all the curious antiquities found in various parts of North America.

“ I have recently read the Book of Mormon, and to my great surprise find nearly the same historical matter, names, etc., as were in my brother’s writings. I well remember that he wrote in the old style, and commenced about every sentence with 1 and it came to pass,’ or 1 now it came to pass,’ the same as the Book of Mormon; and, according to the best of my recollection and belief, it is the same as my brother Solomon wrote, with the exception of the religious matter. By what means it fell into the hands of Joseph Smith, Jr., I am unable to determine.

“ John Spaulding.”

Mr. Howe, the author of the work referred to, obtained and published the testimony of Aaron Wright, Henry Love and others, — all gentlemen of probity, — confirming the identity of Mr. Spaulding’s production with portions of the Mormon Bible. Mr. Howe remarks, “ Our inquiries did not terminate here. Our next object was to ascertain, if possible, what disposition Spaulding made of his manuscripts. For this purpose a messenger was dispatched to look up the widow of Spaulding, who was found residing in Massachusetts. From her we learned that Spaulding resided in Pittsburgh about two years, when he removed to Amity, Washington county, Pennsylvania, where he lived about two years, and died in 1816. His wife then removed to Onondaga county, New York, married again, and lived in Otsego county, and subsequently removed to Massachusetts. She states that Spaulding had a great variety of manuscripts, and recollects that one was entitled ‘ Manuscripts Found,’ but of its contents she has no distiuct knowledge. While they lived in Pittsburgh she thinks it was once taken to the printing office of Patterson & Lambdin, but whether it was ever brought back again to the house she is quite uncertain ; if it were, however, it was there with his other writings, in a trunk which she had left in Otsego county, New York. This is all the information that could be obtained from her, except that Mr. Spaulding while living entertained a strong antipathy to the Masonic institution, which may account for its being so frequently mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The fact also that Spaulding, in the latter part of his life, inclined to infidelity, is established by a letter now in our possession in his handwriting.

“ The trunk referred to by the widow was subsequently examined and found to contain only a single manuscript book in Spaulding’s handwriting, containing about one quire of paper. This is a romance, purporting to have been translated from the Latin, found in twenty-four rolls of parchment in a case on the banks of Conneaut creek, but written in modern style, and giving a fabulous account of a ship being cast on the American coast while proceeding from Rome to Britain, a short time previous to the Christian era, this country being inhabited by the Indians.

“ The old manuscript has been shown to several witnesses acquainted with Spaulding’s writing, and they identify it as in his handwriting, but, as to the matter it contains, it bears no resemblance to the manuscripts found. Now, as Spaulding’s book can nowhere be found, or anything heard of it after being carried to the establishment of Patterson & Lambdin, there is the strongest presumption that it remained there in seclusion till about the year 1823 or 1824, at which time Sidney Rigdon located himself in that city. We have been credibly informed that he was on terms of intimacy with Lambdin, being seen frequently at his office.

“ Rigdon resided in Pittsburgh about three years, and during the whole of that time, as he has since asserted frequently, abandoned preaching and all other employments for the purpose of studying the Bible. He left there about the time Lambdin died, and commenced preaching some new points of doctrine which were found to be inculcated in the Mormon Bible.

“ He resided in this vicinity about four years previous to the appearance of the book, during which time he made several long visits to Pittsburgh, and perhaps to Susquehanna, where Smith was then digging for money or pretending to be translating plates.

“ It may be observed, also, that about the time Rigdon left Pittsburgh, the Smith family began to tell about finding a book that would contain a history of the first inhabitants of America, and that two years elapsed before they finally got possession of it.”

The evidence here given which seeks to fasten upon Spaulding the authorship of the Mormon Bible, or at least a portion of it, although not entirely conclusive, is still of a very strong presumptive nature, and we have thought it best to insert a full account of Mr. Spaulding’s supposed connection with the Mormon book.