The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook BennettThis is the first biography of one of this nation's most outrageous individuals, a man who was president of the medical departments of two universities and chancellor of two others, a member and officer of at least twenty different agricultural, medical, or social organizations, an itinerant minister in three different denominations, and a lobbyist who successfully ushered bills through legislatures in Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois. Bennett's roles ranged from mayor of Nauvoo, confidant of Joseph Smith, and chicken breeder to surgeon, quartermaster general of Illinois, promoter of the tomato, and diploma salesman. His story is brilliantly told by an author who spent nine years uncovering and piecing together the facts. The Saintly Scoundrel reveals Bennett as one of the nineteenth century's most enterprising and entertaining humbugs, truly a man who excelled at promoting beliefs, places, things, and himself, whose ability to abruptly shift positions on people and faiths would dazzle even the most formidable propagandist of the twentieth century. |
Contents
Westward Immigrants | 1 |
The Diploma Peddler | 13 |
The Getter Up of Colleges | 26 |
The Tomato Campaign | 34 |
Vagabond Interludes | 42 |
The Saintly City | 51 |
Smiths Exposé of Bennett | 78 |
Bennetts Exposé of Smith | 98 |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham Jonas According to Bennett Advertiser Albany Alton Telegraph American Americana MS 447 April August August 20 Beinecke Library Bennett to James Bennett wrote Botanico-Medical Recorder Brahma Brigham Young Burnham Carlin charges Christian College Cincinnati Clairsville Coe Collection December diplomas Don Carlos Smith editor Exposé Fagen February fowl Gazette George Governor Hancock County Hawk-Eye Hawk-Eye and Iowa Historical Society History Hyrum Smith Ibid Illinois Indiana Iowa Patriot James Jesse Strang January John Cook Bennett Joseph Smith June later LDS Church Archives lecture legislature letter March McLellin Medical College medicine Miller Missouri Moines Mormon church Nauvoo Legion nett Northern Farmer November October Ohio Old Colony Memorial Orson Pratt Painesville Telegraph Plymouth Rocks Polk County Pratt president published reported revelation Riddell Saints Salt Lake City Sangamo Journal Seasons second quote September September 15 Sidney Rigdon T. B. Miner Telegraph and Democratic trustees Voree Wasp Western Americana Whig William Willoughby University