 Contemporary photograph of Porter Rockwell Image by Charles Roscoe Savage, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed Public domain |
Vance RockwellOrrin Porter Rockwell (1813 or 1815–1878) was a prominent figure in the Wild West, known for his roles as a lawman, businessman, and as a personal bodyguard to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, as well as his successor, Brigham Young. Rockwell was a member of the Council of Fifty, served as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and gained a reputation for his fierce loyalty to the church and violent confrontations, earning nicknames like "The Destroying Angel of Mormondom." He passed away in Salt Lake City in 1878, leaving behind a complex legacy tied to both his faith and his reputation as a gunfighter. (Source: Wikipedia)
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