Captain Kidd

Captain William Kidd was a privateer and pirate that sailed the Indian Ocean in the late 1600s. After Kidd attacked a huge English ship, he was marked for piracy and several naval commanders began to hunt for him. He ditched some of his treasure in the New England area, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he was captured, with the hope that he could use the hidden location of the treasure to bargain for his life. Kidd was captured in Boston, and, to this day, some people believe that his treasure remains buried in the New England area. Over time this lost hidden treasure contributed to the legends and myths about Captain Kidd’s exploits.

Joseph Smith and his contemporaries were fascinated by William Kidd and believed his treasure could be found in their geographical region of upstate New York. According to witnesses, Joseph owned early serial publications about Captain Kidd and likely read, or listened to others in his community read aloud, works about the notorious pirate that were popular at the time. Eyewitness accounts, including Porter Rockwell, state that Joseph, with the aid of his “peep stone,” was looking for Kidd’s treasure along the Susquehanna River and that Joseph had a vision through the stone wherein he saw Kidd sailing up the River to hide his treasure.  Joseph described in great detail where the treasure was hidden, and yet the treasure was not found.  Additionally, Captain Kidd’s legends may have influenced Joseph’s work on the Book of Mormon, as some of the names, such as Cumorah and Moroni, appear together in Kidd’s history and on maps from the era.