Statement of Expenses to Thomas King, 30 September 1841
Source Note
, on behalf of JS, Statement of Expenses, , Hancock Co., IL, to [], deputy sheriff of , IL, 30 Sept. 1841; handwriting of ; Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, Chicago History Museum, ICHi-173701-004. Includes address, postal stamps, postal notation, docket, and archival marking.
Bifolium measuring 10⅝ × 79/16 inches (27 × 19 cm). The letter was written on the recto of the first leaf. The bifolium was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, sealed with an adhesive wafer, and mailed from , Illinois. At an unknown time, “6824” was inscribed in ink on the top left corner of the first page, “69” was written in pencil on the top right corner of the first page, and “70” was written in pencil in the top left corner of the last page.
The letter is part of a collection of manuscripts and printed material about Latter-day Saints accumulated by the Chicago Historical Society (now Chicago History Museum) over several decades. The Society purchased a majority of the collection from the estate of Charles Gunther in the 1920s, while other portions were gifts from Henry Asbury, Otto L. Schmidt, and others. The collection was cataloged in 1962, and its register was later revised.
Register for Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, 1832–1954, Chicago History Museum.
Kirtland Safety Society. Stock Ledger, 1836–1837. Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, 1832–1954, Chicago History Museum. Copy at CHL.
Historical Introduction
On 30 September 1841 in , Illinois, JS produced a statement of expenses addressed to the deputy sheriff of , Illinois. The expenses were incurred nearly three months earlier, in June 1841, when JS was arrested in to be extradited to . Before Missouri governor left office in November 1840, he issued a requisition to Illinois governor to extradite JS as a fugitive from justice on charges of treason, burglary, and murder. On 5 June, as JS was returning to Nauvoo from a brief trip to , Illinois, he was arrested in , Illinois, by , the deputy sheriff of Adams County. After obtaining a writ of in Quincy, JS was ordered to appear a few days later for a hearing in , Illinois. On 6 June, officers escorted JS to Nauvoo and remained with him there until he departed for Monmouth on 7 June. Though scheduled for 8 June, the hearing was delayed until 9 June. After several witnesses testified on JS’s behalf, counsel on both sides argued the legality of the case until late that night. The next day, judge ruled that the warrant and arrest were invalid and ordered the release of JS. Still, the episode had cost JS and several others significant time and expense.
JS apparently assigned , a clerical assistant, to produce a statement of expenses JS had incurred during the arrest and trial. The statement included an itemized list of expenditures and a request for reimbursement. The statement was mailed through the post office 15 October 1841. No response from the deputy sheriff has been identified, nor is it clear if JS received any reimbursement.
In 1838, JS was indicted in Missouri for multiple criminal offenses related to the 1838 Missouri conflict. The June 1841 arrest was the first attempt to extradite JS based on these earlier charges.
Requisition for JS, 1 Sept. 1840, State of Missouri v. JS for Treason (Warren Co. Cir. Ct. 1841), JS Extradition Records, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL.