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Letter from Aldrich & Chittenden, 28 July 1842

Source Note

Aldrich & Chittenden, Letter,
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
, Adams Co., IL, to JS,
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, 28 July 1842; handwriting of
Calvin A. Warren

3 June 1807–22 Feb. 1881. Lawyer. Born in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., New York. Lived at Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1832. Moved to Batavia, Clermont Co., Ohio, by 1835. Married first Viola A. Morris, 25 May 1835, at Batavia. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1836...

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; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address and dockets.
Bifolium measuring 12⅛ × 7⅝ inches (31 × 19 cm), ruled with thirty-six blue lines (now faded). The letter was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. When the letter was opened, it tore a hole in the second leaf. The recto of the second page contains remnants of the wafer. The letter was later folded for filing.
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

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, who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844, docketed the document.
1

JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

It was also docketed by
Leo Hawkins

19 July 1834–28 May 1859. Clerk, reporter. Born in London. Son of Samuel Harris Hawkins and Charlotte Savage. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Banks, 23 Oct. 1848. Immigrated to U.S. with his family; arrived in New Orleans...

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, who was a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office from 1853 to 1859.
2

“Obituary of Leo Hawkins,” Millennial Star, 30 July 1859, 21:496–497.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

The document was listed in inventories that were produced by the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904.
3

“Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2]; “Index to Papers in the Historians Office,” ca. 1904, draft, [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL).
4

See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.


The document’s early dockets, circa 1904 inventories, and inclusion in the JS Collection by 1973 indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

  2. [2]

    “Obituary of Leo Hawkins,” Millennial Star, 30 July 1859, 21:496–497.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  3. [3]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2]; “Index to Papers in the Historians Office,” ca. 1904, draft, [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. [4]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 28 July 1842, attorney
Calvin A. Warren

3 June 1807–22 Feb. 1881. Lawyer. Born in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., New York. Lived at Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1832. Moved to Batavia, Clermont Co., Ohio, by 1835. Married first Viola A. Morris, 25 May 1835, at Batavia. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1836...

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wrote from
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
, Illinois, to JS in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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, Illinois, on behalf of two men identified only by their surnames—“Aldrich & Chittenden.” The letter advised JS regarding recent efforts to extradite him to
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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, as well as the prospect of a mob attack in Nauvoo. The authors wrote in response to a letter from JS, dated 24 July—which is not known to be extant—wherein JS apparently asked Aldrich and Chittenden for advice.
1

JS also evidently asked Illinois governor Thomas Carlin for similar advice in a 25 July letter. This letter is also not known to be extant. (See Letter from Thomas Carlin, 27 July 1842.)


Although the assignation “Aldrich & Chittenden” and the content of the letter suggest that the writers were part of a firm or partnership, extant records fail to confirm the existence of such an entity in or around Quincy during the early 1840s.
Although the identities of the authors are uncertain, circumstantial evidence suggests some possibilities. Aldrich may have been
Mark Aldrich

22 Jan. 1802–21 Sept. 1873. Furrier, postmaster, land developer, merchant, politician. Born in Washington Co. (later in Warren Co.), New York. Son of Artemas Aldrich and Huldah Chamberlain. Moved to Hadley Township, Saratoga Co., New York, by Aug. 1810. Moved...

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of
Warsaw

Located at foot of Des Moines rapids of Mississippi River at site of three military forts: Fort Johnson (1814), Cantonment Davis (1815–1818), and Fort Edwards (1816–1824). First settlers participated in fur trade. Important trade and shipping center. Post...

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, Illinois, who with
Calvin A. Warren

3 June 1807–22 Feb. 1881. Lawyer. Born in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., New York. Lived at Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1832. Moved to Batavia, Clermont Co., Ohio, by 1835. Married first Viola A. Morris, 25 May 1835, at Batavia. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1836...

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and others had negotiated with JS in 1841 about the potential of a Latter-day Saint settlement in Warsaw.
2

JS and Mark Aldrich, Articles of Agreement, Hancock Co., IL, 16 Aug. 1841, private possession; Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 31 Aug. 1841; JS, Journal, 13 and 30–31 Dec. 1841. According to a later history of Hancock County, Aldrich had “commenced the study of law, which he subsequently abandoned.” (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 653–654.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

The arrangement failed to materialize, creating financial difficulties for Aldrich. Those difficulties came to a head in March 1842 when he, like many other residents of
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

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—including JS and other
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
residents—filed for bankruptcy with the help of Ralston, Warren & Wheat, a
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
law firm in which Warren was a partner.
3

Notice to Creditors and Others, 17 June 1842; Mark Aldrich, Petition for Bankruptcy, 22 Mar. 1842, Bankruptcy General Records (Act of 1841), 3:258; see also Letter from Calvin A. Warren, ca. 23 June 1842.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Bankruptcy General Records (Act of 1841), 1842–1845. 7 vols. In Records of the U.S. District Courts, Southern District of Illinois, Southern Division (Springfield, IL), 1819–1977. National Archives—Great Lakes Region, Chicago.

During the summer, notices of Aldrich’s intention to petition for bankruptcy were printed along with notices for JS and other Nauvoo residents.
4

See, for example, Bankruptcy Notice for Mark Aldrich, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 1 July 1842, [4]; and Bankruptcy Notice for Mark Aldrich, Sangamo Journal, Extra, 29 July 1842, [2]. These petitions were published in compliance with federal legal requirements for those applying for bankruptcy. (An Act to Establish a Uniform System of Bankruptcy [19 Aug. 1841], Public Statutes at Large, 27th Cong., 1st Sess., chap. 9, p. 446, sec. 7.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845. . . . Edited by Richard Peters. 8 vols. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1846–1867.

Aside from these direct and indirect connections between JS and Aldrich, Nauvoo citizens nominated Aldrich for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in June.
5

“Public Meeting,” Wasp, 4 June 1842, [3].


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

Chittenden may have been Abram I. Chittenden or, alternatively, one of the five sons of Abram I. and Deborah Fowler Chittenden, who were early settlers of Warsaw.
6

Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 638; Hetzel, Lineage Book, 148.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

Hetzell, Susan Riviere. Lineage Book National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Vol. 14. Washington DC: National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1902.

Of these individuals, William Chittenden is the most likely candidate. In February 1842, he married Helen Aldrich, who appears to have been the daughter of Mark Aldrich.
7

Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 659; Aldrich Family Genealogy, [5], microfilm 960,046, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL. Although William Chittenden does not appear to have filed for bankruptcy in 1842, Warren’s law firm published notices for his brothers George and Edward Chittenden. (Bankruptcy Notice for George Chittenden, Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 1 July 1842, [4]; Bankruptcy Notice for Edward Chittenden, Sangamo Journal, 22 July 1842, [1].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

It is unclear what business Aldrich and Chittenden had in
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
in late July 1842. It appears that they, along with
Warren

3 June 1807–22 Feb. 1881. Lawyer. Born in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., New York. Lived at Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1832. Moved to Batavia, Clermont Co., Ohio, by 1835. Married first Viola A. Morris, 25 May 1835, at Batavia. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1836...

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, were aware of and perhaps present at a meeting
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
governor
Thomas Carlin

18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...

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held on 26 July with
Emma Smith

10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...

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,
Eliza R. Snow

21 Jan. 1804–5 Dec. 1887. Poet, teacher, seamstress, milliner. Born in Becket, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Daughter of Oliver Snow and Rosetta Leonora Pettibone. Moved to Mantua, Trumbull Co., Ohio, ca. 1806. Member of Baptist church. Baptized into Church...

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, and
Amanda Barnes Smith

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, at which these women presented a petition from the
Female Relief Society of Nauvoo

A church organization for women; created in Nauvoo, Illinois, under JS’s direction on 17 March 1842. At the same meeting, Emma Smith was elected president, and she selected two counselors; a secretary and a treasurer were also chosen. The minutes of the society...

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seeking protection for JS and
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
residents.
8

Nauvoo Female Relief Society, Petition to Thomas Carlin, ca. 22 July 1842, in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 136–141. Earlier in the month, Warren had written JS about a meeting George Miller and Erastus Derby had attended with Thomas Carlin to discuss Missouri’s extradition efforts. (Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 13 July 1842.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.

On that same occasion,
Wilson Law

26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co....

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delivered one or more similar petitions, along with a letter from JS.
9

Minutes, 22 July 1842; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 July 1842, 95–97; JS, Journal, 22 July 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 27 July 1842.


In the letter featured here, Aldrich and Chittenden predicted that
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
governor
Thomas Reynolds

12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...

View Full Bio
’s request to extradite JS would not succeed.
10

Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842.


On the issue of mob violence, they indicated that
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
citizens should feel justified in protecting themselves, if necessary. Apparently in response to JS’s request to have
Warren

3 June 1807–22 Feb. 1881. Lawyer. Born in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., New York. Lived at Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1832. Moved to Batavia, Clermont Co., Ohio, by 1835. Married first Viola A. Morris, 25 May 1835, at Batavia. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1836...

View Full Bio
visit him, they also informed JS that he would do so as soon as his health allowed.
As indicated by the addressing, this letter was delivered to JS in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
by his wife
Emma Smith

10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...

View Full Bio
. JS likely received the letter on 29 July, when Emma returned home from her short trip to
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
.
11

Eliza R. Snow, Journal, 29 July 1842.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.

No response from JS is extant or otherwise known.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS also evidently asked Illinois governor Thomas Carlin for similar advice in a 25 July letter. This letter is also not known to be extant. (See Letter from Thomas Carlin, 27 July 1842.)

  2. [2]

    JS and Mark Aldrich, Articles of Agreement, Hancock Co., IL, 16 Aug. 1841, private possession; Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 31 Aug. 1841; JS, Journal, 13 and 30–31 Dec. 1841. According to a later history of Hancock County, Aldrich had “commenced the study of law, which he subsequently abandoned.” (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 653–654.)

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

  3. [3]

    Notice to Creditors and Others, 17 June 1842; Mark Aldrich, Petition for Bankruptcy, 22 Mar. 1842, Bankruptcy General Records (Act of 1841), 3:258; see also Letter from Calvin A. Warren, ca. 23 June 1842.

    Bankruptcy General Records (Act of 1841), 1842–1845. 7 vols. In Records of the U.S. District Courts, Southern District of Illinois, Southern Division (Springfield, IL), 1819–1977. National Archives—Great Lakes Region, Chicago.

  4. [4]

    See, for example, Bankruptcy Notice for Mark Aldrich, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 1 July 1842, [4]; and Bankruptcy Notice for Mark Aldrich, Sangamo Journal, Extra, 29 July 1842, [2]. These petitions were published in compliance with federal legal requirements for those applying for bankruptcy. (An Act to Establish a Uniform System of Bankruptcy [19 Aug. 1841], Public Statutes at Large, 27th Cong., 1st Sess., chap. 9, p. 446, sec. 7.)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

    The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845. . . . Edited by Richard Peters. 8 vols. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1846–1867.

  5. [5]

    “Public Meeting,” Wasp, 4 June 1842, [3].

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

  6. [6]

    Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 638; Hetzel, Lineage Book, 148.

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

    Hetzell, Susan Riviere. Lineage Book National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Vol. 14. Washington DC: National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1902.

  7. [7]

    Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 659; Aldrich Family Genealogy, [5], microfilm 960,046, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL. Although William Chittenden does not appear to have filed for bankruptcy in 1842, Warren’s law firm published notices for his brothers George and Edward Chittenden. (Bankruptcy Notice for George Chittenden, Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 1 July 1842, [4]; Bankruptcy Notice for Edward Chittenden, Sangamo Journal, 22 July 1842, [1].)

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  8. [8]

    Nauvoo Female Relief Society, Petition to Thomas Carlin, ca. 22 July 1842, in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 136–141. Earlier in the month, Warren had written JS about a meeting George Miller and Erastus Derby had attended with Thomas Carlin to discuss Missouri’s extradition efforts. (Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 13 July 1842.)

    Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.

  9. [9]

    Minutes, 22 July 1842; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 July 1842, 95–97; JS, Journal, 22 July 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 27 July 1842.

  10. [10]

    Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842.

  11. [11]

    Eliza R. Snow, Journal, 29 July 1842.

    Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.

Page [1]

Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
July 28th 1842
To Genl. Joseph Smith
Dear Sir; Your letter of the 24th inst by
Genl. [Wilson] Law

26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co....

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, came to hand yesterday— It has afforded us an opportunity to treat with curtesy the bearer and his Suite,
1

Among the definitions for Suite or Suit in Webster’s 1841 dictionary is “a company or number of attendants or followers.” In this case, the “Suite” referred to included Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow, and Amanda Barnes Smith, who had traveled to Quincy to meet with Governor Carlin. (“Suit” and “Suite,” in American Dictionary [1841], 807, 808.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

An American Dictionary of the English Language; First Edition in Octavo, Containing the Whole Vocabulary of the Quarto, with Corrections, Improvements and Several Thousand Additional Words. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. 2nd ed. 2 vols. New Haven: By the author, 1841.

which we embraced with real Satisfaction to ourselves—
The object of the visit of
Mrs [Emma] Smith

10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...

View Full Bio
& her fair Companions would have been accomplished, if it had been even doubly delicate & difficult. They were in earnest, favorably received, attentively heard, and kindly dismissed at their audience with the
Governor

18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...

View Full Bio
—
2

According to Eliza R. Snow, Carlin received them “with cordiality, and as much affability and politeness as his Excellency is master of, assuring us of his protection, by saying that the laws and Constitution of our country shall be his polar star in case of any difficulty.” (Eliza R. Snow, Journal, 29 July 1842.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.

One disclosure made by the
Governor

18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...

View Full Bio
on this occasion, is conclusive on the exciting subject of a demand by the
Governor

12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...

View Full Bio
of
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
— that is this— a
nolle prosequi

“An entry made on the record, by which the prosecutor or plaintiff declares that he will proceed no further.”

View Glossary
3

A judgment to not prosecute in a criminal case. (See “Judgment of Nolle Prosequi,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:551.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; With References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Deacon and Peterson, 1854.

has been entered in the Cases of Indictment against yourself & associates in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
— the effect of which is to place you beyond the power of executive influence on either side the
river

Principal U.S. river running southward from Itasca Lake, Minnesota, to Gulf of Mexico. Covered 3,160-mile course, 1839 (now about 2,350 miles). Drains about 1,100,000 square miles. Steamboat travel on Mississippi very important in 1830s and 1840s for shipping...

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, in those old cases—
4

In late 1838, JS was incarcerated in Missouri on charges of treason, burglary, arson, and robbery. He was indicted in early 1839 but escaped custody before he could be tried for these alleged crimes. In June 1841, Thomas King, deputy sheriff of Adams County, arrested JS in response to Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs’s attempt to extradite him to Missouri to stand trial for the earlier charges, but he was discharged soon after. (Transcript of Proceedings, Richmond, MO, Nov. 1838, State of Missouri v. JS et al. for Treason and Other Crimes [Mo. 5th Jud. Cir. 1838], in State of Missouri, “Evidence,” [1]; Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839; “The Late Proceedings,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1841, 2:447–449; JS History, vol. C-1, 1205.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

the
[Lilburn W.] Boggs

14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...

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murder
5

Boggs had been shot and wounded in an assassination attempt on 6 May 1842, but he survived. (“A Foul Deed,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 12 May 1842, [2]; “Governor Boggs,” Jeffersonian Republican [Jefferson City, MO], 14 May 1842, [2].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.

Jeffersonian Republican. Jefferson City, MO. 1831–1844.

is the only remaining point of difficulty, & interests every other man, so far as any evidenced as yet disclosed can determine, as much as yourself.
6

On 30 June 1842, Carlin had written to JS about JS’s rumored involvement in the attempted assassination of Boggs. While Carlin noted that it “gives me no uneasiness,” he dedicated a paragraph to the topic. (Letter from Thomas Carlin, 30 June 1842.)


A certificate from the
Clk

16 Sept. 1820–25 Dec. 1883. Lawyer, farmer, politician. Born near Staunton, Augusta Co., Virginia. Son of William C. Davis and Sarah (Sallie) Van Lear. Lived at Augusta Co., 1830. Moved to Warsaw, Hancock Co., Illinois, by 1838. Served as Illinois circuit...

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of the
Hancock

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

More Info
Circuit Court,
7

Jacob C. Davis was the clerk of the Hancock County Circuit Court during the May 1842 term. (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 240.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

showing the attendance of
Genl. [Albert P.] Rockwood

9 June 1805–25 Nov. 1879. Stonecutter, merchant, prison warden. Born in Holliston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Luther Rockwood and Ruth Perry. Married Nancy Haven, 4 Apr. 1827. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Brigham ...

View Full Bio
as a Juror during the May term of said Court, will we think set this difficulty at rest also.
8

The authors may have confused Albert P. Rockwood, a drill officer in the Nauvoo Legion, with Orrin Porter Rockwell, who had been charged with an attempt to murder Boggs, though a certificate showing Rockwell’s or Rockwood’s presence in the May term of the Hancock County Circuit Court does not appear to be extant. (Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842.)


The
Governor

18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...

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here has promised us to write to the
Governor

12 Mar. 1796–9 Feb. 1844. Attorney, politician, judge. Born at Mason Co. (later Bracken Co.), Kentucky. Son of Nathaniel Reynolds and Catherine Vernon. Admitted to Kentucky bar, 1817. Moved to Illinois, by 1818. Served as clerk of Illinois House of Representatives...

View Full Bio
of
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
and transmit this evidence to counteract any effect which
[John C.] Bennett

3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...

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’s array of proofs, might be calculated to produce—
9

No such letter from Carlin to Reynolds is known. Carlin proceeded to grant Reynolds’s request for JS’s extradition. By 28 July, the Sangamo Journal had published four letters from Bennett; in his fourth letter to the editor, he alleged that Orrin Porter Rockwell shot former Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs at JS’s direction. (JS, Journal, 8 Aug. 1842; John C. Bennett, St. Louis, MO, 15 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 22 July 1842, [2].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

Now as to the authority and disposition of
Governor [Thomas] Carlin

18 July 1789–14 Feb. 1852. Ferry owner, farmer, sheriff, politician. Born in Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of Thomas Carlin and Elizabeth Evans. Baptist. Moved to what became Missouri, by 1803. Moved to Illinois Territory, by 1812. Served in War of 1812. Married...

View Full Bio
, to delegate the power of resistance to and protection [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Aldrich & Chittenden, 28 July 1842
ID #
895
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:317–323
Handwriting on This Page
  • Calvin A. Warren

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Among the definitions for Suite or Suit in Webster’s 1841 dictionary is “a company or number of attendants or followers.” In this case, the “Suite” referred to included Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow, and Amanda Barnes Smith, who had traveled to Quincy to meet with Governor Carlin. (“Suit” and “Suite,” in American Dictionary [1841], 807, 808.)

    An American Dictionary of the English Language; First Edition in Octavo, Containing the Whole Vocabulary of the Quarto, with Corrections, Improvements and Several Thousand Additional Words. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. 2nd ed. 2 vols. New Haven: By the author, 1841.

  2. [2]

    According to Eliza R. Snow, Carlin received them “with cordiality, and as much affability and politeness as his Excellency is master of, assuring us of his protection, by saying that the laws and Constitution of our country shall be his polar star in case of any difficulty.” (Eliza R. Snow, Journal, 29 July 1842.)

    Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.

  3. [3]

    A judgment to not prosecute in a criminal case. (See “Judgment of Nolle Prosequi,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 1:551.)

    Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; With References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Deacon and Peterson, 1854.

  4. [4]

    In late 1838, JS was incarcerated in Missouri on charges of treason, burglary, arson, and robbery. He was indicted in early 1839 but escaped custody before he could be tried for these alleged crimes. In June 1841, Thomas King, deputy sheriff of Adams County, arrested JS in response to Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs’s attempt to extradite him to Missouri to stand trial for the earlier charges, but he was discharged soon after. (Transcript of Proceedings, Richmond, MO, Nov. 1838, State of Missouri v. JS et al. for Treason and Other Crimes [Mo. 5th Jud. Cir. 1838], in State of Missouri, “Evidence,” [1]; Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839; “The Late Proceedings,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1841, 2:447–449; JS History, vol. C-1, 1205.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  5. [5]

    Boggs had been shot and wounded in an assassination attempt on 6 May 1842, but he survived. (“A Foul Deed,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 12 May 1842, [2]; “Governor Boggs,” Jeffersonian Republican [Jefferson City, MO], 14 May 1842, [2].)

    Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.

    Jeffersonian Republican. Jefferson City, MO. 1831–1844.

  6. [6]

    On 30 June 1842, Carlin had written to JS about JS’s rumored involvement in the attempted assassination of Boggs. While Carlin noted that it “gives me no uneasiness,” he dedicated a paragraph to the topic. (Letter from Thomas Carlin, 30 June 1842.)

  7. [7]

    Jacob C. Davis was the clerk of the Hancock County Circuit Court during the May 1842 term. (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 240.)

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

  8. [8]

    The authors may have confused Albert P. Rockwood, a drill officer in the Nauvoo Legion, with Orrin Porter Rockwell, who had been charged with an attempt to murder Boggs, though a certificate showing Rockwell’s or Rockwood’s presence in the May term of the Hancock County Circuit Court does not appear to be extant. (Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842.)

  9. [9]

    No such letter from Carlin to Reynolds is known. Carlin proceeded to grant Reynolds’s request for JS’s extradition. By 28 July, the Sangamo Journal had published four letters from Bennett; in his fourth letter to the editor, he alleged that Orrin Porter Rockwell shot former Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs at JS’s direction. (JS, Journal, 8 Aug. 1842; John C. Bennett, St. Louis, MO, 15 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 22 July 1842, [2].)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

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