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Letter from David S. Hollister, 8 January 1844

Source Note

, Letter, , Orleans Parish, LA, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 8 Jan. 1843 [1844]; handwriting of ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, postal stamp, postal notation, dockets, redactions, and notation.
Bifolium measuring 10 × 7⅞ inches (25 × 20 cm). The recto of the first leaf is ruled with twenty-seven horizontal lines printed in blue ink, now faded, and the verso of the first leaf and the recto of the second leaf are ruled with twenty-nine horizontal lines. An embossed logo for the paper mill “Southworth Co.” appears in the top left corner of the recto of the first leaf. The letter was inscribed in blue ink, trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer, the remnants of which are present on the recto of the second leaf. This leaf has a hole near the centerfold of the bifolium, likely created when the letter was opened, and there is also a tear at the bottom of the leaf. The document was later refolded for filing.
The letter was docketed by , who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844, and by , who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1853 to 1859. A notation was added by Andrew Jenson, who began working in the Church Historian’s Office in 1891 and served as assistant church historian from 1897 to 1941. The letter was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904. By 1973 this letter had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets and notation, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection 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]

    Jenson, Autobiography, 192, 389; Cannon, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891; Jenson, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891 and 19 Oct. 1897; Bitton and Arrington, Mormons and Their Historians, 47–52.

    Jenson, Andrew. Autobiography of Andrew Jenson: Assistant Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . . Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1938.

    Cannon, George Q. Journals, 1855–1864, 1872–1901. CHL. CR 850 1.

    Jenson, Andrew. Journals, 1864–1941. Andrew Jenson, Autobiography and Journals, 1864–1941. CHL.

    Bitton, David, and Leonard J. Arrington. Mormons and Their Historians. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988.

  4. [4]

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

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

  5. [5]

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

Historical Introduction

On 8 January 1844, wrote a letter from to JS in , Illinois, explaining recent difficulties with regarding the steamboat Maid of Iowa. JS and Jones, who was the boat’s captain, became co-owners of the vessel in June 1843. The following month, JS deeded his share of the boat to his wife . The Maid of Iowa operated on the in September and October 1843, but the river’s rising water level, which allowed larger vessels to travel the river, and the prejudice the Maid of Iowa faced because of its affiliation with the led Jones to consider running the boat in Louisiana instead. There he would supposedly face little competition. By the time he arrived, however, others had already “secured the winter trade.” Frustrated in his design, Jones instead “took a load of Indian traffic” up the and “a load of cotton down to New Orleans.” This trip, which took place sometime between October and December 1843, proved disastrous, as the Maid of Iowa was badly damaged. Meanwhile, in December 1843, JS and Emma Smith leased Emma’s interest in the ship to Hollister for one year in return for $600. Soon after, Hollister set out to examine his new investment. Once he found the Maid of Iowa, he and Jones quarreled over the steamboat’s management, which apparently prompted both Jones and Hollister to write separate letters to JS on 8 January 1844.
’s letter to JS recounted his efforts to find the steamboat, which he finally did in . He noted the ship’s damaged condition and described the debt and legal entanglements that threatened the boat with insolvency. In addition, Hollister complained about the lack of cooperation from and his wife, , and explained the arrangements that he had made to try to save the boat from its mounting debts. Hollister closed his letter expressing his anxiousness to receive JS’s response.
The letter was postmarked from on 11 January. A docket on the letter by , JS’s private clerk, indicates that the letter was received in JS’s . There is no known response from JS.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See JS, Journal, 12 May and 2 June 1843; and Clayton, Journal, 10 May and 2–3 June 1843. Apparently, JS and Jones made their agreement in May 1843 and finalized it the next month. Within weeks of the agreement between JS and Jones and before it was finalized, James Adams deeded land to JS in exchange for half of JS’s half interest in the boat. (See Historical Introduction to Letter and Pay Order to Lucian Adams, 2 Oct. 1843.)

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  2. [2]

    Clayton, Journal, 15 July 1843.

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  3. [3]

    Clayton, Journal, 28 Sept.–5 Oct. 1843.

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  4. [4]

    Jones, “Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith,” [22]; Letter from Erastus Derby, 9 Oct. 1843. The Red River originates in New Mexico and northern Texas and runs through northern Louisiana. Historically, it flowed into the Mississippi River. (See Lloyd, Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory, 163.)

    Dennis, Ronald D. “The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith and His Brother Hyrum.” BYU Studies 24 (Winter 1984): 78–109.

    Lloyd, James T. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory, and Disasters on the Western Waters, Containing the History of the First Application of Steam, as a Motive Power. . . . Cincinnati: James T. Lloyd, 1856.

  5. [5]

    When Erastus Derby wrote JS on 9 October 1843, the Maid of Iowa was still on the Illinois River. By 25 December 1843, the boat had arrived in New Orleans. (Letter from Erastus Derby, 9 Oct. 1843; “Marine News,” Daily Picayune [New Orleans], 26 Dec. 1843, [3].)

    Daily Picayune. New Orleans, LA. 1837–1914.

  6. [6]

    Lease to David S. Hollister, 2 Dec. 1843; see also Clayton, Journal, 2–3 Dec. 1843. JS may have decided to lease the boat to Hollister in response to a 9 October 1843 letter from Erastus Derby, in which Derby concluded that “thare are more debts against her than She can pay this fall, with the best of management that Brother Clayton knows some thing about.” Derby advised JS that “if you want to get your money out of this boat you must get it in different hands.” (Letter from Erastus Derby, 9 Oct. 1843.)

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  7. [7]

    Letter from Dan Jones, 8 Jan. 1844.

Page [3]

I suppose that es arangement with Miller is such a one as he calculates he will get her back again but if she should not make money enough to pay her debts within 3 or 4 months the result is doubtful and if Miller holds on to her and having the command there is no way that I can bring her home— For the time being untill I hear from you I shall remai[n] on bord as clerk representing the interest specifyed in my charter she will run in the Bayou Lafoache and Bayou LaThurbone can make one trip a weeke can carry about 100 Hhd [hogsheads] sugar and 100 B[arrels] of molasses <​which at​> the present prices of freight would amt to $35000 and if up freight and pasage mony will pay half of <​her​> expences she will do well— the navigation is represented to be a safe one Large Boats can not enter Bayou La Thurbone as there is but about three feet water I feel in hopes the boat may be able to pay her debts in this trade. I have thus far ben governed by what I have considered your best interest please acquaint me if it meets your approbation and give me such further directions as you may wish me to follow—
says he will return to and settle with you honorable but he is incensed against me capt especially
If you write him resquesting him to do I think he will— I understand the consideration for the one half was $1500 the expence of repairs & debts from said half to come out. The contract for carpenters work in repairs is let at $300 the castings for eng[in]e $61 wages of engineers and other hands while laying here will $60 or 70 more so that when she leaves port she will owe at least $1100, according to present arangement one half of this will be owing to capt Miller and the other half I raise on the charter on my own acco[u]nt thus So if Miller is disposed to do right the Boat will not be troubled there is some finessing between Miller and which at present I can not understand but I guess Miller keeps the half anny way.— I shall look with anxiety for an answer to this
Respectfully Yours
To Genl Joseph Smith [p. [3]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from David S. Hollister, 8 January 1844
ID #
966
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • David S. Hollister

Footnotes

  1. [14]

    In his 8 January letter to JS, Jones claimed that he insisted on Hollister having this position as part of an effort to persuade Hollister to relieve the ship’s financial situation without Jones having to give up his command. (See Letter from Dan Jones, 8 Jan. 1844.)

  2. [15]

    Bayou Lafourche is in southern Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans.

  3. [16]

    “Bayou La Thurbone” is most likely a reference to Bayou Terrebonne, then a distributary of Bayou Lafourche. According to one historian, “The Maid was a dwarf, weighing but 60 tons and measuring only 115 feet in length.” The boat’s small size would have undoubtedly aided it in navigating the shallow bayou. A January 1844 newspaper advertisement indicates that the Maid of Iowa did operate in this bayou. (Holtz, Map of Louisiana and Arkansas, 1864; Enders, “Steamboat Maid of Iowa,” 323, italics in original; “Regular Terrebonne Packet,” Daily Picayune [New Orleans], 13 Jan. 1844, [3].)

    Holtz, Helmuth. Map of Louisiana and Arkansas, [ca. 1864]. Copy at Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, Washington DC. Accessed 6 June 2021. https://www.loc.gov/item/99447188/.

    Enders, Donald L. “The Steamboat Maid of Iowa: Mormon Mistress of the Mississippi.” BYU Studies 19, no. 3 (Spring 1979): 321–335.

    Daily Picayune. New Orleans, LA. 1837–1914.

  4. [17]

    TEXT: Page torn.

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