On 21 January 1843, attorney wrote from , Illinois, to JS at , Illinois, expressing his devotion to him and offering him legal services. Bachman also enclosed a copy of a letter he had written to , a general in the state militia, concerning efforts to extradite JS to Missouri. Bachman claimed that his letters to both JS and Wilson grew out of his friendship with JS.

On 5 January, after JS was discharged from arrest in his extradition case, became aware of ’s plan to go to and renew the extradition efforts. Although it is unclear how Bachman learned about his plans, Bennett had sent a private letter to and on 10 January 1843 discussing these same intentions. Bachman wrote to in an attempt to dissuade Missouri from aligning itself with Bennett, urging Wilson and his fellow Missourians to reject Bennett on the basis of his possessing “sentiments of Abolitionism Libertinism falsehood deceit and Treachery” such that “not even the Mormons” placed confidence in him. Although he referred to Bennett as a “destestable, crawling, creeping, slimy, and foul pollutor of femal[e] chastity,” Bachman saved his most significant criticisms for Bennett’s abolitionist ideas. Claiming to have witnessed the events of Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, Bachman warned the residents of Missouri, a slave state, that , Missouri, would “become the scene of action for the same bloody Tragedgy” if its citizens welcomed Bennett’s help.

After writing to , forwarded a copy of the letter to JS along with a cover letter, featured here, in which he explained his motivations for writing to Wilson. The letter lacks postal markings, suggesting that a private courier delivered it to JS. Assuming they were sent soon after 21 January, JS likely received this letter and the enclosed copy of Bachman’s letter to Wilson on or shortly after 22 January. It is not known if JS replied to Bachman. Because it was not addressed to JS, Bachman’s enclosed letter to Wilson is not featured here.