Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 17 March 1840

Home >
The Papers >

Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 17 March 1840
Source Note

Horace Hotchkiss
15 Apr. 1799–21 Apr. 1849. Merchant, land speculator. Born in East Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Heman Hotchkiss and Elizabeth Rowe. Moved to New Haven, New Haven Co., by 1815. Married Charlotte Austin Street, 22 Feb. 1824, in East Haven. Purchased...
View Full Bio
, Letter,
Fair Haven
Village in south-central Connecticut, located on Quinnipiac River. Population in 1853 about 3,000.
More Info
, New Haven Co., CT, to
Sidney Rigdon
19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...
View Full Bio
and JS,
Washington DC
Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...
More Info
, 17 Mar. 1840. Featured version copied [between Apr. and June 1840] in JS Letterbook 2, p. 118; handwriting of
Howard Coray
6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...
View Full Bio
; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.

Historical Introduction
On 17 March 1840,
Horace Hotchkiss
View Full Bio
wrote this letter to JS and
Sidney Rigdon
View Full Bio
in an attempt to contact them in
Washington DC
More Info
. Hotchkiss was a land speculator from
Connecticut
Originally inhabited by native Algonquin tribes. Among first thirteen colonies that formed U.S., southernmost state in New England. First permanent European settlements established by members of Massachusetts Bay Colony, ca. 1635. Population in 1820 about...
More Info
who had partnered with
Smith Tuttle
12 Mar. 1795–7 Mar. 1865. Shipping merchant, land speculator. Born in East Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Christopher Tuttle and Abigail Luddington. Moved to Wallingford, New Haven Co., by 1810. Married first Rachel Gillett. Married second Amarilla...
View Full Bio
and
John Gillet
2 Aug. 1796–17 July 1848. Likely born in Connecticut. Son of Benoni Gillett and Phoebe Dean. Moved to Commerce (later Nauvoo), Hancock Co., Illinois, by May 1837. In Aug. 1839, with land-speculating partners Horace Hotchkiss and Smith Tuttle, sold land in...
View Full Bio
to sell to JS and other
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
View Glossary
leaders much of the land in the newly platted town of
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
, Illinois, on long-term credit.
1
On 12 August 1839, Hotchkiss, Tuttle, and Gillet sold most of their land holdings in the Commerce area to JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith. (Bonds from Horace Hotchkiss, 12 Aug. 1839–A and B.)

It is clear from
Hotchkiss
View Full Bio
’s letter that the men repeatedly failed to connect during JS’s trip to the eastern
United States
North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More Info
, either in person or through correspondence. In this letter, Hotchkiss indicated that he had sent a letter to JS in
Philadelphia
Port city founded as Quaker settlement by William Penn, 1681. Site of signing of Declaration of Independence and drafting of U.S. Constitution. Nation’s capital city, 1790–1800. Population in 1830 about 170,000; in 1840 about 260,000; and in 1850 about 410...
More Info
“some time since.” Because he had not received a response, he sent a second letter, featured here. Still waiting for a reply two weeks later, Hotchkiss wrote a third time, on 1 April 1840.
2
See Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 1 Apr. 1840.
Neither Hotchkiss’s first letter nor JS’s responses to the three letters, if he wrote any, have been found.

By the time
Hotchkiss
View Full Bio
wrote the 17 March letter, JS had already left
Washington DC
More Info
, arriving at
Commerce
Located near middle of western boundary of state, bordering Mississippi River. European Americans settled area, 1820s. From bank of river, several feet above high-water mark, ground described as nearly level for six or seven blocks before gradually sloping...
More Info
, Illinois, by 29 February 1840.
3
John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 29 Feb. 1840, [58].
Comprehensive Works Cited
Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1, fd. 1.
However,
Elias Higbee
23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...
View Full Bio
, who was still in the nation’s capital, received the letter and responded to Hotchkiss, informing him that JS had returned to
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
.
4
See Letter from Elias Higbee, 24 Mar. 1840; and Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 1 Apr. 1840.
The 17 March 1840 letter was presumably sent or carried to the Commerce area by Higbee and was subsequently copied by
Howard Coray
6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...
View Full Bio
into JS Letterbook 2—likely sometime between the third week of April and the end of June 1840.
5
Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 17, 19.
Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.
Footnotes
[1]
On 12 August 1839, Hotchkiss, Tuttle, and Gillet sold most of their land holdings in the Commerce area to JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith. (Bonds from Horace Hotchkiss, 12 Aug. 1839–A and B.)
[2]
See Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 1 Apr. 1840.
[3]
John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 29 Feb. 1840, [58].
Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1, fd. 1.
[4]
See Letter from Elias Higbee, 24 Mar. 1840; and Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 1 Apr. 1840.
[5]
Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 17, 19.
Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 17 March 1840 Letterbook 2 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”
Page 118
Hide editing marks

Fair Haven
Village in south-central Connecticut, located on Quinnipiac River. Population in 1853 about 3,000.
More Info
17th. March. 1840
1
This 17 March 1840 letter and other letters Hotchkiss wrote to JS, as well as to Hotchkiss’s business partners, were either addressed or postmarked from Fair Haven, Connecticut; however, Hotchkiss gave his legal residence as nearby New Haven, Connecticut. (Bonds from Horace Hotchkiss, 12 Aug. 1839–A and B.)

Rev
Sidney Rigdon
View Full Bio

& Joseph Smith Jr.

Gent. I some time since addressed a letter to, Mr. Smith at
Phild.
More Info
, to which I have recd. no reply, and was in that City two or three weeks ago, but not being able to hear any thing of Mr. Smith, I suppose he must of course have left;
2
Around 31 January 1840, JS departed Philadelphia for Washington DC with Higbee and others, though Rigdon stayed behind in Philadelphia for a time. (Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 27 Jan. 1840, 2.)
and with the hope of still reaching you I now send to
Washington
More Info
— I should have written you long before, and indeed very often this winter. but my health has been miserable, and since my return from
Phild.
More Info
I have been confined to my house.

I beg you to inform me how you are progressing with your petition before Congress and its probable result—
3
By the time Hotchkiss wrote this letter, Congress had concluded its review of the church’s memorial for redress. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary submitted their report on 4 March with the unanimous resolution that “the case presented for their investigation is not such a one as will justify or authorize any interposition by this Government.” (Historical Introduction to Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Report of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 4 Mar. 1840.)
Whether you have any friends in the House or in the Senate, who will bring forward your case, and advocate it in cincerity— and persevere in your behalf with skill and ability untill something is accomplished.
4
The Illinois delegates to the Twenty-Sixth Congress were representatives Zadok Casey, John Reynolds, and John Todd Stuart; and senators Richard M. Young and John M. Robinson. On 7 December 1839, JS and Higbee met with the Illinois congressional delegates to seek their assistance in petitioning Congress. Stuart agreed to help prepare the memorial to Congress, Young introduced the memorial in the Senate, and Reynolds introduced JS and Higbee to President Martin Van Buren. (Letter to Seymour Brunson and Nauvoo High Council, 7 Dec. 1839; Historical Introduction to Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Reynolds, My Own Times, 575.)
Reynolds, John. My Own Times: Embracing Also, the History of My Life. Belleville, IL: B. H. Perryman and H. L. Davison, 1855.
Milk and water friends in Congress are good for nothing. They must be true. have talents, be zealous, or else they will be detrimental rather than advantageous to you— Should you Gent. &
judge [Elias] Higbee
23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...
View Full Bio
come as far east as this it will afford much gratification to have you take up your quarters at my house— I did intend to see you at
Washington
More Info
, but my health will not now permit

With much respect Yours

Horace R. Hotchkiss
View Full Bio
[p. 118]
View entire transcript
|
Cite this page
Source Note
Document Transcript
Page 118
Document Information
Footnotes
[1]
This 17 March 1840 letter and other letters Hotchkiss wrote to JS, as well as to Hotchkiss’s business partners, were either addressed or postmarked from Fair Haven, Connecticut; however, Hotchkiss gave his legal residence as nearby New Haven, Connecticut. (Bonds from Horace Hotchkiss, 12 Aug. 1839–A and B.)
[2]
Around 31 January 1840, JS departed Philadelphia for Washington DC with Higbee and others, though Rigdon stayed behind in Philadelphia for a time. (Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 27 Jan. 1840, 2.)
[3]
By the time Hotchkiss wrote this letter, Congress had concluded its review of the church’s memorial for redress. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary submitted their report on 4 March with the unanimous resolution that “the case presented for their investigation is not such a one as will justify or authorize any interposition by this Government.” (Historical Introduction to Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Report of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 4 Mar. 1840.)
[4]
The Illinois delegates to the Twenty-Sixth Congress were representatives Zadok Casey, John Reynolds, and John Todd Stuart; and senators Richard M. Young and John M. Robinson. On 7 December 1839, JS and Higbee met with the Illinois congressional delegates to seek their assistance in petitioning Congress. Stuart agreed to help prepare the memorial to Congress, Young introduced the memorial in the Senate, and Reynolds introduced JS and Higbee to President Martin Van Buren. (Letter to Seymour Brunson and Nauvoo High Council, 7 Dec. 1839; Historical Introduction to Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Reynolds, My Own Times, 575.)
Reynolds, John. My Own Times: Embracing Also, the History of My Life. Belleville, IL: B. H. Perryman and H. L. Davison, 1855.