Letter from James Arlington Bennet, 10 April 1843

I find that Gen. has been distributing commissions to some extent in the Nauvoo Legion, among his friends & your Enemies in this quarter— I saw <​several​>, in his possessi[o]n for persons in this & I think in New England— These persons may come at any future time & claim rank & place in the Legion to the disparagemnt of the officers now on your rank roll & be enemies in the camp—

I would advise you Sir to revise your rank roll— publish it in the Wasp <​with comments,​> & transmit a copy <​Official​> to the Adjutant Gen of the State of with instructi[o]ns to erase from the record all Sames names not to be found thereon— This will purify the Legion & make your rank Roll as you would wish to have it— has also been selling Diplomas’ to practice Medicine at $25 each to any Quack or other persons that might purchase them— These purported to have emenated from some College in or Indianna what I understand had no found[at]ion in truth— This was a crime against our Laws— 1st. For procuring money on false pretenses & 2nly for Constructive Manslaughter in Case any of these quacks should kill their patients— A person of the name of Mayer sold these Diplomas in the City of & paid him over the money— These facts can be proved if you send us a commissi[o]n to take the evidence, but I dont think that this would be thought of great weight in the case of —

I went to the expense of a complete equipment with a view of meeting you at on the 7th May next but alas! Man may appoint but the great Ruler of all worlds will disappoint—

<​P. S. Put the drill on to the Legion you may yet want them. I wish the Legion was 100,000 strong. Self preservation is the very first Law of Nature.​> [p. [3]]