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Letter from Justin Butterfield, 27 March 1843

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Letter from Justin Butterfield, 27 March 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Cook Co., IL, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 27 Mar. 1843; handwriting and signature of ; seven pages; JS Materials, CCLA. Includes address, dockets, and redactions.
Two bifolia measuring 10 × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm) and ruled with twenty-eight horizontal gray lines, now faded. The upper left corner of the recto of the first leaf of each bifolium is embossed with an oval paper manufacturer insignia that reads “John Butler | Hartford”. The letter was folded for transmission, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. When the letter was opened, the second leaf of the second bifolium was damaged. The letter was later refolded for filing. At some point, the upper left corners of the bifolia were stapled together; the staple was subsequently removed. The document has undergone conservation.
The letter was docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from December 1841 until JS’s death in June 1844 and served as church historian from December 1842 until his own death in March 1854. An unidentified scribe also docketed the letter. The letter likely remained in the Smith family’s possession until it was transferred, on an unknown date, to the custody of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (now Community of Christ).

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

Historical Introduction

On 27 March 1843, , attorney for the district of , wrote from to JS in , Illinois, regarding the arrest of Latter-day Saint in on 5 March. Rockwell was charged with the 6 May 1842 attempted assassination of former Missouri governor and faced uncertain prospects in the Missouri legal system. Butterfield had represented JS before the United States circuit court in , Illinois, on 4 January 1843 in a hearing held to evaluate the attempt by Missouri state officials to extradite JS as an accessory to the attempted murder. Following Butterfield’s success in obtaining JS’s discharge, JS hoped that the federal attorney could turn his attention to Rockwell’s plight. On 18 March, JS wrote to Butterfield asking several questions concerning legal strategy and sent member to deliver the missive to Butterfield in Chicago.
received JS’s letter on 27 March 1843 and wrote a response the same day. Although Butterfield declined to act as 's lawyer, he advised that the church hire local counsel in , outlined the legal issues and questions that the case presented, and answered JS’s questions to the degree he could. As requested, Butterfield sent his reply to JS with . Huntington arrived in on 2 April and presumably delivered Butterfield’s letter the same day. It is unknown whether JS responded to the letter.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “Orrin Porter Rockwell,” Daily Missouri Republican (St. Louis), 6 Mar. 1843, [3]; see also Historical Introduction to Letter from Isaac Galland, 11 Mar. 1843.

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

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 4 Jan. 1843.

  3. [3]

    Letter to Justin Butterfield, 18 Mar. 1843.

  4. [4]

    JS, Journal, 2 Apr. 1843.

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March 27th 1843.
Genl Joseph Smith
My Dear Sir
I have just Received your favor of the 18th instant by . I regret extremely that should have had the imprudence or misfortune to run into the Lions den. It is a case of much difficulty, and will give you and your friends much trouble. I fear that it will not be in my power to render much assistance, in this case. I will however proceed to answer your letter in detail and give you the best advice in my power— I am not acquainted with the Attorney whom has employed, I have no doubt but he is a very Respectable Lawyer, it appears from what you inform me he has written to you, that he has taken very proper steps in demanding of the that be protected from personal violence; and in advising a change of the venue to some County where less excitement will be likely to prevail than in the where the offence was committed— I suppose that it will be difficult if not impossible to procure a fair trial in any of the Adjoining Counties, that great prejudice exist against the Mormons in — in order to combat those prejudices as much as possible it would be adviseable to have able and influential counsel associated with [p. 1]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Justin Butterfield, 27 March 1843
ID #
2799
Total Pages
8
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:120–125
Handwriting on This Page
  • Justin Butterfield

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Huntington departed Nauvoo on 19 March 1843. (JS, Journal, 19 Mar. 1843.)

  2. [2]

    Rockwell was arrested on 5 March 1843 while passing through St. Louis on his way to Nauvoo. (“Orrin Porter Rockwell,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 6 Mar. 1843, [3]; see also “Part 1: March 1843.”)

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

  3. [3]

    See Letter to Justin Butterfield, 18 Mar. 1843; and Richard Blennerhassett, St. Louis, MO, to Newel K. Whitney, Nauvoo, IL, 7 Mar. 1843, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.

    Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.

  4. [4]

    Considerable hostility toward the church existed in Missouri, resulting in the removal of church members from Jackson, Clay, Caldwell, and other counties and ultimately from the state in 1839. (See Historical Introduction to Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833; Historical Introduction to Letter to William W. Phelps and Others, 25 July 1836; and “Part 3: 4 November 1838–16 April 1839.”)

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