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Letter from Luther Hickok, 6 June 1844

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Letter from Luther Hickok, 6 June 1844

Source Note

, Letter, , Sangamon Co., IL, to JS or , , Hancock Co., IL, 6 June 1844; handwriting and signature presumably of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, docket, and use marks.
Bifolium measuring 9⅝ × 7¾ inches (24 × 20 cm). Embossed in the upper left corner of the recto of the first leaf is a decorative oval containing the name “J. AMES”. The recto of the first leaf is ruled with twenty-six horizontal lines (now faded); the verso of the first leaf and the recto of the second leaf are similarly ruled with twenty-eight lines (now faded). The verso of the second leaf is partially ruled with twenty-six horizontal lines (now faded). The document was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer, the remnant of which is on the verso of the second leaf. The document retains holes from staples, which have since been removed. The document was later trifolded for storage.
The letter was docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865. The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 it had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The letter’s early docket, its listing in the circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. The paper likely came from one of the Massachusetts or Connecticut paper mills owned by David and John Ames. (Gravell et al., American Watermarks: 1690–1835, 235; Weeks, History of Paper-Manufacturing in the United States, 124–126.)

    Gravell, Thomas L., George Miller, and Elizabeth Walsh. American Watermarks: 1690–1835. 2nd ed. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2002.

    Weeks, Lyman Horace. A History of Paper-Manufacturing in the United States, 1690–1916. New York: Lockwood Trade Journal, 1916.

  2. Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  3. “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [3], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL. The circa 1904 inventory lists a document identified as “L. W. Hickole to” under the year 1844.

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

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

Historical Introduction

On 6 June 1844, wrote a letter from , Illinois, to JS or in , Illinois, reporting that he and had arrived safely in Springfield and that was attempting to obtain an indictment against members of the Nauvoo Municipal Court from a federal grand jury. Jeremiah Smith had been indicted for financial fraud against the government and traveled to Nauvoo to avoid prosecution. He was eventually found and arrested twice through the efforts of Johnson, a former United States marshal, and Hickok, a physician, who were deputized to pursue Smith.
’s arrests culminated in two hearings before the Municipal Court on 30 May. During these proceedings, vocally defied the court’s authority, emphasizing that it did not have jurisdiction in the case, it being a federal case, and ridiculed Smith’s claim to a writ of habeas corpus issued by the municipal court. also disputed the court’s claim to authority to hold Smith as its prisoner, informing the court that “he had a writ from , and should consider Smith his prisoner until he was compelled to give him up.” The court discharged Smith in both hearings, after which Hickok requested a copy of the court’s proceedings, presumably to pursue a legal challenge to the ruling, and Johnson allegedly threatened to muster dragoons from to apprehend Smith. disregarded the court’s decision and took Smith to to appear before Pope.
Upon arriving in , wrote the letter featured here to warn JS and the other members of the municipal court about ’s efforts so they could prepare appropriately. Hickok addressed it to JS, who presided over the municipal court as chief justice, or , the clerk of the municipal court. Hickok’s motive for writing this letter remains unclear, especially because he, like , disregarded the decision of the Nauvoo Municipal Court to discharge Smith from arrest. However, given that he stated at the end of his letter that all people should be treated with equity and justice, Hickok may have written it because he gauged Johnson’s actions to be unjust or extreme. , one of ’s attorneys in , also wrote to JS on 6 June, similarly relaying information about Johnson’s efforts to obtain an indictment from a federal grand jury.
In a postscript, informed JS that he would deliver the letter to him via an “Elder Wright”—presumably an in the . It took at least three days to travel from to . Hickok’s letter arrived in Nauvoo by 11 June 1844 at the latest, when read it to JS at the . JS instructed Richards to respond, but no response has been located.

Footnotes

  1. See Docket Entry, 18–31 May 1844; Docket Entry, 30–31 May 1844; and Jordan, “Iowa’s Puzzling Jeremiah Smiths,” 368–375, 382n52.

    Jordan, Philip D. “Iowa’s Puzzling Jeremiah Smiths.” Annals of Iowa 45 (Summer 1980): 352–383.

  2. Docket Entry, 18–31 May 1844; Docket Entry, 30–31 May 1844.

  3. JS, Journal, 30 May 1844; Affidavit from Henry T. Hugins, 31 May 1844.

  4. See Letter of Introduction to Nathaniel Pope for Jeremiah Smith and Henry T. Hugins, 30 May 1844.

  5. Under similar circumstances the month before, JS chose to avoid arrest by going into hiding. On 20 May, JS learned that he would be summoned to appear before the Hancock County Circuit Court in Carthage, Illinois, “on compl[a]int of F[rancis] M. Higbee,” who was suing him for defamation. From 21 to 25 May, JS hid from arresting officers. (JS, Journal, 20–25 May 1844; Clayton, Journal, 21–24 May 1844; see also Historical Introduction to Pleas, ca. 28 May 1844.)

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

  6. Letter from Henry T. Hugins, 6 June 1844.

  7. See Historical Introduction to Letter from Thomas Ford, 17 Dec. 1842.

  8. JS, Journal, 11 June 1844; see also Richards, Journal, 11 June 1844.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

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Illinois June 6th 1844
Gn.— Joseph Smith,
or
Gent.—
I arrived at this place on yesterday safe and sound in Company with , who is in good health, and wishes to be remembred to you & all his friends—
I have just learne’d that. the individual who figure’d so large at this is about to present the case, or his case before the Grand jury at this place, this is to inform you of the fact that you may take the necessary precaution or do what you think advisable in the case. From what I can gather you are all to be indicted who were present in the case according to the Law of the City of —
I remain a friend to humanity, “equal rights” and justice to all mankind
P.S. I have just learned that Elder Wright is in this place and shall put this in his hands, thinking that he may act with more efficienty than the mail—
I am &c
— [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Luther Hickok, 6 June 1844
ID #
1383
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Luther Hickok

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah Smith visited Nauvoo in summer 1843 and returned to the city by late April 1844. (JS, Journal, 25 Apr. 1844; Jeremiah Smith Sr., “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 1 May 1844, [2].)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  2. Richards’s docket book entry for the hearing proceeding from the arrest effected by Johnson, which began on 16 May and was continued on 30 May, suggests that Johnson recorded the names of the municipal court members so he could bring charges against them. On 16 May, JS presided as chief justice. Associate justices were Daniel H. Wells, Newel K. Whitney, Orson Spencer, George W. Harris, Gustavus Hills, and Samuel Bennett. City marshal John P. Greene was also present. On 30 May members of the court were JS as chief justice; Spencer, Harris, Hills, Bennett, and William Marks as associate justices; and Greene as marshal. Richards acted as court clerk on both days. (Docket Entry, 18–31 May 1844; Docket Entry, 30–31 May 1844.)

  3. See Historical Introduction to Docket Entry, 18–31 May 1844.

  4. Possibly Jonathan C. Wright, who was campaigning for JS’s presidential run in Scott County, Illinois. (“Minutes of a Convention Held in the City of Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, May 17th, 1844,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 22 May 1844, [2].)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  5. Inclement weather in June caused problems with the mail delivery in Hancock County, Illinois.

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