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Letter to Benjamin F. Johnson, 18 April 1843

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Letter to Benjamin F. Johnson, 18 April 1843

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , , Hancock Co., IL, 18 Apr. 1843; handwriting of ; signature of JS by ; one page; private possession, photocopy at CHL. Includes address. Transcription from photocopy.
Bifolium, measurements unknown. The letter, which was a reply to the 16 April 1843 letter wrote to JS, was inscribed on the blank recto of the second leaf of Johnson’s original letter. The letter was trifolded twice in letter style and addressed. The document has experienced marked separation and tearing along some of the folds, resulting in the loss of some text.
The letter was presumably received by , kept by him, and passed down in his family, apparently remaining in the continuous possession of his descendants. In 1999, the Church Historical Department (now CHL) obtained a photocopy of the document. Multiple hole punches at the left and top edges indicate that the photocopy is generations removed from what appears to be a photograph of the two letters together.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Benjamin F. Johnson, Macedonia, IL, 18 Apr. 1843, photocopy, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 18 April 1843, JS answered a letter wrote to him on 16 April about renting property in , Illinois. Johnson desired to rent a house presumably owned by JS, though its location is unclear. was living in the house when the letter was written. In his reply, JS granted Johnson’s request and asked him to care for and improve the property as though it were his own.
wrote JS’s reply on the same piece of paper that contained the letter sent to JS. Johnson had asked that JS send a reply by the same unnamed “bearer” with whom Johnson had sent the request. This request and the absence of any postal markings indicate that the letter was transmitted to Johnson by courier. Johnson likely received it either later in the day on 18 April or on 19 April. Nothing further is known regarding the rental arrangement.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Letter from Benjamin F. Johnson, 16 Apr. 1843.

  2. [2]

    Although Johnson was a church agent in Macedonia, it appears this was a personal transaction. (See Historical Introduction to Letter from Benjamin F. Johnson, 16 Apr. 1843; and Minutes, 13 Mar. 1843.)

  3. [3]

    Letter from Benjamin F. Johnson, 16 Apr. 1843.

Page [1]

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April 18th. 1843
Dr Sir:/—
In answer to the within I have only to say that you can have the premi[se]s referred to according to your request. No one is m[or]e welcome and especially as there is a [pro]spect of such arrangement advancing my own in[te]rest.
I desire you to put the fence &c in good repair and take the best care of the premises as though they were your own and by so doing confer a favor on me and secure a blessing to yourself.
Yours very respectfully Joseph Smith
Mr [p. [1]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Benjamin F. Johnson, 18 April 1843
ID #
1642
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:215–216
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    TEXT: “premi[page torn]s”. Text missing because of damage here and in the rest of the document has been supplied from context.

  2. [2]

    TEXT: “m[page torn]e”.

  3. [3]

    TEXT: “[page torn]spect”.

  4. [4]

    TEXT: “in[page torn]rest”. Johnson told JS in his 16 April letter that his purpose in renting the house “may adva[n]ce your inters [interest] with my own.” (Letter from Benjamin F. Johnson, 16 Apr. 1843.)

  5. [5]

    Johnson informed JS that “the premices are i[n] a very b[a]d condition & very much need repair[s] the fences are torn to pieces & every thing is at Loose ends.” (Letter from Benjamin F. Johnson, 16 Apr. 1843.)

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