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Letter to Henry T. Hugins, 23 June 1844

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Letter to Henry T. Hugins, 23 June 1844

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , [, Des Moines Co., IA], 23 June 1844. Featured version copied [ca. 23 June 1844]; handwriting of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes dockets, use mark, notations, and archival marking.
Single leaf measuring 6⅜ × 7¾ inches (16 × 20 cm). The recto and verso of the leaf are ruled with seventeen horizontal lines (now faded). The top and right edges of the recto have the square cut of manufactured paper, whereas the left and bottom edges are rough, which suggests the leaf was torn or hand cut from a book or larger sheet. The document was folded horizontally and then trifolded for storage. It was later folded horizontally again for storage. It has undergone conservation.
A docket and filing notation were inscribed by , who served as a clerk for JS in 1844. It was also 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. The graphite notation “A. J” was added to the document by Andrew Jenson, who began working in the Church Historian’s Office in 1891 and served as assistant church historian from 1897 to 1941. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The letter’s dockets and filing notation, its listing in the circa 1904 inventory, its additional notation, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. See JS History, vol. F-1, 133; Nauvoo Registry of Deeds, Record of Deeds, bk. B, pp. 213–214; Source Note for Ordinance, 10 June 1844; and Source Note for Military Order to Jonathan Dunham, 10 June 1844.

  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.

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

  4. Jenson, Autobiography, 192, 389; Cannon, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891; Jenson, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891 and 19 Oct. 1897; Bitton and Arrington, Mormons and Their Historians, 47–52.

    Jenson, Andrew. Autobiography of Andrew Jenson: Assistant Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . . Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1938.

    Cannon, George Q. Journals, 1855–1864, 1872–1901. CHL. CR 850 1.

    Jenson, Andrew. Journals, 1864–1941. Andrew Jenson, Autobiography and Journals, 1864–1941. CHL.

    Bitton, David, and Leonard J. Arrington. Mormons and Their Historians. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988.

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

Historical Introduction

On 23 June 1844, JS wrote a letter from , Illinois, to attorney , presumably in , Iowa Territory, requesting legal assistance at his upcoming hearing on the charge of . JS was scheduled to appear in court on this charge the next day in , Illinois. Hugins had defended , who was accused of fraud against the government, at two hearings held on 30 May before the Nauvoo Municipal Court. JS, who presided at Smith’s hearings, was impressed with Hugins and characterized him as “a lawyer of sound principles, as well as promising talents.” Hugins then traveled to , Illinois, apparently to represent Smith, who appeared in June before a federal judge on the same charge of fraud. While in Springfield, Hugins also helped prevent former United States marshal from obtaining an indictment from a grand jury against members of the municipal court for participating in Smith’s hearings. After returning home to Burlington, Hugins apprised JS of Johnson’s failure in a 17 June letter. JS thanked Hugins for his assistance in an 18 June letter.
JS apparently directed his clerk to write the 23 June letter to on his behalf. In the letter, JS informed Hugins that he would appear before , Illinois, justice of the peace in on 24 June. JS requested that Hugins attend the hearing and bring with him the “best attorney” he could find. JS also indicated that he wanted to attend the examination as a witness. Wakefield was a traveling dentist who had recently stayed in and, having witnessed the of the Nauvoo Expositor’s press on 10 June 1844, testified in subsequent legal proceedings that the press was destroyed peaceably. He was also tasked with delivering JS’s 18 June letter to Hugins. Richards presumably composed JS’s 23 June letter to Hugins sometime after five o’clock in the afternoon. JS also sent similar letters to Wakefield and attorney . It is possible that , who likely carried JS’s letter to Johnstone in , Iowa Territory, also delivered this 23 June letter to Hugins.
There is no known response to this letter, and it remains unknown if received it. Neither Hugins nor attended the examination in . The original letter is not extant. Sometime before the letter was sent, made a copy, which is featured here.

Footnotes

  1. See “Joseph Smith Documents from 16 May through 28 June 1844.”

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

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

  4. Letter of Introduction to Nathaniel Pope for Jeremiah Smith and Henry T. Hugins, 30 May 1844; Letter from Henry T. Hugins, 6 June 1844; Letter from Henry T. Hugins, 17 June 1844; Letter to Henry T. Hugins, 18 June 1844.

  5. On 11 June 1844, Morrison issued an arrest warrant for JS and others involved in the abatement of the Nauvoo Expositor’s press, alleging that they “did on the tenth day of June instant, commit a riot” by destroying it “unlawfully & with force.” (Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 12 June 1844; see also Historical Introduction to Letter to Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844.)

  6. Historical Introduction to Letter to John R. Wakefield, 23 June 1844; Letter to Henry T. Hugins, 18 June 1844.

  7. JS and others left Nauvoo for Iowa Territory during the early hours of 23 June to avoid being taken to Carthage for an examination on the riot charge. Around midday on 23 June, JS decided to return to Nauvoo and surrender himself for trial at Carthage. He arrived in Nauvoo, the originating address on this letter, later that day. (Clayton, Journal, 22–23 June 1844; Historical Introduction to Letter to Thomas Ford, 23 June 1844; Letter from Thomas Ford, 22 June 1844.)

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

  8. Letter to John R. Wakefield, 23 June 1844; Letter to Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844.

  9. See Editorial Note; and Willard Richards, Journal Excerpt, 23–27 June 1844.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter to Henry T. Hugins, 23 June 1844 History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Henry T. Hugins, 23 June 1844
ID #
1437
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
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