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Letter to Jesse B. Thomas, 26 June 1844–B

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Letter to Jesse B. Thomas, 26 June 1844–B

Source Note

on behalf of JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , [, Adams Co., IL], 26 June 1844. Featured version copied [26 June 1844]; handwriting of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes dockets and notation.
Single leaf measuring 9⅝ × 7¾ inches (24 × 20 cm). The leaf was hand cut along the left side of the recto, which suggests that it was removed from a book or larger sheet. The letter was folded in half then trifolded for filing. It was later refolded and filed again.
The document was docketed by , who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844. It was later docketed again by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865. At some point, it was again docketed by an unidentified scribe. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets and later inclusion in the JS Collection suggest continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

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

Historical Introduction

On 26 June 1844, wrote a letter from , Hancock County, Illinois, on behalf of JS, to Judge , presumably in , Adams County, Illinois, petitioning him to travel to Nauvoo to preside at a hearing for JS and on 27 June. On the morning of 25 June, prior to a scheduled hearing on a charge, JS and Hyrum Smith were arrested on charges of against the state of . Later that day, around three o’clock in the afternoon, JS wrote to his wife that he had learned that intended to “march his army to Nauvoo” and that he would be permitted to accompany the governor. That evening, JS and Hyrum Smith were committed to the jail, in , by virtue of a mittimus issued in connection with their arrest on the treason charges.
The following morning, after traveling from to , told that JS wanted him “to send a messenger for as he [JS] expected to come to Nauvoo tomorrow & the with him.” Clayton immediately wrote this letter to Thomas to ask him to travel to Nauvoo on 27 June and oversee a hearing for JS. Clayton further stated that he was authorized to say that Thomas would be compensated for his travel expenses. On the same day that Clayton wrote this letter to Thomas, JS dictated a similar letter to Thomas from the jailhouse in Carthage.
Before sending the letter to , made a copy of it to keep among JS’s papers in . Clayton added a docket on the back that explicitly identified this version of the document as a “Copy.” After making the copy, Clayton sent the original to Thomas by way of a courier named Hathaway. Writing to JS around this same time, Clayton explained that a messenger who would carry the letter was “about to start forthwith to Judge Thomas.” It is not known if Thomas received the letter. There is no known reply.
The letter sent to is apparently not extant. The copy of the letter made by is featured here.

Footnotes

  1. Historical Introduction to Warrant, 24 June 1844; Willard Richards, Journal Excerpt, 23–27 June 1844.

  2. Letter to Emma Smith, 25 June 1844. It is possible that this letter was never actually sent to Emma.

  3. Willard Richards, Journal Excerpt, 23–27 June 1844; Hugh T. Reid, “Statement of Facts!,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 30 June 1844, [1]; Hugh T. Reid, “Statement of Facts!,” Times and Seasons, 1 July 1844, 5:562.

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  4. Clayton, Journal, 26 June 1844.

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

  5. Letter to Jesse B. Thomas, 26 June 1844–A.

  6. Clayton, Journal, 26 June 1844. The courier may have been William Stillman Hathaway, who had previously conducted business with JS. (Clayton, Journal, 15 Nov. 1843; see also “William Stillman Hathaway, 1800–?,” Individual Record, FamilySearch Ancestral File [Ancestral File no. LHT8-XQK].)

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

    FamilySearch Ancestral File. Compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.familysearch.org/search/family-trees.

  7. Letter from William Clayton, 26 June 1844.

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June 26th. 1844
To the Honorable To the Honorable
.
Dear Sir: I have this morning received instructions from General Joseph Smith who is now at to dispatch a messenger to your Honor and respectfully request your Honor to come to and meet him here as soon as possible.
The who brought me the instructions informs me that the is coming with Genl Smith tomorrow and the case is to be tried before your Honor in this place.
I am authorized to say that if you will come without delay your expenses shall be paid and you will confer a favor on Mr Smith will be <​which​> will be appreciated and long remembered.
In haste I have the honor to be Dear Sir your obedient servant
Clerk for Joseph Smith [1/4 page blank] [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Jesse B. Thomas, 26 June 1844–B
ID #
1595
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton
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