On 1 June 1844, JS wrote a letter from , Illinois, to in that responded to Walker’s offer of assistance with JS’s military and civic projects. Not long before, JS had petitioned the Congress and the to make him a member of the army and authorize him to raise one hundred thousand volunteers to protect American citizens emigrating to and . Upon learning about JS’s plans, Walker, who was not a member of the , introduced himself in a 9 May 1844 letter. He proposed to assist JS “either in Military or Civil duty” and described his qualifications, claiming to have business experience and over a decade of military service.

In his 1 June 1844 letter of reply, JS explained that he did not know whether Congress would approve his memorial. He wrote that he was unsure how specifically could contribute to ’s development, but he expressed confidence that Walker would thrive in Nauvoo, because the city was prospering.

If this letter was mailed to , it presumably arrived in sometime in the latter half of June at the earliest. A sent copy, however, has not been located. The featured document, inscribed by , is a retained copy. No further correspondence from Walker has been located.