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Letter to Thomas Ford, 14 June 1844

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Letter to Thomas Ford, 14 June 1844

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , , Sangamon Co., IL, 14 June 1844; handwriting of and ; signature of JS; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, dockets, redaction, use marks, and notations.
Bifolium measuring 9⅝ × 7¾ inches (24 × 20 cm). The first three pages are vertically ruled with a graphite line that was hand-drawn down the left side of the page. The letter was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer, remnants of which are on both sides of the final leaf. The document was later refolded for filing.
The letter was docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from December 1841 until JS’s death in June 1844 and served as church historian from December 1842 until his own death in March 1854. It was later 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 notation “A.J.” was added 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 document’s early dockets, its inclusion in the circa 1904 inventory, its notation, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

  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, [4], 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 14 June 1844, JS wrote from , Illinois, to governor in , Illinois, regarding the 10 June decision of the Nauvoo City Council to shut down the Nauvoo Expositor. After a posse led by Nauvoo city marshal the newspaper, JS and several others had been arrested in Nauvoo on 12 and 13 June on a charge of , but they were subsequently discharged by the Nauvoo Municipal Court on writs of . Meanwhile, mobs began collecting nearby in both and , Illinois, with the intention “to come up[o]n Nauvoo”—perhaps to kill JS or haul him to trial at Carthage. Facing the danger of a mob lynching, JS and others wrote various letters to Governor Ford on 14 June to explain the city’s actions.
JS wrote his 14 June letter in the morning, dictating it to , one of his scribes. The letter gave “the particulars of the proceedings of the City Council in relation to declaring the press of the Expositor a nuisance.” JS first denounced the character and aims of the men who founded the Expositor. He argued that the newspaper was established to destroy the civil and religious liberties of ’s citizens, which made it a public nuisance and necessitated its removal. To justify the decision to abate the Expositor, JS cited eighteenth-century British legal expert William Blackstone, as well as the incorporating acts of the cities of and Nauvoo. JS emphasized that carried out the order “without riot, noise, tumult, or confusion,” which Blackstone deemed critical to the lawful abatement of any nuisance. While JS tried to convince Ford of the legality of the proceedings at Nauvoo, he also pledged his willingness to stand trial at Springfield should Ford feel that further investigation was necessary.
To corroborate JS’s statement, at least three others wrote letters to to accompany JS’s letter. wrote to affirm the validity of JS’s account, stating that he had “been an eye and ear witness” of the scenes JS described. He argued that the destruction of the Expositor took place “in the most quiet and orderly manner, without the least noise, riot or tumult” and that the posse was immediately dismissed “when the nuisance was abated.” similarly explained that the newspaper was “inflamatory and abusive to an extreme” and had increased the county’s “excitement to a degree beyond control and threatened serious consequences.” He insisted that the council had acted in favor of “the peace and quiet” of , that the press was destroyed “without tumult or disorder,” and that the city had been “perfectly quiet ever since,” despite threats from the ’s enemies at and . Finally, Nauvoo visitor Dr. from wrote that the details in JS’s letter were “true in every particular” and that Nauvoo authorities acted properly in destroying the Expositor, which had constituted “a nusiance of the worst character.” Wakefield also attested to JS’s good character and conduct during Wakefield’s stay in Nauvoo.
JS’s and the others’ letters were sent to with , a member of the . James was instructed to deliver them personally to Ford at and was authorized “to negociate with him” for the “protection and safety” of JS and the City Council. Before James left Nauvoo, one of JS’s clerks evidently made a copy of JS’s letter to retain in Nauvoo. James started for on 15 June but was delayed due to “bad roads, high watters, and loss of bridges” caused by recent rainstorms. At the urging of a group of the church’s opponents from , Ford left for to investigate the destruction of the Expositor on 17 June, one day before James arrived in Springfield. Consequently, did not read a copy of this letter until 22 June. On 21 June, JS sent and to meet with Ford at Carthage regarding the Expositor’s destruction. To aid their efforts, JS sent them with several affidavits and copies of letters, including the retained copy of this letter, which they delivered the following morning. Taylor remembered that Ford “opened and read a number of the documents himself,” though he was “frequently interrupted” by others surrounding him who objected to the statements in the letters, claiming they were falsehoods. On 24 June, James returned to Nauvoo from Springfield with the original letter still in his possession. Two days later he and others were subpoenaed to bring the papers they had carried to Springfield—including the original copy of this letter—to the courthouse in Carthage on 29 June as a part of an investigation into a treason charge against JS. Owing to JS’s murder on 27 June, the hearing was canceled, and James retained possession of this letter until 30 June, when he delivered it to . The original letter is featured here.

Footnotes

  1. See “Joseph Smith Documents from 16 May through 28 June 1844”; Minutes, 8 June 1844; and Minutes, 10 June 1844.

  2. Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 12 June 1844; Docket Entry, ca. 13 June 1844; JS, Journal, 12–13 June 1844; see also Clayton, Journal, 12 June 1844.

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

  3. Writing in JS’s diary on 11 June, Willard Richards recorded, “Runners have gone in diff[er]ent directi[o]ns to get up a mob.” (JS, Journal, 11 and 13 June 1844; “Unparalleled Outrage at Nauvoo,” and “Further Particulars from Nauvoo,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 12 June 1844, [2].)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  4. JS, Journal, 14 June 1844.

  5. 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.

  6. William Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 14–22 June 1844.

  7. Blackstone, Commentaries, vol. 2, bk. 3, pp. 4–5.

    Blackstone, William. Commentaries on the Laws of England: In Four Books; with an Analysis of the Work. By Sir William Blackstone, Knt. One of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas. In Two Volumes, from the Eighteenth London Edition. . . . 2 vols. New York: W. E. Dean, 1840.

  8. John M. Bernhisel, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 14 June 1844, [1], JS Office Papers, CHL.

  9. Sidney Rigdon, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 14 June 1844, [2], Sidney Rigdon, Collection, CHL.

  10. John R. Wakefield, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 14 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL; see also Letter to John R. Wakefield, 23 June 1844; and Letter from John R. Wakefield, ca. 24 June 1844.

  11. Sidney Rigdon, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 14 June 1844, [1], Sidney Rigdon, Collection, CHL; JS, Journal, 15 June 1844; Samuel James, Nauvoo, IL, to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 30 June 1844, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL. James was appointed a member of the Council of Fifty on 19 March 1844 and shortly after his appointment went on a brief mission to Springfield along with Cyrus Eddy to transact business on the council’s behalf. (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 19 and 21 Mar. 1844.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

  12. John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, 22, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, CHL.

  13. Samuel James, Nauvoo, IL, to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 30 June 1844, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; see also John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, 16, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, CHL.

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

  14. In his History of Illinois, Ford noted that on 17 June he determined to investigate the matters in Nauvoo personally after a group from Carthage requested “that the militia might be ordered out to assist in executing process in the city of Nauvoo.” The Sangamo Journal confirms that Ford left for Carthage that same day. (Ford, History of Illinois, 324; Samuel James, Nauvoo, IL, to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 30 June 1844, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; “Mormon Troubles,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 27 June 1844, [3].)

    Ford, Thomas. A History of Illinois, from Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the Black Hawk War, the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy Riots, and Other Important and Interesting Events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs; New York: Ivison and Phinney, 1854.

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  15. John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, 17, 22, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, CHL.

  16. Samuel James, Nauvoo, IL, to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 30 June 1844, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; Willard Richards, Journal Excerpt, 23–27 June 1844.

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to Thomas Ford, 14 June 1844
History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

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June 14, 1844.
His Excellency .
Sir— I write you this morning, briefly to inform you of the facts relative to the removal of the press and fixtures of the “Nauvoo Expositor[”] as a nuisance,
The 8th. and 10th. instant were spent by the city council of in receiving testimony concerning the character of the Expositor, and the character and designs of the proprietors.
In the investigation it appeared evident to the council that the proprietors were a set of unprincipled men, lawless, debouchees, counterfeiters, Bogus Makers, Gamblers, peace disturbers, and that the grand object of said proprietors was to destroy our constitutional rights and chartered privileges; to overthrow all good and wholesome regulations in society; to strengthen themselves against the Municipality; to fortify themselves against, Against the of which I am a member and destroy all our religious rights and privileges, by libels, slanders, falsehoods, perjury, sticking at no corruption to accomplish their hellish purposes. And that said paper of itself was libelous of the deepest dye, and very injurious as a vehicle of defamation,— tending to corrupt the morals, and disturb the peace, tranquillity and happiness of the whole community, and especially that of .
After a long and patient investigation of the character of the Expositor, and the characters and designs of its proprietors there of.— the constitution, the charter. [p. [1]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Thomas Ford, 14 June 1844
ID #
1396
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • John McEwan

Footnotes

  1. John McEwan handwriting begins.

  2. Minutes, 8 June 1844; Minutes, 10 June 1844.

  3. The city council heard testimony from several individuals, including Lorenzo D. Wasson, Cyrus Hills, and Orrin Porter Rockwell, concerning the alleged illegal and immoral activities of William and Wilson Law, Chauncey L. and Francis M. Higbee, Robert D. and Charles A. Foster, and other dissenters in Nauvoo. JS argued that the Expositor and those who founded it were “treasonable again[s]t all charterd right, privileges, peac[e], and happiness of the city.” (Minutes, 8 June 1844; Minutes, 10 June 1844.)

  4. In the prospectus of the Nauvoo Expositor, the publishers stated that they deemed it “a sacred duty they owe to their country and their fellow citizens, to advocate, through the columns of Expositor, the Unconditional REPEAL of the NAUVOO CITY CHARTER.” They further stated that they would advocate “free toleration to every man’s Religious sentiments, and sustain ALL in worshiping their God according to the monitions of their consciences” but that in doing so, they would oppose “the Insupportable OPPRESSIONS of the MINISTERIAL powers, in carrying out the Unjust, Illegal, and Unconstitutional Ordinances” of the city charter. (Prospectus of the Nauvoo Expositor [Nauvoo, IL: 10 May 1844], copy at CHL, emphasis in original.)

    Nauvoo Expositor Prospectus. Nauvoo, IL: ca. 10 May 1844. Copy at CHL.

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