Footnotes

1. [1]

   Hotchkiss, Gillet, and Tuttle were land speculators from Connecticut who bought land in northwestern Illinois in 1836. Hotchkiss and Gillet purchased the land mentioned in this 12 August 1839 bond from Alexander White in June 1836. This land was originally set aside by the federal government as bounty land to be sold to men who held a military commission during the War of 1812. (Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. B, p. 322, microfilm 954,192, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Anthony Hoffman, Rushville, IL, to John Reid, Argyle, NY, 1 Nov. 1833, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield, IL.)

   U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

   Hoffman, Anthony. Letter, Rushville, IL, to John Reid, Argyle, NY, 1 Nov. 1833. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield, IL.

2. [2]

   In previous months, church agents had purchased smaller tracts of land in Illinois from Isaac Galland and Hugh White, as well as larger ones in Iowa Territory from Galland. (See, for example, Agreement with George W. Robinson, 30 Apr. 1839. For information on the other 12 August 1839 land transaction, see Bond from Horace Hotchkiss, 12 Aug. 1839–B.)

3. [3]

   Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 955.

   Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

4. [4]

   All of the notes are extant. (See Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–A; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–B; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–C; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–D; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–E; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–F; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–G; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–H; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–I; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–J; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–K; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–L; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–M; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–N; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–O; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–P; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–Q; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–R; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–S; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–T; Promissory Note to Horace Hotchkiss, 12 August 1839–U; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–A; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–B; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–C; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–D; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–E; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–F; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–G; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–H; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–I; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–J; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–K; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–L; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–M; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–N; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–O; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–P; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–Q; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–R; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–S; Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–T; and Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 August 1839–U.)

5. [5]

   An 1841 report by unidentified church agents noted that “$3000 are now due to Mr Hotchkiss being the first payment of Int.” An 1841 letter written by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and printed in the church newspaper listed $53,500 as the amount the church owed for its August 1839 land transactions with Hotchkiss; the letter also noted that interest was accumulating on the promissory notes. The $53,500 appears to combine the two 12 August 1839 bonds made with Hotchkiss, with $50,000 representing the principal for the bond featured here and $3,500 representing the amount specified in the second bond. Therefore, the annual payments of $1,500 mentioned in the featured bond likely represent interest payments. (“Report of the Agents of the Church for Buying and Selling Land in Nauvoo,” ca. Jan. 1841, JS Office Papers, CHL; “An Epistle of the Twelve,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1841, 2:568.)

   Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

6. [6]

   See Promissory Note to John Gillet and Smith Tuttle, 12 Aug. 1839.

7. [7]

   JS et al., Quitclaim Deed, Nauvoo, IL, to Smith Tuttle et al., 7 July 1843, in Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. 12 G, p. 299, microfilm 954,195, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.