Docket Entry, 1–circa 6 July 1843 [Extradition of JS for Treason]
Source Note
Docket Entry, [, Hancock Co., IL, 1–ca. 6 July 1843], Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo, IL, Municipal Court 1843); Nauvoo Municipal Court Docket Book, 55–87, 116–150; handwriting of and ; CHL.
messengers arrived informing the now citizens of & , that the mob, was marching to , with their cannon with them, threatening death to the citizens, or else that should all leave . This caused other efforts to be made to get the authorities to interfere. I wrote two memorials, one to the , & one to . circuit judge imploring their assistance & intervension to protect the citizens of , against the threatened violence of the mob.— These memorials were accompanied with affidavits which could leave no doubt, on the mind of the or , that the citizens before mentioned were in imminent danger. At this time things began to assume an alarming aspect both to the citizens of & counties. Mobs were forming all around the country; declaring that they would drive the people out of the . This made our appeals to the authorities, more deeply solicitous as the danger increased & very soon after, this the mobs commenced their depredations which was a general system of plunder; tearing down fences, exposing all within the field to destruction & driving off every animal they could find.
Sometime previous to this, in consequence of the threatenings which were made by mobs, or those who were being formed into mobs and the abuses committed, by them, on the persons & property of the citizens; an association was formed, called the band.
This as far as I was acquainted with it (not being myself of the number, neither was Joseph Smith, Senior,) was for mutual protection against the bands that were forming & threatened to be formed; for the professed object of committing violence on the property & persons of the citizens of & counties. They had certain signs & words by which they could know one another either by day or night. They were bound to keep those signs & words secret; so that no other person or persons than themselves could know them. When any of these persons were assailed by any lawless band, he would make it known to others who would flee to his relief, at the risk of life. In this way they sought to defend each others lives & property, but they were strictly enjoined not to touch any person, only those were engaged in acts of violence against the persons or property of one of their own number or one of those whose life & property they had bound themselves to defend.
This organization was in existence when the mobs commenced their most violent attempts upon the citizens of the before mentioned counties, & from this association arose all the horror afterwards expressed by the mob at some secret clan known as Danites. The [p. 136]