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Letter from David Thomas, 31 March 1838

Source Note

David Thomas

12 May 1797–25 Apr. 1845. Born at Flat Rock District, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Richard Thomas and Elizabeth Bowles. Married Martha Parker, 17 Mar. 1816. Migrated to Carrollton, Carroll Co., Missouri, 1833. With Henry Root, landowner at De Witt, Carroll...

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, Letter,
Pleasant Park

Village (no longer exists) located about three miles west of De Witt. Included post office, 1835–1882. Resident David Thomas wrote to JS, 31 Mar. 1838, offering part of his land in area for possible settlement.

More Info
, Carroll Co., MO, to JS, [
Far West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

More Info
, Caldwell Co., MO], 31 Mar. 1838. Featured version copied [ca. mid- or late Apr. 1838] in JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838, pp. 26–28; handwriting of
George W. Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high...

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; CHL. Includes use marks. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.

Historical Introduction

David Thomas

12 May 1797–25 Apr. 1845. Born at Flat Rock District, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Richard Thomas and Elizabeth Bowles. Married Martha Parker, 17 Mar. 1816. Migrated to Carrollton, Carroll Co., Missouri, 1833. With Henry Root, landowner at De Witt, Carroll...

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, a land speculator in Carroll County, Missouri, wrote to JS on 31 March 1838, suggesting that the Latter-day Saints purchase land in that area. Thomas, who had apparently met JS and his wife
Emma Smith

10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...

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, offered to sell the Saints a part of his land near
De Witt

Located on bluffs north of Missouri River, about six miles above mouth of Grand River. Permanently settled, by 1826. Laid out, 1836. First called Elderport; name changed to De Witt, 1837, when town acquired by speculators David Thomas and Henry Root, who ...

More Info
. Thomas also introduced JS to
Henry Root

14 June 1813–9 Apr. 1895. Auctioneer, merchant, banker. Born at Clinton, Upper Canada. Son of Henry Ruth and Marie Overholt. Purchased interest in town of Eldersport (later De Witt), Carroll Co., Missouri, 1837. Sold lots in De Witt to Latter-day Saints. ...

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, another Carroll County landowner who was interested in selling land to the Saints. Root reportedly visited with JS and
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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in the next few days. Later, church leaders met with Thomas and Root and eventually agreed to purchase land from Root at De Witt, where Latter-day Saints proceeded to settle.
1

See Sidney Rigdon, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, pp. [2]–[3], Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; and [Rigdon], Appeal to the American People, 36–37; see also Perkins, “Prelude to Expulsion,” 264–268; Baugh, “Call to Arms,” 144–145; and LeSueur, “Missouri’s Failed Compromise,” 140–144.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo, IL. Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 16800.

Perkins, Keith W. “De Witt—Prelude to Expulsion.” In Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Missouri, edited by Arnold K. Garr and Clark V. Johnson, 261–280. Provo, UT: Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University, 1994.

Baugh, Alexander L. “A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1996. Also available as A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2000).

LeSueur, Stephen C. “Missouri’s Failed Compromise: The Creation of Caldwell County for the Mormons.” Journal of Mormon History 31, no. 3 (Fall 2005): 113–144.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Sidney Rigdon, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, pp. [2]–[3], Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; and [Rigdon], Appeal to the American People, 36–37; see also Perkins, “Prelude to Expulsion,” 264–268; Baugh, “Call to Arms,” 144–145; and LeSueur, “Missouri’s Failed Compromise,” 140–144.

    Nauvoo, IL. Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 16800.

    Perkins, Keith W. “De Witt—Prelude to Expulsion.” In Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Missouri, edited by Arnold K. Garr and Clark V. Johnson, 261–280. Provo, UT: Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University, 1994.

    Baugh, Alexander L. “A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1996. Also available as A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2000).

    LeSueur, Stephen C. “Missouri’s Failed Compromise: The Creation of Caldwell County for the Mormons.” Journal of Mormon History 31, no. 3 (Fall 2005): 113–144.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter from David Thomas, 31 March 1838 Journal, March–September 1838

Page 28

a line from you at any time will be thankfully Received through the mail or otherwise
D.T.

12 May 1797–25 Apr. 1845. Born at Flat Rock District, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Richard Thomas and Elizabeth Bowles. Married Martha Parker, 17 Mar. 1816. Migrated to Carrollton, Carroll Co., Missouri, 1833. With Henry Root, landowner at De Witt, Carroll...

View Full Bio
I expect
Mr. Root

14 June 1813–9 Apr. 1895. Auctioneer, merchant, banker. Born at Clinton, Upper Canada. Son of Henry Ruth and Marie Overholt. Purchased interest in town of Eldersport (later De Witt), Carroll Co., Missouri, 1837. Sold lots in De Witt to Latter-day Saints. ...

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is on the buisness which I have named to you in this, We have consulted on this buisness by others——
David Thomas

12 May 1797–25 Apr. 1845. Born at Flat Rock District, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Richard Thomas and Elizabeth Bowles. Married Martha Parker, 17 Mar. 1816. Migrated to Carrollton, Carroll Co., Missouri, 1833. With Henry Root, landowner at De Witt, Carroll...

View Full Bio
[p. 28]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from David Thomas, 31 March 1838
ID #
383
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
JSP, D6:61–66
Handwriting on This Page
  • George W. Robinson

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