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Letter from Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844

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Letter from Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844

Source Note

, Letter, , Lee Co., Iowa Territory, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 23 June 1844; handwriting and signature of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, dockets, and use marks.
Single leaf measuring 11 × 8⅝ inches (28 × 22 cm). The letter was written in blue ink, trifolded twice in letter style, addressed in blue ink, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer, the remnants of which are on the recto and verso. The letter was torn when it was opened. 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 also 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 letter was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 it had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets, its listing in the circa 1904 inventory, 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, [3], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 23 June 1844, attorney wrote a letter from , Iowa Territory, to JS in , Illinois, declining JS’s request for legal assistance. JS had been charged with in connection with the 10 June destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor’s press, and governor had demanded that JS answer the charge in , Illinois. JS wrote to Johnstone on 23 June and requested his assistance at his riot hearing, scheduled to take place on 24 June.
In his reply, explained that he would be unable to attend JS’s hearing, because previous business engagements required his presence elsewhere. Although he was unable to personally assist JS, Johnstone introduced the courier to a friend who could take his place. This was presumably his law partner, , who ultimately served as one of JS and ’s attorneys in .
It seems that initially intended to send this letter via a “Mr. Adams,” the same individual who delivered JS’s letter to him, likely member . However, Johnstone apparently crossed out Adams’s name on the addressing and replaced it with ’s. Reid left for on 24 June and arrived before JS, who reached Carthage that night around midnight. If Reid carried the letter, he could have delivered it, or at least informed JS of its contents, upon JS’s arrival. If someone other than Reid carried the letter, it is possible that JS received it in , the address on the letter, or while traveling from Nauvoo to Carthage. It is, however, unknown whether JS received this letter, and if he did receive it, it is uncertain when and where he did.

Footnotes

  1. Letter to Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844.

  2. Stiles, Recollections and Sketches, 269, 326; “The Prophet’s Last Written Word,” in Caleb Forbes Davis, Scrapbooks, 8:328, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City; Hugh T. Reid, “Statement of Facts!,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 30 June 1844, [1]; Hugh T. Reid, “Statement of Facts!,” Times and Seasons, 1 July 1844, 5:561.

    Stiles, Edward H. Recollections and Sketches of Notable Lawyers and Public Men of Early Iowa. Des Moines, IA: Homestead Publishing, 1916.

    Davis, Caleb Forbes. Scrapbooks, 1882–1898. 10 vols. Special Collections, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

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

  3. Years later, Johnstone described the man who visited him as “a peripatetic p[r]eacher and play actor among the Mormons. He was the head of a strolling theatrical company who administered to histronic tastes during week days and to the spiritual wants of his hearers on Sundays.” George J. Adams was an actor in the eastern United States before joining the church, and he was noted as a compelling preacher. Additionally, both Vilate Murray Kimball and Zina Huntington Jacobs reported that Adams preached in Nauvoo on 23 June, which suggests he was available to deliver Johnstone’s letter. (“The Prophet’s Last Written Word,” in Caleb Forbes Davis, Scrapbooks, 8:327–328, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City; Amann, “Saga of George J. Adams,” 479; “The American Colony at Jaffa,” New-York Times [New York City], 19 Aug. 1867, 6; “Great Discussion on Mormonism,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:863–865; Letter from Benjamin Winchester, 8 Aug. 1842; Historical Introduction to Letter from George J. Adams and David Rogers, 11 Oct. 1842; JS, Journal, 25 Apr. 1844; Vilate Murray Kimball, Nauvoo, IL, to Heber C. Kimball, Baltimore, MD, 9, 11, and 24 June 1844, [4], Kimball Family Correspondence, CHL; Zina Huntington Jacobs, Diary, 23 June 1844.)

    Davis, Caleb Forbes. Scrapbooks, 1882–1898. 10 vols. Special Collections, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.

    Amann, Peter. “Prophet in Zion: The Saga of George J. Adams.” New England Quarterly 37 (Dec. 1964): 477–500.

    New York Times. New York City. 1857–.

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

    Kimball Family Correspondence, 1838–1871. CHL. MS 6241.

    Young, Zina Diantha Huntington. Diaries, 1844–1845, 1886, 1889. CHL. MS 6240.

  4. Welch, “Joseph Smith’s Iowa Quest for Legal Assistance,” 135–136; Hugh T. Reid, “Statement of Facts!,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 30 June 1844, [1]; Hugh T. Reid, “Statement of Facts!,” Times and Seasons, 1 July 1844, 5:561; Willard Richards, Journal Excerpt, 23–27 June 1844; see also Historical Introduction to Letter from William Clayton, 26 June 1844.

    Welch, John W. “Joseph Smith’s Iowa Quest for Legal Assistance: His Letters to Edward Johnstone and Others on Sunday, June 23, 1844.” BYU Studies 57, no. 3 (2018): 111–142.

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

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

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter from Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844
History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

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Sunday Evening
June 23rd 1844
Genl. Joseph Smith
Sir:
I have this moment recd. your favor of this day per the hands of Mr. Adams. I regret to say in reply that I am now awaiting every moment a boat for , whither my business requires me to go, & which of course will deter me from acceding to your request— I have introduced Mr. Adams to a friend, who is entirely c[o]mpetent to do full justice to your cause.
In great haste
Yours respectfully
, Iowa [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Edward Johnstone, 23 June 1844
ID #
1440
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Edward Johnstone

Footnotes

  1. Likely George J. Adams.

  2. On 24 June, James W. Woods informed JS that “Mr Johnson [Edward Johnstone] had gone East.” In a later reminiscence, Johnstone indicated that he intended to travel to Pennsylvania. (Letters from Hugh T. Reid and James W. Woods, 24 June 1844; “The Prophet’s Last Written Word,” in Caleb Forbes Davis, Scrapbooks, 8:327, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.)

    Davis, Caleb Forbes. Scrapbooks, 1882–1898. 10 vols. Special Collections, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City.

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