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Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 October 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Adams Co., IL, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 23 Oct. 1843; handwriting and signature of ; two pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, enclosure, wafer seal, and dockets. Included enclosure (not extant).
Bifolium measuring 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm). The bifolium appears to have been manufactured specially for letter writing; the recto of the first leaf is ruled with twenty-six lines printed in blue ink with header space, the verso of the first leaf and the recto of the second are ruled with twenty-eight printed lines with no header space, and the verso of the second leaf was left blank for addressing. The letter was inscribed on the recto and verso of the first leaf; the recto of the second leaf is blank. The document was folded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. There is a hole on the second leaf, probably from when the letter was opened, and wafer residue remains. The bifolium was later refolded for filing. The letter apparently also included two enclosures: a copy of a letter from to Franklin H. Elmore (not extant) and a circular promoting ’s presidential campaign, bifolium measuring 9¾ × 7⅞ inches (20 × 25 cm).
’s 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. , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865, docketed the letter a second time. The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The letter’s early dockets, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Jacob Bond I’On et al., Charleston, SC, to “Dear Sir,” 23 Sept. 1843, in JS Office Papers, CHL. Frierson’s letter was later printed in the Nauvoo Neighbor. (John Frierson, Quincy, IL, to Franklin H. Elmore, 12 Oct. 1843, in Nauvoo Neighbor, 5 June 1844, [2]–[3].)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  2. [2]

    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–.

  3. [3]

    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.

  4. [4]

    “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.

  5. [5]

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

Historical Introduction

On 23 October 1843, member wrote a letter from , Illinois, to JS in , Illinois, encouraging him to enlist the aid of surveyor Colonel , a Quincy resident with political connections in , in the Latter-day Saints’ efforts to petition Congress for reparations for their expulsion from in 1838 and 1839. Heywood had resided in Quincy, where he worked in the mercantile business, since 1839. In 1842, he was after hearing JS preach in Nauvoo. While in Quincy, Heywood conversed with Frierson about the Saints’ plight, and Frierson proved sympathetic. With this letter to JS, Heywood began to act as a liaison between Frierson and JS. Heywood introduced Frierson, sent political documents, and suggested that JS and the Saints utilize Frierson and his connections to present a new memorial to Congress to gain redress for suffering and property losses in Missouri.
The Saints had sought redress from government officials since 1833, when they were violently forced from their lands in , Missouri. After the Saints experienced more difficulties in that state and while he was imprisoned in March 1839, JS instructed the Saints to collect affidavits of their “suffering and abuses” as well as property losses and submit their case to the “ Court.” The Saints eventually wrote hundreds of affidavits that were presented to the federal government. In June 1839, JS crafted his “Bill of Damages,” claiming $100,000 worth of lost property and other expenses. JS and others went to in late 1839 to present their case to federal government officials. They were rebuffed by President , and their first memorial to Congress sat unconsidered in a legislative committee. In January 1842, Latter-day Saints again petitioned Congress for reparations but were again unsuccessful. Heywood’s letter suggested it was time to petition again.
’s 23 October 1843 letter bears no postal markings and was likely hand delivered. Along with this missive, Heywood forwarded a copy of a letter from to former South Carolina congressman Franklin H. Elmore and a circular supporting ’s presidential campaign.
JS discussed these letters at a meeting with other church leaders in on 2 November before responding to that day. In his reply, JS informed Heywood that the three documents were received and “duly considered.” He also accepted Heywood’s proposition to enlist ’s assistance. In response, Heywood helped arrange Frierson’s visit to Nauvoo in late November 1843.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 25 Nov. 1843.

  2. [2]

    “Heywood, Joseph Leland,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:646.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

  3. [3]

    See, for example, Historical Introduction to Letter, 30 Oct. 1833; and Revelation, 16–17 Dec. 1833 [D&C 101:76–88].

  4. [4]

    Letter to Edward Partridge and the Church, ca. 22 Mar. 1839; Letter to Emma Smith, 21 Mar. 1839.

  5. [5]

    Bill of Damages, 4 June 1839.

  6. [6]

    “Part 2: 8 November 1839–25 January 1840”; “Part 3: 27 January–8 April 1840”; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.

  7. [7]

    Elias Higbee et al., Memorial to Congress, 10 Jan. 1842, photocopy, Material Relating to Mormon Expulsion from Missouri, CHL; compare Edward Partridge, Memorial to U.S. Congress, ca. Jan. 1839, Edward Partridge, Papers, CHL.

    Material Relating to Mormon Expulsion from Missouri, 1839–1843. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2145.

    Edward Partridge, Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892.

  8. [8]

    Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1017; Jacob Bond I’On et al., Charleston, SC, to “Dear Sir,” 23 Sept. 1843, in JS Office Papers, CHL. The Elmore letter is not extant, but it was reprinted in the Nauvoo Neighbor. (John Frierson, Quincy, IL, to Franklin H. Elmore, 12 Oct. 1843, in Nauvoo Neighbor, 5 June 1844, [2]–[3].)

    Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–1989: The Continental Congress September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States from the First through the One Hundredth Congresses March 4, 1789, to January 3, 1989, Inclusive. Edited by Kathryn Allamong Jacob and Bruce A. Ragsdale. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989.

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  9. [9]

    The other men present at the meeting were Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, John Taylor, and William Clayton. (JS, Journal, 2 Nov. 1843.)

  10. [10]

    Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843.

  11. [11]

    JS, Journal, 25 and 26 Nov. 1843.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 October 1843 *History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 October 1843
ID #
1186
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D13:216–220
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