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Letter from Peter Hess, 16 February 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Philadelphia Co., PA, to , JS, and the , [, Hancock Co., IL], 16 Feb. 1843; handwriting of ; four pages; CHL.
Bifolium measuring 12⅜ × 7½ inches (31 × 19 cm) when folded. The paper is ruled with thirty-four printed horizontal lines (now faded). Embossed in the upper right corner of the first leaf’s recto is “J. AMES” inside a decorative oval. The letter was inscribed in an unconventional manner, beginning on the final page of the bifolium, from there proceeding to the first and second pages, on the first leaf, and concluding on the third page, on the second leaf. The letter was folded twice horizontally and then once vertically.
The document was in JS’s possession on 27 May 1843, when JS read it to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. By 1973 a photocopy of the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The original letter was cataloged at the CHL in 2012. The inclusion of a photocopy of the document in the JS Collection by 1973 suggests continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The embossment may be that of D. & J. Ames, a paper mill. (Whiting, “Paper-Making in New England,” 309; Gravell et al., American Watermarks, 235.)

    Whiting, William. “Paper-Making in New England.” In The New England States: Their Constitutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, edited by William T. Davis, vol. 1, pp. 303–333. Boston: D. H. Hurd, 1897.

    Gravell, Thomas L., George Miller, and Elizabeth Walsh. American Watermarks: 1690–1835. 2nd ed. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2002.

  2. [2]

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 27 May 1843.

  3. [3]

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

  4. [4]

    See the full bibliographic entry for Peter Hess, Letter, Philadelphia, PA, to Hyrum Smith, 16 Feb. 1843, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 16 February 1843, wrote from to , JS, and the at , Illinois, to report on discontent and division in the Philadelphia of the . Problems had plagued the branch since at least 1841, when its administrative power was divided between , who presided over the branch, and fellow member , who was chosen to “take charge of the financial affairs.” Conflicts and divisions over branch leadership ultimately created a schism. In January 1842, branch members loyal to Winchester rented a room on the third floor of an assembly building located on the southwest corner of Tenth and Chestnut streets, where they held worship services apart from the other members, who continued to meet in a building on Third Street in the Northern Liberties district. Problems escalated during an April 1842 when, under Winchester’s leadership, the branch voted “that the head quarters of the Presiding authorities of this Church shall be at the assembly buildings in Chesnut St, and that all other places for preaching in this City shall be under the directions and control of those authorities.” In response, members of the Philadelphia branch who attended meetings on Third Street sent a petition to JS asking that he establish a second branch in the city.
The new branch appointed its own leaders, including , to take charge beginning in September 1842. The following month, and visited the branch and urged that the entire branch be reorganized to “begin anew.” Hess was retained as and received instructions regarding how to handle disputes within the branch. Branch members agreed to continue meeting at the Third Street location “until a more commodious one can be obtained in a more central situation.” During a December conference, branch members vowed to forget past difficulties.
Following the December 1842 meeting, evidently wrote to to explain that the past difficulties had dissipated. Hess’s enthusiasm was short lived, however, as again generated discontent, this time by pushing for the excommunication of the Third Street branch members. He was specifically charged with “trying to injure the reputation” of , whom he had accused of criminal behaviors. Both Hess and missionary disagreed with Winchester’s assertions, preferring to put former difficulties behind them.
Evidently written as a follow-up to an earlier letter to , which is apparently no longer extant, this 16 February 1843 letter from described the deteriorating conditions within the branch during early 1843. To provide further evidence of the continuing difficulties in the branch, Hess copied part of the minutes of a branch meeting held 14 February. The minutes described a young woman in the branch who had been charged with prostitution and had subsequently accused two other branch members of operating and employing her in an oyster house that also served as a brothel, as was common among oyster houses in early . It is not entirely clear what the branch leadership decided regarding the young woman’s membership, but the minutes reveal a significant level of dysfunction within the branch.
closed the letter with two postscripts addressed to JS. The first postscript identified as the chief source of division in the branch and implored JS to call him back to . The second assured JS that he would soon receive additional letters containing more details regarding Winchester’s actions and the problems that plagued the branch.
The lack of addressing and postal markings suggests that the letter was sent with a courier or mailed in an envelope that is not extant. Assuming the letter was mailed soon after it was written, JS and presumably received it sometime in early to mid-March. indicates that on 10 March he wrote a letter to on JS’s behalf. The letter Clayton referenced may have been a reply to that is no longer extant. JS later shared the contents of Hess’s letter with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a meeting to discuss the Philadelphia branch on 27 May 1843. Ultimately, was censured for his conduct in the branch.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 6 Apr. 1841.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  2. [2]

    “Progress of Mormonism,” Hartford (CT) Daily Courant, 4 Jan. 1842, [2]; Smith, “History of Philadelphia Branch,” 111.

    Hartford Daily Courant. Hartford, CT. 1840–1887.

    Smith, Walter W. “History of Philadelphia Branch.” Journal of History 12 (Jan. 1919): 111–118.

  3. [3]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 14 Apr. 1842.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  4. [4]

    Petition from James B. Nicholson and Others, 22 Apr. 1842.

  5. [5]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 14 Sept. 1842.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  6. [6]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 15 Oct. 1842.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  7. [7]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 21 Dec. 1842.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  8. [8]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 12 Apr. 1842.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  9. [9]

    Because oyster houses were eating establishments that were generally associated with taverns and brothels, they were highly regulated by most eastern states, generally requiring town-issued licenses to operate. (See, for example, “Police of London,” Baltimore Gazette and Daily Advertiser, 8 Dec. 1827, [1]; “The Tavern Licensing System,” North American [Philadelphia], 6 Nov. 1845, [2]; Burnap, Lectures to Young Men, 132; An Act Enabling the Town-Councils in this State, to Grant Licenses for Retailing Strong Liquors, and for Other Purposes, Public Laws of the State of Rhode-Island, 295–296; and Lobel, “Emergence and Evolution of the Restaurant,” 214–217.)

    Baltimore Gazette and Daily Advertiser. Baltimore. 1825–1838.

    North American and Daily Advertiser. Philadelphia. 1839–1845.

    Burnap, George W. Lectures to Young Men, on the Cultivation of the Mind, the Formation of Character, and the Conduct of Life: Delivered in Masonic Hall, Baltimore. 2nd ed. Baltimore: John Murphy, 1841.

    The Public Laws of the State of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, as Revised by a Committee, and Finally Enacted by the Honorable General Assembly, at Their Session in January, 1822. . . . Providence, RI: Miller and Hutchens, 1822.

    Lobel, Cindy R. “‘Out to Eat’: The Emergence and Evolution of the Restaurant in Nineteenth- Century New York City.” Winterthur Portfolio: A Journal of American Material Culture 44, nos. 2 and 3 (Summer/Fall 2010): 193–220.

  10. [10]

    Clayton, Journal, 10 Mar. 1843.

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  11. [11]

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 27 May 1843.

Page [3]

another trial and plunge the church into another scene of fight and Quarreling and now my firm belief is from the trowling of the waters that there is a secret spring in this the source from whence has originated this latter difficulty in the church and if it was removed the church would go <​move​> forward in her majesty and streng[t]h in this and multitudes upon multitude would come forward and Embrace the gospel but as things now stand, there is stumbling blocks and impediments in the way which hinders those from entering who otherwise would and weakens the faith of many of the saints i would here mention that whenever i call a meeting of the to transact business this (secret spring) that is absent from <​nearly​> all <​other​> meetings thrusts himself in where he is not wanted
And i will now give you a specimen <​in the following​> of the strange sense of Justice which they have that is <​was​> manifested in a meeting i recently called) which is as follows) Minutes of the above meeting) Pursuant to an adjouned <​adjou[r]nment​> made the officers of the church met at my house on tuesday the 14th to try the case of Sister Miller as being a public prostitute i will here state the circumstances which led to this trial Brother [Isaac] Stathem has for some time been Keeping a Kind of tave[r]n and oyster house in this for prostitutes and their associates to resort Sister Miller a young girl from the country went to live with them believing them to be Saints but according to her statement she had not been there but a little while before sister stathem formed a plan with some gamblers that visited <​an​> or abandoned wretches to prostitute this helpless an unoffending sister who had been cast off by her parents and thrown upon the world cold charity of the world for the faith she had espoused thus claiming pity we he she was betrayed by a fiend professing to be a saint of God Pardon me if i should grow warm on this subject for as my pen drops ink my soul burns with indignation at the mere recital of it i will now give you the Evidence and rote taking direct from the minutes} Elder Newton} testified that Sister stathem told him that sister Miller would go along with the men that come to her house and said sister miller was a bad girl} testimony) sister stathem told me that sister Miller was a common girl and would go along with any man} sister Hollys testimony this sister Lived in the House she says that Girls boarded in the House and paid 4 dollars a week board and that they were common prostitu[te]s for they told her so themselves and that women would come there and call for Liquor and stathem would sell it to them and they [p. [3]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Peter Hess, 16 February 1843
ID #
993
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:435–442
Handwriting on This Page
  • Peter Hess

Footnotes

  1. [11]

    Official members was a term used to designate men holding a priesthood office. (Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835.)

  2. [12]

    A record of Philadelphia branch members listed Hess’s address as “York Road below Callowhill St.” (Philadelphia Branch Membership Record, 22–23.)

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record. Verso of Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  3. [13]

    The Philadelphia branch record merely states that “Sister Miller presented charges” against another branch member at the 14 February 1843 meeting. (Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 14 Feb. 1843.)

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  4. [14]

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record, 2.

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record. Verso of Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  5. [15]

    The entry in the Philadelphia branch record for 14 February 1843 notes that Miller “presented charges against Sister Stathem for 1st Defamation of character & 2nd Profane language.” (Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 14 Feb. 1843.)

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  6. [16]

    Likely Joseph Newton. (Philadelphia Branch Membership Record, 4–5.)

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record. Verso of Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  7. [17]

    Possibly Catherine Hawley. (Philadelphia Branch Membership Record, 22–23.)

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record. Verso of Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

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