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Letter from William S. Wright, 24 July 1842

Source Note

William S. Wright, Letter,
Carthage

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, to JS,
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, 24 July 1842; handwriting presumably of William S. Wright; one page; Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU. Includes address, docket, and archival marking.
Bifolium measuring 9⅝–9¾ × 7¾ inches (24–25 × 20 cm). The edges were unevenly cut and vary slightly in length and width. The letter was written on the recto of the first leaf. The verso of the first leaf and the recto of the second leaf were left blank. The document was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. A hole was torn in the second leaf when the letter was opened, and a remnant of the wafer is on the verso of the second leaf. Marked damage at the folds has led to some separation and loss of text.
A graphite docket in the handwriting of
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
appears on the verso of the second leaf. Clayton served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844.
1

JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.


Comprehensive Works Cited

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.

In late 1844, following JS’s death,
Newel K. Whitney

3/5 Feb. 1795–23 Sept. 1850. Trader, merchant. Born at Marlborough, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of Samuel Whitney and Susanna Kimball. Moved to Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York, 1803. Merchant at Plattsburg, Clinton Co., New York, 1814. Mercantile clerk for...

View Full Bio
became one of the interim church trustees and was appointed “first bishop” among other
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
bishops

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, Partridge functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

View Glossary
.
2

Richards, Journal, 9 Aug. 1844; “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1844, 5:693; see also Minutes, Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:30.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

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

It was presumably during this time that many of the church’s financial and other administrative records passed into his possession. This document, along with many other personal and institutional documents that Whitney kept, was inherited by Newel K. and
Elizabeth Ann Whitney

26 Dec. 1800–15 Feb. 1882. Born at Derby, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Daughter of Gibson Smith and Polly Bradley. Moved to Ohio, 1819. Married Newel K. Whitney, 20 Oct. 1822, at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio. Shortly after, joined reformed Baptist (later Disciples...

View Full Bio
’s daughter Mary Jane Whitney, who was married to Isaac Groo. The documents were passed down within the Groo family. Between 1969 and 1974, the Groo family donated their collection of Newel K. Whitney’s papers to the J. Reuben Clark Library (renamed Harold B. Lee Library in 1973) at Brigham Young University.
3

Andrus and Fuller, Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers, 24.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Andrus, Hyrum L., and Chris Fuller, comp. Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers. Provo, UT: Division of Archives and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, 1978.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.

    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.

  2. [2]

    Richards, Journal, 9 Aug. 1844; “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1844, 5:693; see also Minutes, Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:30.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

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

  3. [3]

    Andrus and Fuller, Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers, 24.

    Andrus, Hyrum L., and Chris Fuller, comp. Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers. Provo, UT: Division of Archives and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, 1978.

Historical Introduction

On 24 July 1842, William S. Wright wrote from
Carthage

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...

More Info
, Illinois, the seat of
Hancock County

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

More Info
, to JS in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Illinois, advising the Latter-day Saints to vote for
William D. Abernethy

8 Apr. 1801–3 July 1850. Postmaster, storekeeper, sheriff, farmer. Born in Harwinton, Litchfield Co., Connecticut. Son of William Conant Abernethy and Azubah Dexter. Moved with family to Jacksonville, Morgan Co., Illinois. Cofounded Augusta, Hancock Co., ...

View Full Bio
as Hancock County sheriff and
Joseph Duncan

22 Feb. 1794–15 Jan. 1844. Soldier, politician. Born at Paris, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Duncan and Anna Maria McLaughlin. Presbyterian. Served in War of 1812. Moved to Kaskaskia, Randolph Co., Illinois, 1818. Moved to Jackson Co., Illinois, by...

View Full Bio
as governor in the upcoming election. Abernethy, however, was actually running for school commissioner, and both he and Duncan were known opponents of the Latter-day Saints.
1

Abernethy was running for school commissioner on the Anti-Mormon ticket. Duncan had publicly voiced his opposition to the Latter-day Saints’ involvement in politics. (“August Election,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 23 July 1842, [3]; “From the Alton Telegraph and Review,” Times and Seasons, 1 June 1842, 3:806; “Governor Duncan,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 10 June 1842, [3]; Editorial, Wasp, 2 July 1842, [4]; see also Ford, History of Illinois, 269.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

Ford, Thomas. A History of Illinois, from Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the Black Hawk War, the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy Riots, and Other Important and Interesting Events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs; New York: Ivison and Phinney, 1854.

Wright’s identity is unclear, although he had requested a loan from JS in a letter written three days earlier.
2

Letter from William S. Wright, 21 July 1842. A William Wright was living in McDonough County, Illinois, in the early 1840s. This Wright was apparently not a church member and does not appear to have had prior contact with JS, although it is possible that he authored the featured letter. (1840 U.S. Census, McDonough Co., IL, 206; Land Patents for William S. Wright, McDonough Co., IL, nos. 12588, 16378, General Land Office Records, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

General Land Office Records. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior. Digital images of the land patents cited herein are available at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.

This may have been the William S. Wright who was later convicted in the
District of Columbia

Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...

More Info
of obtaining money under false pretenses.
3

See Historical Introduction to Letter from William S. Wright, 21 July 1842.


The letter has no postal markings and was probably hand delivered to JS, presumably by someone other than Wright. The letter could have arrived within a day after it was written, since
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
is approximately fifteen miles northwest of
Carthage

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...

More Info
. No reply from JS is extant.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Abernethy was running for school commissioner on the Anti-Mormon ticket. Duncan had publicly voiced his opposition to the Latter-day Saints’ involvement in politics. (“August Election,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 23 July 1842, [3]; “From the Alton Telegraph and Review,” Times and Seasons, 1 June 1842, 3:806; “Governor Duncan,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 10 June 1842, [3]; Editorial, Wasp, 2 July 1842, [4]; see also Ford, History of Illinois, 269.)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

    Ford, Thomas. A History of Illinois, from Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the Black Hawk War, the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy Riots, and Other Important and Interesting Events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs; New York: Ivison and Phinney, 1854.

  2. [2]

    Letter from William S. Wright, 21 July 1842. A William Wright was living in McDonough County, Illinois, in the early 1840s. This Wright was apparently not a church member and does not appear to have had prior contact with JS, although it is possible that he authored the featured letter. (1840 U.S. Census, McDonough Co., IL, 206; Land Patents for William S. Wright, McDonough Co., IL, nos. 12588, 16378, General Land Office Records, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.)

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

    General Land Office Records. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior. Digital images of the land patents cited herein are available at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.

  3. [3]

    See Historical Introduction to Letter from William S. Wright, 21 July 1842.

Page [1]

Carthage

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...

More Info
July 24th 1842
Freind Smith
Hon sir although I am not capable of councelling you I wish to state that I have been in this place and have found by talking freely with inteligent men that it will be highly to the intrest of your
Legion

A contingent of the Illinois state militia provided for in the Nauvoo city charter. The Nauvoo Legion was organized into two cohorts: one infantry and one cavalry. Each cohort could potentially comprise several thousand men and was overseen by a brigadier...

View Glossary
under present circumstances
1

In late June 1842, after John C. Bennett’s disaffection and amid spreading rumors of JS’s potential extradition to Missouri, JS became concerned about a mob attack and wrote Illinois governor Thomas Carlin for advice. Carlin believed the Saints had little to fear but suggested that they take a defensive stance if such an attack occurred. The next week, JS said the Nauvoo Legion’s mission was “to defend ourselves and families from mobs.” In light of these events, JS and the Saints hoped to elect a governor who would authorize their use of the legion if needed. On 25 July, JS wrote to Carlin again, seeking orders to call out the legion in the event of an attack. JS’s 25 July 1842 letter to Carlin has not been located. (Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 30 June 1842; JS, Journal, 4 July 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 27 July 1842.)


to cast your votes for
W[illiam] D Abernethy

8 Apr. 1801–3 July 1850. Postmaster, storekeeper, sheriff, farmer. Born in Harwinton, Litchfield Co., Connecticut. Son of William Conant Abernethy and Azubah Dexter. Moved with family to Jacksonville, Morgan Co., Illinois. Cofounded Augusta, Hancock Co., ...

View Full Bio
for sheriff he is up again.
2

William D. Abernethy had previously served as Hancock County sheriff but was running for school commissioner in 1842. Abernethy did not win the election and received very few votes from Nauvoo citizens. (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 272, 449; “Official Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 13 Aug. 1842, [3].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

and sir as I feel <​for​> and will do all I can for your rights I would tell you as an honorable friend to vote for
[Joseph] Duncan

22 Feb. 1794–15 Jan. 1844. Soldier, politician. Born at Paris, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Duncan and Anna Maria McLaughlin. Presbyterian. Served in War of 1812. Moved to Kaskaskia, Randolph Co., Illinois, 1818. Moved to Jackson Co., Illinois, by...

View Full Bio
3

Joseph Duncan, the Whig candidate for governor, had served a prior term as Illinois governor. Democratic candidate Thomas Ford beat Duncan, who received only a handful of votes from Nauvoo citizens. (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 447, 449; Pease, Illinois Election Returns, 127; “Official Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 13 Aug. 1842, [3].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

Pease, Theodore Calvin, ed. Illinois Election Returns, 1818–1848. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Historical Library, 1923.

Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

he is not against your Legion as stated
4

In an early May 1842 address, Duncan warned about Latter-day Saint military prowess, which drew a response from the editors of the Times and Seasons, who defended the existence of the Nauvoo Legion. (See Times and Seasons, 1 June 1842.)


any by your voteing in your Legion for him you will get the Blessings of the Whigh
5

The Latter-day Saints’ political allegiance had shifted from the Democrats to the Whigs after Martin Van Buren rebuffed JS when he sought help in obtaining redress for Latter-day Saint losses in Missouri in 1839. The Saints shifted back to the Democrats when Stephen A. Douglas freed JS from an extradition attempt in the summer of 1841. In a late May 1842 meeting, JS stated he would not support either party. On 2 July, in the lead-up to the 1842 state election, JS called for independent candidates who opposed the principles of the Anti-Mormon Party. Despite such statements, the Saints overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates in the 1842 election. (Minutes, 26 May 1842; Letter to the Citizens of Hancock County, ca. 2 July 1842; “Election Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 6 Aug. 1842, [2]; “Official Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 13 Aug. 1842, [3].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

and they are the salvation of the good faith and order of the
county

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

More Info
he will get it no mistakes
Yours Truly
W[illiam] S. Wright
Write me at
Jacksonville

Town located in west-central Illinois. Founded 1825. Established as county seat, 1825. Population in 1850 about 2,800. Camp of Israel expedition camped near town, 31 May–1 June 1834. Kirtland Camp passed through town en route to Missouri, 17 Sept. 1838.

More Info
Ill
6

Jacksonville is located in Morgan County, Illinois. An individual named William Wright was living in Morgan County in 1840. (1840 U.S. Census, Morgan Co., IL, 414.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

[p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from William S. Wright, 24 July 1842
ID #
891
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:306–308
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Wright

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    In late June 1842, after John C. Bennett’s disaffection and amid spreading rumors of JS’s potential extradition to Missouri, JS became concerned about a mob attack and wrote Illinois governor Thomas Carlin for advice. Carlin believed the Saints had little to fear but suggested that they take a defensive stance if such an attack occurred. The next week, JS said the Nauvoo Legion’s mission was “to defend ourselves and families from mobs.” In light of these events, JS and the Saints hoped to elect a governor who would authorize their use of the legion if needed. On 25 July, JS wrote to Carlin again, seeking orders to call out the legion in the event of an attack. JS’s 25 July 1842 letter to Carlin has not been located. (Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 30 June 1842; JS, Journal, 4 July 1842; Letter from Thomas Carlin, 27 July 1842.)

  2. [2]

    William D. Abernethy had previously served as Hancock County sheriff but was running for school commissioner in 1842. Abernethy did not win the election and received very few votes from Nauvoo citizens. (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 272, 449; “Official Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 13 Aug. 1842, [3].)

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  3. [3]

    Joseph Duncan, the Whig candidate for governor, had served a prior term as Illinois governor. Democratic candidate Thomas Ford beat Duncan, who received only a handful of votes from Nauvoo citizens. (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 447, 449; Pease, Illinois Election Returns, 127; “Official Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 13 Aug. 1842, [3].)

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

    Pease, Theodore Calvin, ed. Illinois Election Returns, 1818–1848. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Historical Library, 1923.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  4. [4]

    In an early May 1842 address, Duncan warned about Latter-day Saint military prowess, which drew a response from the editors of the Times and Seasons, who defended the existence of the Nauvoo Legion. (See Times and Seasons, 1 June 1842.)

  5. [5]

    The Latter-day Saints’ political allegiance had shifted from the Democrats to the Whigs after Martin Van Buren rebuffed JS when he sought help in obtaining redress for Latter-day Saint losses in Missouri in 1839. The Saints shifted back to the Democrats when Stephen A. Douglas freed JS from an extradition attempt in the summer of 1841. In a late May 1842 meeting, JS stated he would not support either party. On 2 July, in the lead-up to the 1842 state election, JS called for independent candidates who opposed the principles of the Anti-Mormon Party. Despite such statements, the Saints overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates in the 1842 election. (Minutes, 26 May 1842; Letter to the Citizens of Hancock County, ca. 2 July 1842; “Election Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 6 Aug. 1842, [2]; “Official Returns,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 13 Aug. 1842, [3].)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  6. [6]

    Jacksonville is located in Morgan County, Illinois. An individual named William Wright was living in Morgan County in 1840. (1840 U.S. Census, Morgan Co., IL, 414.)

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

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