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Letter from Wilson Law, 9 December 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to JS, [, Hancock Co., IL], 9 Dec. 1843; handwriting of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes docket.
Single leaf measuring 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm) and ruled horizontally with thirty lines printed in blue ink, now faded. The top left corner of the verso contains an illegible circular embossment. The right side of the recto was unevenly cut. The letter was inscribed on the recto, and a docket was added to the verso. The document was folded and later refolded. At some point, an unidentified scribe inscribed a mathematical calculation in graphite on the verso of the leaf.
The letter was docketed likely on or near 9 December 1843 by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844. 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 document’s early docket, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458. In December 1843, Bullock docketed and copied many of JS’s letters as well as municipal and legal documents so that copies could be forwarded to Illinois governor Thomas Ford. (See, for example, Affidavit from Daniel Avery, 28 Dec. 1843.)

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

  2. [2]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

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

  3. [3]

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

Historical Introduction

On 9 December 1843, , major general of the , wrote to JS, lieutenant general of the legion and mayor of , Illinois, requesting funds to supply some of the legion’s troops with ammunition. The previous day, JS had issued an order to Law instructing him to activate the legion to protect Nauvoo residents’ rights and to “compel obedience to the ordinances of said city” in the aftermath of the kidnappings of and . On 9 December, Law issued orders to the commanding officers of the two legion cohorts, Colonel and Brigadier General , directing them to “order out the most efficient Regiment” under their respective commands and have them assemble at JS’s home at three o’clock in the afternoon to receive ammunition. Law indicated in his order to Rich that the ammunition would be “provided at the expence of the city” with funds obtained by the colonels of the mobilized regiments from the mayor or the marshal. However, in his letter to JS, featured here, Law requested JS to authorize payment to the commanding officers of the cohorts rather than to the colonels.
The same day he received this request, JS authorized the city treasurer, , to issue sixty dollars from the treasury to the commanding officers.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Military Order to Wilson Law, 8 Dec. 1843; “Part 5: December 1843”; see also Mayor’s Order to Henry G. Sherwood, 8 Dec. 1843; and Requisition from Henry G. Sherwood, 8 Dec. 1843.

  2. [2]

    Wilson Law to Charles C. Rich, Order, Nauvoo, IL, 9 Dec. 1843, Charles C. Rich, Collection, CHL; Charles C. Rich to Hosea Stout, Order, Nauvoo, IL, 9 Dec. 1843, in Order Book, 1843–1844, 13, Nauvoo Legion Records, CHL; see also Pay Order to William Clayton for Stephen Markham and Charles C. Rich, 9 Dec. 1843. Only Law’s order to Rich is extant, but other documents indicate that Law issued a similar order to Markham.

    Nauvoo Legion Arsenal Account Book, 1844–1849. Charles C. Rich, Collection, 1832–1908. CHL.

    Nauvoo Legion Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 3430.

  3. [3]

    Wilson Law to Charles C. Rich, Order, Nauvoo, IL, 9 Dec. 1843, Charles C. Rich, Collection, CHL.

    Nauvoo Legion Arsenal Account Book, 1844–1849. Charles C. Rich, Collection, 1832–1908. CHL.

  4. [4]

    Pay Order to William Clayton for Stephen Markham and Charles C. Rich, 9 Dec. 1843.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter from Wilson Law, 9 December 1843
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [1]

.
Dec. 9th. 1843
Leiut. Genl. Joseph Smith
In consequence of the orders I received from you “To hold in readiness a suffecient portion of the &c.” To make said forces efficient it will be necessary to suply them with, munitions of war, which of course must be done at the expence of the . You will therefore please to give orders to the Commandants of Cohorts, <​on their application to you​> on the City Treasury for what ever amount you may think proper on the present occasion.
Most Respectfully Your Obet. Sert.
Major Genl. [1/4 page blank] [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Wilson Law, 9 December 1843
ID #
1223
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D13:346–347
Handwriting on This Page
  • Wilson Law

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Military Order to Wilson Law, 8 Dec. 1843.

  2. [2]

    Although the legion possessed its own independent treasury, funds from that treasury were apparently used to pay legion officers or others for specific duties. (Nauvoo Legion Minute Book, 8 July 1843, 56–57.)

  3. [3]

    The city ordinance that established the Nauvoo Legion divided it into two cohorts: the cavalry and the infantry. (Minutes, 3 Feb. 1841.)

  4. [4]

    Wilson Law’s order to Charles C. Rich promised that the “supply of ammunition” for the troops “will of course be provided at the expence of the city. On the Col. [the colonel of the martialed regiment] applying by your order, to the Mayor, or Marshal of the city for city funds.” (Wilson Law to Charles C. Rich, Order, Nauvoo, IL, 9 Dec. 1843, Charles C. Rich, Collection, CHL, underlining in original.)

    Nauvoo Legion Arsenal Account Book, 1844–1849. Charles C. Rich, Collection, 1832–1908. CHL.

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