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Letter to Thomas Ford, 16 June 1844

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Letter to Thomas Ford, 16 June 1844

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , , Sangamon Co., IL, 16 June 1844; handwriting of ; signature of JS; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, dockets, use marks, and notation.
Bifolium measuring 9⅝ × 7¾ inches (24 × 20 cm). The letter was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer, remnants of which are on the third and fourth pages. The document was later refolded for filing.
The letter was 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. A docket and graphite notation were inscribed by Andrew Jenson, who began working in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) in 1891 and served as assistant church historian from 1897 to 1941. The letter was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904. By 1973 the letter had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets and notation, its inclusion in the circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. 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.

  2. Jenson, Autobiography, 192, 389; Cannon, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891; Jenson, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891 and 19 Oct. 1897; Bitton and Arrington, Mormons and Their Historians, 47–52.

    Jenson, Andrew. Autobiography of Andrew Jenson: Assistant Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . . Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1938.

    Cannon, George Q. Journals, 1855–1864, 1872–1901. CHL. CR 850 1.

    Jenson, Andrew. Journals, 1864–1941. Andrew Jenson, Autobiography and Journals, 1864–1941. CHL.

    Bitton, David, and Leonard J. Arrington. Mormons and Their Historians. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988.

  3. “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [4], 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 16 June 1844, JS wrote a letter from , Hancock County, Illinois, to governor in , Illinois, to inform Ford of the escalating threat of mob violence against the in and to request his immediate presence in the county. Earlier that day, JS had urged the Saints to “keep cool” and to “prepare their arms for def[e]nce of the city” as there were reports that “a mob was collecting” at , Hancock County. At some point that day, , clerk of the Nauvoo Municipal Court, took a deposition from church member Thomas Wilson, who testified that the previous day he had been told that on 17 June “fifteen hundred Missourians would assemble” at , Hancock County, where they had collected weapons, including five cannons, to arm the posse. Wilson also stated that groups from Warsaw and Carthage planned to enter Nauvoo on 20 June and “demand Jos[e]ph & , and the city council of said city,” vowing to “blow up the city, and kill & exterminate all the inhabitants” if their demands were not met.
Sometime after two o’clock in the afternoon, a messenger arrived with news that clerk , who was friendly toward the Saints, “was expected to be driven out of ” the next day and that the “only way to prevent sheddi[n]g of blood was to get the Gove[r]nor in person. to come down with his staff.” The escalating dangers compelled JS to immediately send a letter to , despite his having written to him on 14 June, only two days earlier.
In his 16 June letter, JS informed of the imminent threats to expel or exterminate the Latter-day Saints and petitioned the governor to provide both protection and counsel. He pledged the help and services of the to the governor to quell the threats to the city. He asked Ford to come to immediately to investigate matters related to the City Council’s destruction of the Expositor newspaper and office and the volatile conditions that followed. He believed that such an investigation would prevent “an effusion of blood.”
In connection with this letter, JS issued a military order to , adjutant general of the Nauvoo Legion, “to proceed witho[u]t delay, to ,” deliver the letter to , and provide Ford with any other information about the circumstances at . McFall was then to return any reply from Ford to JS in Nauvoo “witho[u]t delay.” Despite the order to take this letter to Springfield, McFall “declind going” for unknown reasons. Sometime between 16 and 17 June, a clerk made a copy of this letter to retain in Nauvoo. In the afternoon of 17 June, JS sent the original letter, a copy of an affidavit, and a set of minutes to Ford in the care of , , and . JS also instructed Hunter to “Say to the Governor, under oath, everything good and bad you know of me.” That same day, however, Ford left Springfield for . Accordingly, Ford was absent when Hunter, Lewis, and Bills arrived at Springfield days later with the letter. Ford arrived in Carthage on the morning of 21 June. JS sent and to Carthage the same day to meet with Ford regarding the Expositor’s destruction. To aid their efforts, JS sent several affidavits and copies of letters, including the retained copy of this letter, with Taylor and Bernhisel.
recalled that those who opposed the Saints “frequently interrupted” as he tried to read the letters and claimed that various statements in the letters were false. Around seven o’clock in the evening on 26 June, a subpoena was issued for and to bring the original letter, as well as the affidavit and the minutes, to on 29 June. Hunter, Lewis, and returned to with the original copy of this letter on 27 June, arriving in the city around the time that JS and were murdered in . Owing to JS’s murder, the hearing was canceled and the letter remained in Nauvoo. The original letter is featured here.

Footnotes

  1. JS, Journal, 16 June 1844; Discourse, 16 June 1844–B.

  2. Thomas Wilson, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 16 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.

  3. JS, Journal, 16 June 1844.

  4. JS, Journal, 16 June 1844; Letter to Thomas Ford, 14 June 1844.

  5. See “Joseph Smith Documents from 16 May through 28 June 1844.”

  6. Military Order to Hugh McFall, 16 June 1844; JS, Journal, 16 June 1844.

  7. See John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, 17, 22, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, CHL.

  8. JS, Journal, 17 June 1844. The affidavit was presumably the one Thomas Wilson swore before Willard Richards the previous day. The minutes were possibly the minutes of the 8 and 10 June Nauvoo City Council meetings regarding the Nauvoo Expositor, which had been printed in the Nauvoo Neighbor. (Thomas Wilson, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 16 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL; Minutes, 10 June 1844; “To the Public,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1]; “To the Public,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 19 June 1844, [2]–[3].)

  9. Hunter and Hunter, “Copy of Record Written by Edward Hunter,” 7.

    Hunter, Edward, and Edward E. W. Hunter. “Copy of Record Written by Edward Hunter," no date. Typescript. Accessed 1 June 2022. http://www.georgeqcannon.com/Family%20History%20Database/All%20Family%20History%20Files/Cannon%20Family/Edward%20Hunter%20Family/Documents/Edward%20Hunter%20Self%20History.pdf.

  10. In his History of Illinois, Ford noted that on 17 June he determined to investigate the matters in Nauvoo personally after a group from Carthage requested “that the militia might be ordered out to assist in executing process in the city of Nauvoo.” The Sangamo Journal confirms that Ford left for Carthage that same day. (Ford, History of Illinois, 324; “Mormon Troubles,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 27 June 1844, [3].)

    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.

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  11. Letter from Thomas Ford, 21 June 1844.

  12. John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, 17, 22–23, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, CHL.

  13. Willard Richards, Journal Excerpt, 23–27 June 1844; see also JS, Journal, 15 June 1844.

  14. Hunter and Hunter, “Copy of Record Written by Edward Hunter,” 7. Hunter mistakenly recorded the date as 24 June.

    Hunter, Edward, and Edward E. W. Hunter. “Copy of Record Written by Edward Hunter," no date. Typescript. Accessed 1 June 2022. http://www.georgeqcannon.com/Family%20History%20Database/All%20Family%20History%20Files/Cannon%20Family/Edward%20Hunter%20Family/Documents/Edward%20Hunter%20Self%20History.pdf.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to Thomas Ford, 16 June 1844
History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

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Ill: June 16. 1844
His Excellency
Sir
I am informed from credible sources as well as from the proceedings of a public meeting at &c as published in the “Warsaw Signal” extra, that an energetic attempt is being made by some of the Citizens of this and the surrounding Counties to drive and exterminate “the ” by force of arms. And I send this information to your by a Special Messenger — Adjutant <​General— —​> who will give all particulars, and I ask at your hands, immediate council and protection—
has been here and given his advice in the Case which I shall strictly follow until I hear from your — and in all cases shall adhere to the Constitution and Laws—
The Nauvoo Legion is at your service to quell all insurrections and support the dignity of the Common weal
I wish, urgently wish your to come down in person with your Staff, and investigate the whole matter, without delay and cause peace to be restored to the Country— And I know not but this will be the only means of stopping the <​an​> effusion of blood
The information referred to above is before me, by Affidavit
I remain Sir
the friend of peace, and Your ’s humble servant
Joseph Smith
His Excellency
[p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Thomas Ford, 16 June 1844
ID #
1406
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Thomas Bullock
  • Joseph Smith Jr.

Footnotes

  1. TEXT: There is a slash mark following “Sir” that extends above and below the line.

  2. On 14 June an extra issue of the Warsaw Signal included a case for exterminating church members, stating that it was essential for the citizens of Hancock County to “put an immediate stop to the career of the mad Prophet and his demoniac coadjutors.” It suggested the community resolve “to exterminate, utterly exterminate, the wicked and abominable Mormon Leaders” and then to “take full vengeance” upon the rest of Nauvoo’s citizens, “should the lives of any of our [Warsaw’s] citizens be lost in the effort.” (Warsaw [IL] Signal, Extra, 14 June 1844, [1].)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  3. Writing in JS’s journal on 16 June, Willard Richards noted, “Judge [Jesse] Thomas came and advised we go before some Jusstice of the peace— & have an examntion [examination]. and if acquitted or bou[n]d over. would allay all excitement or cut off all legal pretext for a mob— & he would be bou[n]d to order th[e]m to keep th[e] peace.” On 17 June, JS and the other men accused of riot appeared before Nauvoo alderman and justice of the peace Daniel H. Wells. After hearing testimony, Wells discharged the prisoners. (JS, Journal, 16 June 1844; Historical Introduction to Statement, 17 June 1844.)

  4. The act incorporating Nauvoo, or Nauvoo charter, specified that the Nauvoo Legion was to be “at the disposal of the Mayor in executing the laws and ordinances of the City Corporation, and the laws of the State, and at the disposal of the Governor for the public defence, and the execution of the laws of the State or of the United States.” (Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840.)

  5. This presumably refers to the affidavit of Thomas Wilson. (See Thomas Wilson, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 16 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.)

  6. Signature of JS.

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