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Letter to Thomas Ford, 22–23 June 1844

Source Note

JS, Letter,
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....

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, Hancock Co., IL, to
Thomas Ford

5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...

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, [
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...

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, Hancock Co., IL], 22–23 June 1844; handwriting of
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

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; dockets in handwriting of
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

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and
Thomas Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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; four pages; JS Collection, CHL.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to Thomas Ford, 22–23 June 1844
History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [1]

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....

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June 22[–23]. 12. <​oclock​> P. M. [midnight]
To his Excellency
Thomas Ford

5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...

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,
Sir, Yours of this date is received by Messrs
[John] Taylor

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodist church and was local preacher. Migrated ...

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&
[John M.] Bernhisel

23 June 1799–28 Sept. 1881. Physician, politician. Born in Sandy Hill, Tyrone Township, Cumberland Co. (later in Perry Co.), Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Bernhisel and Susannah Bower. Attended medical lectures at University of Pennsylvania, 1818, in Philadelphia...

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, and as it app Another del a part of the same delegation <​
Mr. Woo◊rth [Lucien Woodworth]

3 Apr. 1799–after 1860. Architect, laborer, carpenter. Born in Thetford, Orange Co., Vermont. Married Phebe Watrous. Moved to Ellisburg, Jefferson Co., New York, by 1830; to Missouri, by 1839; and to Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois, by 1841. Architect of Nauvoo...

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​> which who was detaind yesterdy Sta[r]ted for
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...

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at 12 noon this day date; which who <​whom​> we perceive had not arrived at your last date, some documents conveyed by him would tend to counteract the Some of the views exprssed in your
Excellency

5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...

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[’s] communication. And we feel confident of if all the facts could be before your
Excellency

5 Dec. 1800–3 Nov. 1850. Schoolteacher, newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, author. Born in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Robert Ford and Elizabeth Logue Forquer. Moved to St. Louis, 1804; to New Design (later American Bottom), Randolph...

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, you would have come to different conclusions.— “Ours insisting to be accountable only before our own Municipal court” is totally incorrect. We plead a
Habeas Corpus

“Have the body”; a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction commanding anyone having a person in custody to produce such person at a certain time and place and to state the reasons why he or she is being held in custody. The court will determine...

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as a last resort to save us from being thrown into the power of the mob<​ocrats​> which who was then rasing against <​threting [threatening]​> us, <​with death, and it was with gr[e]at reluctance we went befor the <​municipal​> court on account of the prejuidc [prejudice] which might arrise in the mi[n]ds of the unbiased,​> & we did not petition for a Habeas corpus until we had told the constable that on our lives we dare not go to
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...

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for trial, and plead with him to go before any
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 ...

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Magistrate he pleasd. in our vecintgs [vicinity], & <​which ocurrenc is common in Legal procedigs​> & not members of our society, so that our lives might be saved, from the threts <​these​> already issued, aginst us
The press was de[c]lared a nuisance under the authority of the Charter, as written an in 7th Sec of adenda, the same as in the
Springfield

Settled by 1819. Incorporated as town, 1832. Became capital of Illinois, 1837. Incorporated as city, 1840. Sangamon Co. seat. Population in 1840 about 2,600. Stake of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized in Springfield, Nov. 1840; discontinued...

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Charter,— so that if the act of declarng the press a nuisanc was unconstitutinal, we cannot <​see​> how it is that the Charter itself is not unconstitutinal. And if we have erred in judment, it is an official act & belongs to the supreme cou[r]t to corre[c]t it. & assess damage on <​vs​> the
City

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....

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to restore property abated as a nuisance. If we have arred [erred] in this thing we have done it in good company,— for Mr [William] Blackstone on Private wrongs asserts the doctrine that scurrilus prints may be abated as nuisancs.
There has As to Marshal law,— we truly say that we were ob[l]iged to call out the forges forces to protect out our lives, and the constitution guarantees to every Man that privileige, <​our​> our measures were active and effic[ie]nt, as an the necesscity of the case reqired but the
City

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....

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is & has been <​continally​> under the special drcitin [direction] of the [p. [1]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Thomas Ford, 22–23 June 1844
ID #
1434
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

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