Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843, John Frierson Copy
Source Note
[JS and others], Memorial, , Hancock Co., IL, to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, , 28 Nov. 1843; handwriting of ; docket in handwriting of ; six pages; JS Office Papers, CHL.
event raised the whole in Arms, and we were required forthwith to Surrender our arms and leave the . Fifty-one guns were given up, which have never been returned or paid for to this day. Parties of the mob, from 30 to 70 in number, then scoured the Country in every direction, threatening and abusing women and Children, until they were forced, first to take shelter in the woods and prairies at a very inclement Season of the year, and finally to make their escape to , where the people received them kindly and administered to theirwants. permitted them to take refuge for a time. After the Society had left County, their buildings, amounting to about two hundred, were either burned or other wise destroyed, with a great portion of their crops, as well as furniture, stock, &c. for which they have not as yet received any remuneration.
The Society remained in , nearly three years, when in Compliance with the suggestions <demands> of the Citizens there, it was determined to remove to that Section of Country, known afterwards as . In order to secure our people from molestation, the members of the Society bought out most of the former inhabitants of what is now , and also entered much of the wild land, then belonging to the in that Section of Country, fondly hoping that as we were American Citizens, obeying the laws, and assisting the to support the government, that we would be protected in the use of homes which we had honestly purchased from the general government, and fully paid for. Here we were permitted to enjoy peace for a Season, but as our Society increased in numbers, and settlements were made in and Carrol[l] Counties, unfounded jealousies sprung up among our neighbors, and the spirit of the mob was soon manifested again. The People of our Church who [p. [3]]