To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the , in Congress assembled.

The Memorial of the undersigned Inhabitants of in the State of , respectfully sheweth.

That they belong to the , commonly called Mormons, that a portion of our people commenced settling in Missouri, in the Summer of 1831, where they purchased lands and settled upon them with the intention and expectation of becoming permanent Citizens, in Common with others.

From a very early period after the Settlement began, a very unfriendly feeling was manifested by the neighboring people, and as the Society increased, this unfriendly Spirit also increased, until it degenerated into a cruel and unrelenting persecution and the Society was at last compelled to leave the . An account of these unprovoked persecutions has been published to the world, yet we deem it not improper to embody a few of the most prominent items in this memorial and lay them before your Honorable Body.

On the 20th. of July 1833 a Mob collected at , a Deputation or Committee from which, called upon a few Members of our Church there, and stated to them that the , , and all Mechanic Shops belonging to our people must be closed forthwith, and the Society leave the immediately. These Conditions were so unexpected and so hard, that a short time was asked for to consider on the subject before an Answer could be given, which was refused, and when some of our men answered that they could not consent to comply with such propositions, the work of destruction commenced. The a valuable two Story Brick Building, was destroyed by the Mob, and with it much valuable property; they next went to the for the same purpose, but one of the Owners thereof, agreeing to close it, they abandoned their design. A series of outrages was then commenced by the Mob upon individual members of our Society; was dragged from his house and family, where he was first partially stripped of his Clothes and then tarred and feathered from head to foot. A man by the name of was also tarred at the same time. Three days afterwards the mob assembled in great numbers, bearing a red flag, and proclaiming that, unless the Society would leave “en masse,” every man of them should be killed. Being in a defenceless situation, to avoid a general [p. [1]]