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Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843

Source Note

JS and 3,418 others, Memorial,
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....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, to the United States Senate and House of Representatives,
Washington DC

Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...

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, 28 Nov. 1843; handwriting of
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...

View Full Bio
; signatures of memorialists; fifty-three pages; Records of the United States Senate, Record Group 46, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC. Transcription from digital images of the document provided by the National Archives, Washington DC.
The memorial was presented to Congress as one long scroll, with all the pages attached together. This website presents all of the rectos first and then all of the versos. On the verso of the first page, an unidentified scribe docketed the memorial after the pages were attached together. The remaining versos are blank except for the notation “Ramus” on the verso of page 45.

Historical Introduction

In early November 1843, in
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....

More Info
, Illinois, JS accepted a proposal from Colonel
John A. Frierson

1804–18 May 1844. U.S. surveyor, politician. Born in South Carolina. Moved to Muscatine Co., Iowa Territory, 1837. Elected to represent Muscatine, Louisa, and Slaughter counties in first Iowa territorial legislature, 1838–1839. Appointed brigadier general...

View Full Bio
to help prepare a memorial to the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

More Info
Congress on behalf of members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
. Frierson was a United States surveyor,
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
, Illinois resident, and outsider to the church who knew about and sympathized with the Saints’ suffering during the
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
persecutions of the 1830s. Having learned that JS and the Saints were planning to petition the United States Congress to secure redress for their losses, Frierson offered in October 1843 to assist with their attempt to obtain justice.
1

JS, Journal, 25 Nov. 1843; Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 Oct. 1843. Frierson was apparently well connected with members of Congress and willing to use his influence for the Saints’ benefit. In a letter dated 12 October 1843, Frierson informed erstwhile congressman Franklin H. Elmore of the Saints’ intention to petition Congress: “I have understood from one of the brethren, it is possible they may memorialize Congress at the approaching session on the subject of their wrongs in Missouri.” Frierson’s Latter-day Saint contact is not identified, but it was likely Joseph L. Heywood who acted as the liaison between Frierson and JS. (John Frierson, Quincy, IL, to Hon. Franklin H. Elmore, 12 Oct. 1843, in Nauvoo Neighbor, 5 June 1844, [3]; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774–2005, 1017; see also Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 Oct. 1843; Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–2005, the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, inclusive. Edited by Andrew R. Dodge and Betty K. Koed. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2005.

After learning of Frierson’s willingness to help the Saints petition Congress, JS wrote a letter on 2 November 1843, inviting him to come to Nauvoo.
2

Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843.


On 25 November 1843,
Frierson

1804–18 May 1844. U.S. surveyor, politician. Born in South Carolina. Moved to Muscatine Co., Iowa Territory, 1837. Elected to represent Muscatine, Louisa, and Slaughter counties in first Iowa territorial legislature, 1838–1839. Appointed brigadier general...

View Full Bio
arrived in
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....

More Info
and the next morning met with church leaders at the
Nauvoo Mansion

Large, two-story, Greek Revival frame structure located on northeast corner of Water and Main streets. Built to meet JS’s immediate need for larger home that could also serve as hotel to accommodate his numerous guests. JS relocated family from old house ...

More Info
, where he listened to several affidavits about the Saints’ treatment in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
.
3

JS, Journal, 25 and 26 Nov. 1843; Woodruff, Journal, 26 Nov. 1843. The testimonies in these affidavits were originally intended for JS’s habeas corpus trial, which took place on 1 July 1843 in Nauvoo. From these affidavits, Frierson would have learned disturbing details about the abuse that Latter-day Saints endured during the Missouri persecutions: men were whipped, women were raped, and children were compelled to flee until their feet bled. While Frierson’s memorial recounted some acts of violence against the Saints, its descriptions of persecution never approximated the graphic content of these affidavits. These details were possibly omitted because, as the memorial indicates, the Saints’ persecution “has been published to the world.” Moreover, early Americans were generally careful with their language when discussing sexual assault. For instance, the details of sexual assaults in published trial transcripts were often omitted. (Docket Entry, 1–ca. 6 July 1843, Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo Mun. Ct. 1843), Nauvoo Municipal Court Docket Book, 55; JS, Journal, 1 July 1843; see, for example, Hyrum Smith, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 3, 24; Parley P. Pratt, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 4; Brigham Young, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 2; Lyman Wight, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 6, 9; Sidney Rigdon, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, [21]–[22], Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; Block, Rape and Sexual Power in Early America, 111–112; see also George Pitkin, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

Block, Sharon. Rape and Sexual Power in Early America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.

Conversation about the Missouri experience lasted throughout the day.
4

Woodruff, Journal, 26 Nov. 1843.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

Beyond these affidavits, it is unclear what other documents Frierson had access to as he drafted the memorial.
5

JS indicated previously that he would aid Frierson’s investigation of the Saints’ treatment in Missouri by providing him “with documents and evidence to substantiate all the necessary facts.” In his journal entry for 26 November 1843, Wilford Woodruff only noted that the above affidavits were read. The entry suggests that Woodruff arrived after the meeting commenced, thereby opening the possibility that other documents were reviewed before he arrived. (Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843; Woodruff, Journal, 26 Nov. 1843.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

He likely consulted a copy of a 27 January 1840 memorial to Congress that JS,
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

View Full Bio
, and
Elias Higbee

23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...

View Full Bio
prepared because the document that Frierson helped create both follows the structure of and contains phrases from this earlier petition.
6

Elias Higbee was one of the signatories of the 27 January 1840 memorial and a member of the delegation that brought it to Washington DC. After the Senate discharged the Committee on the Judiciary from considering the memorial, Higbee informed JS that he retrieved a copy of the document. If Frierson consulted the 27 January 1840 memorial, it is likely that he used the copy that Higbee procured. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Letter from Elias Higbee, 24 Mar. 1840.)


The 27 January 1840 memorial was also the model for two other memorials to Congress dated 28 November 1840 and 10 January 1842.
7

The 28 November 1840 memorial is a nearly word-for-word copy of the 27 January 1840 memorial. Beyond the omission of a few passages, the primary difference between the 28 November 1840 and the 27 January 1840 memorials is the conclusion. The 27 January 1840 memorial closes by informing Congress that this will be the Saints’ only attempt to appeal for redress—“To your decision, favorable or otherwise, we will submit.” The 28 November 1840 memorial, however, omits this phrase in its concluding argument. The 10 January 1842 memorial is an almost identical copy of the 28 November 1840 memorial. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; “Latter-day Saints,” Alias Mormons: The Petition of the Latter-day Saints, Commonly Known as Mormons, H.R. Doc. no. 22, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess. [1840], 13; Elias Higbee et al., Memorial to Congress, 10 Jan. 1842, photocopy, Material Relating to Mormon Expulsion from Missouri, CHL; see also Edward Partridge, Memorial to U.S. Congress, ca. Jan. 1839, Edward Partridge Papers, CHL; Memorial of Ephraim Owen, Jr., H. R. Doc. no. 42, 25th Cong., 3rd Sess. [1838].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

“Latter-day Saints,” Alias Mormons: The Petition of the Latter-day Saints, Commonly Known as Mormons. House of Representatives doc. no. 22, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1840).

Material Relating to Mormon Expulsion from Missouri, 1839–1843. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2145.

Edward Partridge, Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892.

Memorial of Ephraim Owen, Jr. H.R. Doc. no. 42, 25th Cong., 3rd Sess. (1838).

Differences between the featured document and the 27 January 1840 memorial are noted in the annotations herein.
The most notable difference between this and prior memorials is the 3,419 names appended to the petition.
8

The petition also stands apart because of the brevity of its main text. While consulting with Illinois representatives in December 1839 about securing an audience with Congress, JS and Elias Higbee were advised “that a memorial and petition be drawn up in a concise manner.” Of these four memorials, the 28 November–16 December 1843 petition is the most condensed. (Letter to Seymour Brunson and Nauvoo High Council, 7 Dec. 1839.)


Efforts to collect signatures began immediately after the memorial was completed on 28 November 1843. The next day,
Frierson

1804–18 May 1844. U.S. surveyor, politician. Born in South Carolina. Moved to Muscatine Co., Iowa Territory, 1837. Elected to represent Muscatine, Louisa, and Slaughter counties in first Iowa territorial legislature, 1838–1839. Appointed brigadier general...

View Full Bio
left
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....

More Info
and returned to
Quincy

Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...

More Info
to gather signatures there.
9

JS, Journal, 28 and 29 Nov. 1843.


That afternoon, a group of Nauvoo citizens met to discuss the memorial and organize efforts to find signatories.
10

Minutes, 29 Nov. 1843. It is possible that the assessors and collectors of Nauvoo wards participated in gathering signatures. A note on the verso of one of the signature pages indicates that the names were gathered from the “1s. Ward,” suggesting that the process of collecting signatures was organized and methodical. (Minutes, 29 Nov. 1843.)


Signatures were collected on loose sheets of paper, which were then gathered and rolled up in a scroll. When unrolled, the memorial measured fifty feet.
11

Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 563.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Johnson, Clark V., ed. Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 1833–1838 Missouri Conflict. Religious Studies Center Monograph Series 16. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1992.

The memorial summarizes the experiences of the Saints in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
, from their settlement in 1831 to their expulsion beginning in 1838. It is measured in its descriptions of Missouri persecutions, providing general descriptions of suffering along with accounts of property loss. It informs members of Congress that all attempts to secure redress at the state and federal levels have failed and closes with a vague petition for relief.
On 29 November 1843, JS read the memorial to a group of
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....

More Info
citizens who gathered to discuss measures for securing redress from the
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
persecutions. When this meeting reconvened on 4 December 1843, the memorial was read again and unanimously approved by a vote of those present. On 16 December 1843, JS and the Nauvoo City Council signed the memorial.
Orson Pratt

19 Sept. 1811–3 Oct. 1881. Farmer, writer, teacher, merchant, surveyor, editor, publisher. Born at Hartford, Washington Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Moved to New Lebanon, Columbia Co., New York, 1814; to Canaan, Columbia Co., fall...

View Full Bio
, who was assigned to convey the document to
Washington DC

Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...

More Info
, left Nauvoo for the capital in March 1844.
12

Minutes, 29 Nov. 1843; Minutes, 4 Dec. 1843; and Letters from Orson Hyde, 25 and 26 Apr. 1844, in Council of Fifty, “Record,” [261]–[285].


On 5 April 1844, Senator
James Semple

5 Jan. 1798–20 Dec. 1866. Realtor, lawyer, politician, judge, farmer, postmaster, inventor, land agent. Born in Green Co., Kentucky, 5 Jan. 1798. Son of John Walker Semple and Lucy Robertson. Moved to Burkesville, Cumberland Co., Kentucky, by 1810; to Edwardsville...

View Full Bio
of
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
presented the memorial to Congress. The Senate then referred it to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which took no action in responding to the Latter-day Saint request.
13

Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 1st Session, p. 482 (1844); see also Orson Pratt, Washington DC, to Hon. John Berrien, Washington DC, 11 May 1844, in Pratt, Prophetic Almanac for 1845, 18–19; Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774–1996, 655, 1801.


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Congressional Globe, Containing Sketches of the Debates and Proceedings of the First Session of the Twenty-Eighth Congress. Vol. 13. Washington DC: Blair and Rives, 1844.

Pratt, Orson. Prophetic Almanac for 1845. Being the First after Bissextile or Leap Year. Calculated for the Eastern, Middle and Western States and Territories, the Northern Portions of the Slave States, and British Provinces. New York: Prophet Office, 1845.

Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774–1996: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States from the First through the Ninety-First Congress March 4, 1789, to January 3, 1971, Inclusive.

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...

View Full Bio
used
Frierson

1804–18 May 1844. U.S. surveyor, politician. Born in South Carolina. Moved to Muscatine Co., Iowa Territory, 1837. Elected to represent Muscatine, Louisa, and Slaughter counties in first Iowa territorial legislature, 1838–1839. Appointed brigadier general...

View Full Bio
’s text to make several copies, including the version sent to Congress, featured here with the pages of signatures attached.
14

Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, John Frierson Copy, JS Office Papers, CHL. Three of the other Bullock copies are extant, as well as a copy made by Willard Richards. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Thomas Bullock First Copy, JS Office Papers, CHL; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Thomas Bullock Second Copy, CHL; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Thomas Bullock Third Copy, Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Willard Richards Copy, JS Office Papers, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Memorial to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843. CHL. MS 27289.

Adams Family Papers, 1639–1889. Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 25 Nov. 1843; Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 Oct. 1843. Frierson was apparently well connected with members of Congress and willing to use his influence for the Saints’ benefit. In a letter dated 12 October 1843, Frierson informed erstwhile congressman Franklin H. Elmore of the Saints’ intention to petition Congress: “I have understood from one of the brethren, it is possible they may memorialize Congress at the approaching session on the subject of their wrongs in Missouri.” Frierson’s Latter-day Saint contact is not identified, but it was likely Joseph L. Heywood who acted as the liaison between Frierson and JS. (John Frierson, Quincy, IL, to Hon. Franklin H. Elmore, 12 Oct. 1843, in Nauvoo Neighbor, 5 June 1844, [3]; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774–2005, 1017; see also Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 23 Oct. 1843; Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843.)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

    Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–2005, the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, inclusive. Edited by Andrew R. Dodge and Betty K. Koed. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2005.

  2. [2]

    Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843.

  3. [3]

    JS, Journal, 25 and 26 Nov. 1843; Woodruff, Journal, 26 Nov. 1843. The testimonies in these affidavits were originally intended for JS’s habeas corpus trial, which took place on 1 July 1843 in Nauvoo. From these affidavits, Frierson would have learned disturbing details about the abuse that Latter-day Saints endured during the Missouri persecutions: men were whipped, women were raped, and children were compelled to flee until their feet bled. While Frierson’s memorial recounted some acts of violence against the Saints, its descriptions of persecution never approximated the graphic content of these affidavits. These details were possibly omitted because, as the memorial indicates, the Saints’ persecution “has been published to the world.” Moreover, early Americans were generally careful with their language when discussing sexual assault. For instance, the details of sexual assaults in published trial transcripts were often omitted. (Docket Entry, 1–ca. 6 July 1843, Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo Mun. Ct. 1843), Nauvoo Municipal Court Docket Book, 55; JS, Journal, 1 July 1843; see, for example, Hyrum Smith, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 3, 24; Parley P. Pratt, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 4; Brigham Young, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 2; Lyman Wight, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, 6, 9; Sidney Rigdon, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, [21]–[22], Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; Block, Rape and Sexual Power in Early America, 111–112; see also George Pitkin, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

    Block, Sharon. Rape and Sexual Power in Early America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.

  4. [4]

    Woodruff, Journal, 26 Nov. 1843.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  5. [5]

    JS indicated previously that he would aid Frierson’s investigation of the Saints’ treatment in Missouri by providing him “with documents and evidence to substantiate all the necessary facts.” In his journal entry for 26 November 1843, Wilford Woodruff only noted that the above affidavits were read. The entry suggests that Woodruff arrived after the meeting commenced, thereby opening the possibility that other documents were reviewed before he arrived. (Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 2 Nov. 1843; Woodruff, Journal, 26 Nov. 1843.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  6. [6]

    Elias Higbee was one of the signatories of the 27 January 1840 memorial and a member of the delegation that brought it to Washington DC. After the Senate discharged the Committee on the Judiciary from considering the memorial, Higbee informed JS that he retrieved a copy of the document. If Frierson consulted the 27 January 1840 memorial, it is likely that he used the copy that Higbee procured. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Letter from Elias Higbee, 24 Mar. 1840.)

  7. [7]

    The 28 November 1840 memorial is a nearly word-for-word copy of the 27 January 1840 memorial. Beyond the omission of a few passages, the primary difference between the 28 November 1840 and the 27 January 1840 memorials is the conclusion. The 27 January 1840 memorial closes by informing Congress that this will be the Saints’ only attempt to appeal for redress—“To your decision, favorable or otherwise, we will submit.” The 28 November 1840 memorial, however, omits this phrase in its concluding argument. The 10 January 1842 memorial is an almost identical copy of the 28 November 1840 memorial. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; “Latter-day Saints,” Alias Mormons: The Petition of the Latter-day Saints, Commonly Known as Mormons, H.R. Doc. no. 22, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess. [1840], 13; Elias Higbee et al., Memorial to Congress, 10 Jan. 1842, photocopy, Material Relating to Mormon Expulsion from Missouri, CHL; see also Edward Partridge, Memorial to U.S. Congress, ca. Jan. 1839, Edward Partridge Papers, CHL; Memorial of Ephraim Owen, Jr., H. R. Doc. no. 42, 25th Cong., 3rd Sess. [1838].)

    “Latter-day Saints,” Alias Mormons: The Petition of the Latter-day Saints, Commonly Known as Mormons. House of Representatives doc. no. 22, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1840).

    Material Relating to Mormon Expulsion from Missouri, 1839–1843. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2145.

    Edward Partridge, Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892.

    Memorial of Ephraim Owen, Jr. H.R. Doc. no. 42, 25th Cong., 3rd Sess. (1838).

  8. [8]

    The petition also stands apart because of the brevity of its main text. While consulting with Illinois representatives in December 1839 about securing an audience with Congress, JS and Elias Higbee were advised “that a memorial and petition be drawn up in a concise manner.” Of these four memorials, the 28 November–16 December 1843 petition is the most condensed. (Letter to Seymour Brunson and Nauvoo High Council, 7 Dec. 1839.)

  9. [9]

    JS, Journal, 28 and 29 Nov. 1843.

  10. [10]

    Minutes, 29 Nov. 1843. It is possible that the assessors and collectors of Nauvoo wards participated in gathering signatures. A note on the verso of one of the signature pages indicates that the names were gathered from the “1s. Ward,” suggesting that the process of collecting signatures was organized and methodical. (Minutes, 29 Nov. 1843.)

  11. [11]

    Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 563.

    Johnson, Clark V., ed. Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 1833–1838 Missouri Conflict. Religious Studies Center Monograph Series 16. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1992.

  12. [12]

    Minutes, 29 Nov. 1843; Minutes, 4 Dec. 1843; and Letters from Orson Hyde, 25 and 26 Apr. 1844, in Council of Fifty, “Record,” [261]–[285].

  13. [13]

    Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 1st Session, p. 482 (1844); see also Orson Pratt, Washington DC, to Hon. John Berrien, Washington DC, 11 May 1844, in Pratt, Prophetic Almanac for 1845, 18–19; Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774–1996, 655, 1801.

    The Congressional Globe, Containing Sketches of the Debates and Proceedings of the First Session of the Twenty-Eighth Congress. Vol. 13. Washington DC: Blair and Rives, 1844.

    Pratt, Orson. Prophetic Almanac for 1845. Being the First after Bissextile or Leap Year. Calculated for the Eastern, Middle and Western States and Territories, the Northern Portions of the Slave States, and British Provinces. New York: Prophet Office, 1845.

    Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774–1996: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States from the First through the Ninety-First Congress March 4, 1789, to January 3, 1971, Inclusive.

  14. [14]

    Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, John Frierson Copy, JS Office Papers, CHL. Three of the other Bullock copies are extant, as well as a copy made by Willard Richards. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Thomas Bullock First Copy, JS Office Papers, CHL; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Thomas Bullock Second Copy, CHL; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Thomas Bullock Third Copy, Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843, Willard Richards Copy, JS Office Papers, CHL.)

    Memorial to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 28 Nov. 1843. CHL. MS 27289.

    Adams Family Papers, 1639–1889. Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843, John Frierson Copy Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843, Willard Richards Copy Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843, Thomas Bullock First Copy
*Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 1

To the honorable the Senate and house of Representatives of the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

More Info
, in Congress assembled
The Memorial of the undersigned Inhabitants of
Hancock 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 ...

More Info
in the State of
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
respectfully sheweth:
That they belong to the Society of
Latter Day Saints

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
, commonly called Mormons,
1

This is the memorial’s only use of the term Mormon. The 27 January 1840 memorial, on the other hand, uses the terms Mormon and Mormons more frequently. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


that a portion of our people commenced settling in
Jackson County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

More Info
Missouri, in the Summer of 1831,
2

The first group of Saints to settle in Jackson County arrived in late July 1831. (Knight, History, 310–312; Parley P. Pratt et al., “‘The Mormons’ So Called,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Extra, Feb. 1834, [1].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Knight, Newel. History. Private possession. Copy in CHL. MS 19156.

where they purchased Lands and settled upon them with the intention and expectation of becoming permanent Citizens in Common with others.
3

The 27 January 1840 memorial indicated that the Saints were establishing a religious community, noting that they “erected churches” and planned on “erecting Temples.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


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
4

Missourians listed their grievances against the Saints in a circa 15 July 1833 epistle. The Saints were characterized as blaspheming God “by p[r]etending to receive revelations”; were “lazy Idle and vicious”; and were “inviting free negroes and mulatoes from other States to become mormons” in Missouri. (Whitmer, History, 39–42.)


and the Society was at last compelled to leave the
County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

More Info
.
5

Latter-day Saints were leaving Jackson County by early November 1833. (John Corrill, Liberty, MO, to Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833, The Evening and the Morning Star, Jan. 1834, 124–126.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

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.
6

Published accounts of the Jackson County conflicts from Latter-day Saints include Parley P. Pratt et al., “‘The Mormons’ So Called,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Extra, Feb. 1834, [1]–[2]; and a series titled “The Outrage in Jackson County, Missouri,” published in The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833–Mar. 1834 and May–June 1834. A more comprehensive account of the Missouri persecution appears in “A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839–Oct. 1840.


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

On the 20th. of July 1833 a mob collected at
Independence

Located twelve miles from western Missouri border. Permanently settled, platted, and designated county seat, 1827. Hub for steamboat travel on Missouri River. Point of departure for Santa Fe Trail. Population in 1831 about 300. Latter-day Saint population...

More Info
,
7

One source estimates that the size of the mob was between four hundred and five hundred people. (“To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

a deputation or Committee from which, called upon a few members of our
Church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
there,
8

In their circa 15 July 1833 epistle, Jackson County citizens indicated that they would gather at the Independence courthouse on 20 July 1833. The Jackson County delegation met with the following Missouri church leaders: Sidney Gilbert, Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, John Corrill, William W. Phelps, and John Whitmer. (Whitmer, History, 42–43; Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 10 Aug. 1833; see also Miscellany, Edward Partridge, Papers, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Partridge, Edward. Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892.

and stated to them that the
Store

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, directed A. Sidney Gilbert, Newel K. Whitney’s Ohio business partner, to establish store in Independence. Gilbert first purchased vacated log courthouse, located on lot 59 at intersection of Lynn and Lexington Streets, to...

More Info
,
Printing Office

JS revelations, dated 20 July and 1 Aug. 1831, directed establishment of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’s first printing office in Independence, Missouri. Dedicated by Bishop Edward Partridge, 29 May 1832. Located on Lot 76, on Liberty Street...

More Info
, and all Mechanic Shops belonging to our people must be closed forthwith, and the Society leave the
County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

More Info
immediately.
9

The 27 January 1840 memorial does not include the word immediately. (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


These Conditions were so unexpected and so hard, that a short time was asked for [to]
10

TEXT: Page torn.


consider on the subject before an Answer could be given,
11

The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “the ‘Saints’ asked time for deliberation, for consultation.” Missouri church leaders asked the delegation of Jackson County citizens for three months to consider their demands. When denied, they requested ten days. Ultimately, the mob gave the Saints fifteen minutes to decide. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; “To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114; Whitmer, History, 42; Corrill, Brief History, 19.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

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
Printing Office

JS revelations, dated 20 July and 1 Aug. 1831, directed establishment of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’s first printing office in Independence, Missouri. Dedicated by Bishop Edward Partridge, 29 May 1832. Located on Lot 76, on Liberty Street...

More Info
, a valuable two story brick building,
12

This building also housed church printer William W. Phelps and his family. (“To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

was destroyed by the Mob, and with it much valuable property; they next went to the
Store

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, directed A. Sidney Gilbert, Newel K. Whitney’s Ohio business partner, to establish store in Independence. Gilbert first purchased vacated log courthouse, located on lot 59 at intersection of Lynn and Lexington Streets, to...

More Info
for the same purpose, but one of the Owners thereof, agreeing to close it, they abandoned their design.
13

One of the shop’s owners, Sidney Gilbert, promised to pack up the store within three days. (“To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

A series of outrages was then commenced by the mob upon individual members of our Society;
Bishop Patridge [Edward Partridge]

27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...

View Full Bio
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
Allan [Charles Allen]

26 Dec. 1806–after 1870. Farmer, auctioneer. Born in Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Charles Allen and Mary. Married first Eliza Tibbits, ca. 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moved to Independence, Jackson Co., Missouri....

View Full Bio
was also tarred at the same time. Three days afterwards the Mob assembled in great numbers, bearing a red flag,
14

The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “bearing a red flag in token of blood.” “A History, of the Persecution” indicates that the mob carried multiple “red flags.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; [Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:18.)


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 massacre,
15

The 27 January 1840 memorial does not include the phrase “to avoid a general massacre.” (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


a treaty
16

Memorandum of Agreement, 23 July 1833, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Memorandum of Agreement, 23 July 1833. CHL.

was entered into and ratified, by which it was agreed that one half of the Society should leave the
County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

More Info
by the first of January, and the remainder by the first of April following. In October, while our people were gathering their crops and otherwise preparing to fulfil their part of the treaty,
17

The 27 January 1840 memorial does not mention gathering crops; instead, it explains that the Saints “were peaceably following the routine of their daily duties.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


the mob again collected without any provocation,
18

Persecution renewed when Missourians learned that the Saints “had petitioned the Governor for protection, and that we were about to appeal to the law for redress.” Edward Partridge’s “A History, of the Persecution” recounts “That [their recourse to self-defense], together with the petitioning of the Governor, and the employing of counsel, caused the mob to rage again.” Partridge’s history also indicates that the Saints generally did not believe they would vacate Jackson County. In addition, this persecution was preceded by an October meeting in Independence, Missouri, where those in attendance resolved that the Saints had to be removed. The 27 January 1840 memorial records that at this meeting, “Inflammatory speeches of the most violent character were made to excite the populace; and one of the speakers went so far in his denunciations as to swear ‘that he would remove the Mormons from the County, if he had to wade to his neck in blood.’” (Corrill, Brief History, 19; [Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:19; see also Pettegrew, Journal, 17; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; see also Greene, Facts relative to the Expulsion, 17.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Pettegrew, David. Journal, 1840–1857. Pettigrew Collection, 1836–1883, 1926–1930. CHL. MS 22278, box 1, fd. 1.

Greene, John P. Facts Relative to the Expulsion of the Mormons or Latter Day Saints, from the State of Missouri, under the “Exterminating Order.” By John P. Greene, an Authorized Representative of the Mormons. Cincinnati: R. P. Brooks, 1839.

shot at some of our people, whipped others,
19

Partridge’s history indicates that the mob “caught three or four of the men, and notwithstanding the cries, and entreaties of their wives and children, they whiped, and beat them in a barbarous manner.” William W. Phelps reported that the mob “nearly whipped some to death, among whom was H[iram] Page.” ([Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:19; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833.)


threw down their houses,
20

The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “their houses assailed with brickbats” and “the doors broken open; and thrown down.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


and committed many other depredations; the Members of the Society were for some time
21

The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “Thus were they for many days and weeks.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


harassed, both day and night, their houses assailed and broken open,
22

Partridge’s history reports that on 31 October 1833, the mob “unroofed ten houses, and partly threw down the bodies of some of them.” William W. Phelps reported that between ten and twelve houses were destroyed. ([Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:19; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833.)


and their Women and Children insulted and abused.
23

The 27 January 1840 memorial adds “their women grossly insulted; and their weeping daughters brutally abused <​before​> their mother’s eyes.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


The
Store house

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, directed A. Sidney Gilbert, Newel K. Whitney’s Ohio business partner, to establish store in Independence. Gilbert first purchased vacated log courthouse, located on lot 59 at intersection of Lynn and Lexington Streets, to...

More Info
of
A. S[idney] Gilbert

28 Dec. 1789–29 June 1834. Merchant. Born at New Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Eli Gilbert and Lydia Hemingway. Moved to Huntington, Fairfield Co., Connecticut; to Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan Territory, by Sept. 1818; to Painesville, Geauga Co...

View Full Bio
& Co. was broken open, ransacked, and some of the goods strewed in the Streets.
24

The destruction of Sidney Gilbert’s store is not described in the 27 January 1840 memorial. Gilbert’s store was ransacked on Friday, 1 November 1833. (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833.)


These repeated assaults so aroused the indignant feelings of our people that a small party thereof on one occasion, when wantonly abused, resisted the mob,
25

The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “A company of about thirty Mormons fell in with twice that number of the Mob.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)


a conflict ensued, in which one of our people [p. 1]
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Editorial Title
Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843
ID #
1208
Total Pages
118
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Thomas Bullock

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    This is the memorial’s only use of the term Mormon. The 27 January 1840 memorial, on the other hand, uses the terms Mormon and Mormons more frequently. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  2. [2]

    The first group of Saints to settle in Jackson County arrived in late July 1831. (Knight, History, 310–312; Parley P. Pratt et al., “‘The Mormons’ So Called,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Extra, Feb. 1834, [1].)

    Knight, Newel. History. Private possession. Copy in CHL. MS 19156.

  3. [3]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial indicated that the Saints were establishing a religious community, noting that they “erected churches” and planned on “erecting Temples.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  4. [4]

    Missourians listed their grievances against the Saints in a circa 15 July 1833 epistle. The Saints were characterized as blaspheming God “by p[r]etending to receive revelations”; were “lazy Idle and vicious”; and were “inviting free negroes and mulatoes from other States to become mormons” in Missouri. (Whitmer, History, 39–42.)

  5. [5]

    Latter-day Saints were leaving Jackson County by early November 1833. (John Corrill, Liberty, MO, to Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833, The Evening and the Morning Star, Jan. 1834, 124–126.)

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  6. [6]

    Published accounts of the Jackson County conflicts from Latter-day Saints include Parley P. Pratt et al., “‘The Mormons’ So Called,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Extra, Feb. 1834, [1]–[2]; and a series titled “The Outrage in Jackson County, Missouri,” published in The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833–Mar. 1834 and May–June 1834. A more comprehensive account of the Missouri persecution appears in “A History, of the Persecution, of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints in Missouri,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839–Oct. 1840.

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  7. [7]

    One source estimates that the size of the mob was between four hundred and five hundred people. (“To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114.)

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  8. [8]

    In their circa 15 July 1833 epistle, Jackson County citizens indicated that they would gather at the Independence courthouse on 20 July 1833. The Jackson County delegation met with the following Missouri church leaders: Sidney Gilbert, Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, John Corrill, William W. Phelps, and John Whitmer. (Whitmer, History, 42–43; Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 10 Aug. 1833; see also Miscellany, Edward Partridge, Papers, CHL.)

    Partridge, Edward. Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892.

  9. [9]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial does not include the word immediately. (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  10. [10]

    TEXT: Page torn.

  11. [11]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “the ‘Saints’ asked time for deliberation, for consultation.” Missouri church leaders asked the delegation of Jackson County citizens for three months to consider their demands. When denied, they requested ten days. Ultimately, the mob gave the Saints fifteen minutes to decide. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; “To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114; Whitmer, History, 42; Corrill, Brief History, 19.)

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  12. [12]

    This building also housed church printer William W. Phelps and his family. (“To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114.)

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  13. [13]

    One of the shop’s owners, Sidney Gilbert, promised to pack up the store within three days. (“To His Excellency, Daniel Dunklin,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 114.)

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  14. [14]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “bearing a red flag in token of blood.” “A History, of the Persecution” indicates that the mob carried multiple “red flags.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; [Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:18.)

  15. [15]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial does not include the phrase “to avoid a general massacre.” (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  16. [16]

    Memorandum of Agreement, 23 July 1833, CHL.

    Memorandum of Agreement, 23 July 1833. CHL.

  17. [17]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial does not mention gathering crops; instead, it explains that the Saints “were peaceably following the routine of their daily duties.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  18. [18]

    Persecution renewed when Missourians learned that the Saints “had petitioned the Governor for protection, and that we were about to appeal to the law for redress.” Edward Partridge’s “A History, of the Persecution” recounts “That [their recourse to self-defense], together with the petitioning of the Governor, and the employing of counsel, caused the mob to rage again.” Partridge’s history also indicates that the Saints generally did not believe they would vacate Jackson County. In addition, this persecution was preceded by an October meeting in Independence, Missouri, where those in attendance resolved that the Saints had to be removed. The 27 January 1840 memorial records that at this meeting, “Inflammatory speeches of the most violent character were made to excite the populace; and one of the speakers went so far in his denunciations as to swear ‘that he would remove the Mormons from the County, if he had to wade to his neck in blood.’” (Corrill, Brief History, 19; [Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:19; see also Pettegrew, Journal, 17; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; see also Greene, Facts relative to the Expulsion, 17.)

    Pettegrew, David. Journal, 1840–1857. Pettigrew Collection, 1836–1883, 1926–1930. CHL. MS 22278, box 1, fd. 1.

    Greene, John P. Facts Relative to the Expulsion of the Mormons or Latter Day Saints, from the State of Missouri, under the “Exterminating Order.” By John P. Greene, an Authorized Representative of the Mormons. Cincinnati: R. P. Brooks, 1839.

  19. [19]

    Partridge’s history indicates that the mob “caught three or four of the men, and notwithstanding the cries, and entreaties of their wives and children, they whiped, and beat them in a barbarous manner.” William W. Phelps reported that the mob “nearly whipped some to death, among whom was H[iram] Page.” ([Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:19; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833.)

  20. [20]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “their houses assailed with brickbats” and “the doors broken open; and thrown down.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  21. [21]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “Thus were they for many days and weeks.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  22. [22]

    Partridge’s history reports that on 31 October 1833, the mob “unroofed ten houses, and partly threw down the bodies of some of them.” William W. Phelps reported that between ten and twelve houses were destroyed. ([Edward Partridge], “A History, of the Persecution,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:19; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833.)

  23. [23]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial adds “their women grossly insulted; and their weeping daughters brutally abused <​before​> their mother’s eyes.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

  24. [24]

    The destruction of Sidney Gilbert’s store is not described in the 27 January 1840 memorial. Gilbert’s store was ransacked on Friday, 1 November 1833. (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833.)

  25. [25]

    The 27 January 1840 memorial reads “A company of about thirty Mormons fell in with twice that number of the Mob.” (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)

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