Show I 1 1 copyright secured HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH MAY 1839 I 1 commerce illinois may 1839 SIR in answer to yours of the april to john P greene we have to say that we shall feel obliged by your not making yourself officious officio fis concerning any part of our business in future we shall be glad if you can make off a living by minding your ow own n affairs and we desire so far as you are concerned to be left to manage ours as well as we can we would much rather lose our properties than be ba molested by such interference and as we consider that we have already experienced much over officiousness at your hand concerning men and things pertaining to our concerns we now request t once for all that you will avoid all interference in our business or affairs from this time henceforth and forever amm to W V W phelps JOSEPH SMITH jr A bill of indictment having been found by a grand jury of the mob in ray county against parley P pratt morris phelps and luman gibbs for murder and king follet for robbery and having obtained a 11 aban change e of venue to boone county they wern hand handcuffed r led together two by two on tile the morning of the twenty second with irons round the wrist of each and in this fix they were taken from prison and placed in a carriage the people of richmond gatli gathered gred round them to see them depart but noue none seef fied to teel feet for foi them except two persons one of these general parks lady bowed to I 1 hem the window and looked as if touched with pity the other was a mr hugins merchant of richmond who bowed with some feeling as they passed they then took leave of richmond accompanied by sheriff brown aud and four guards with drawn pistol sand moved on towards columbia it had been thu thundering and raining for some days and the thunderstorm lasted with but short cessations from the time they started till they arrived at the place of destination which was five days the small streams were swollen so as to be very difficult in crossing them thursday the prisoners came to a creek which was several rods over with a strong current and very deep it was towards evening and far from any house and they had received no refreshment the day here they halted and knew not what to do they waited a while for the water to fall but it fell slowly all hands were hungry aud and impatient and a lowery night seemed to threaten that thai the creek would rise before morning by the falling of addi additional ional rains in this dilemma some counseled one thing and some another at last mr pratt proposed to the sheriff that if he would take offilus off his irons he would go into the water to bathe and by thit means ascertain the depth and bottom this lie consented to do after some hesitation he then plunged into the stream and swam across and attempted to wade bick back he found it to be aliard a hard bottom and the water about up to his chin but bat a very stiff current after A after fter this mr brown the sheriff undertook to cross on his horse but was thrown off and buried in tho the stream this accident decided the fate of the day being now completely wet he resolved to effect the crossing of the whole company compa ily b bag sk and baggage accordingly several stripped off their clothes and mounted mounta on the bare backs of the horses aud and taking their clothing saddles and arms together with one trunk and bedding upon their shoulders they bore them across in safety without wetting this was done by riding backwards and forwards across the stream several times in this sport and labor prisoners guards and all mingled in mutual exertion all was now low safe buethe but the carriage mr phelps then proposed to swim swim that across by hitching bit ching two horses before it and he mounted on one of their backs while pratt and one of the guards swam by the side of the carriage to keep it from upsets upsetting ing by the force of the current and thus paul like they till all got safe to land everything was soon replaced and prisoners in the carriage and the suite on horseback moving swiftly on and at dark arrived at a house of entertainment amid a terrible thunder storm I 1 was busy in a counseling writing letters and attending to general business of the church this week friday commerce illinois may 1839 dear sir I 1 write you to say that I 1 have s selected elected a town lot for you just across the street from in my own and immediately beside yours one ODO for mr cleveland leveland As to getting the temporary house erected which you desired I 1 have not been able to find any person willing to take hold bold of the job and have thought that perhaps you may meet with some person at quincy who could take it in hand business goes on with us in quite a lively manner and we hope soon to have brother harris and family with other friends to assist us in our arduous but glorious undertaking our families are all well and as far as we have knowledge all aft things are going on quietly and smoothly yours ac JOSEPH SMITH jr to mr G GW W harris commerce illinois Dlin ois may 1839 dear mr and mrs cleveland we write you y in order to redeem our pledge which we would have done before now but that we have been in the midst of the bustle of business of various kinds ever aver since our arrival here we however beg to assure you and your family that we have not forgotten you but remember you all as well as the great kindness and friendship which we have experienced experienc edat at your hands I 1 11 1 1 i I 1 1 we have selected a lot for you just across the A street reet from our own beside mr harris and in the orchard according to the desire of sister cleveland and also on the river adapted to mr Clev elands trade the various business attendant on settling a new place goes on here at present baisl briskly zy while all around and concerning us goes on oil quietly and smoothly as far as we have knowledge it would give us great pleasure to have you all here along with us which we hope to enjoy in a short time I 1 have also remembered rufus cleveland to the surveyor and am happy to be able to say that the land in iowa far exceeds my expectations both as to richness of soil and beauty of locations more so than any part of missouri which I 1 have seen we desire to have mr cleveland and his brother come it up p here as soon as convenient and see our situation when they can judge for themselves elves and we shall be happy to see them and live give them all information in our power father smith and family arrived here yesterday his h health balth rather ampro improves ves we all join in wishing our sincere respects to each and every iane one of you and remain your very sin sincere cere friends JOSEPH SMITH jr EMMA SMITH addre addressed sed to judge cleveland and lady quincy illinois commerce illinois may 1839 dear sir this is to inform you that elder granger has succeeded in obtaining the house which he hod had in contemplation when he left here aud as we feel very anxious to have the society of bishop whitney and his family here we b hpe pa that he will use every exertion consistent with w th his own business and convenience to com comp cocup P to us lere here at commerce as soon in his power JOSEPH jqseph SMITH jr bishop N K whitney the twelve made pie report piort of the proceedings of the seventies whaja I 1 sanctioned I 1 also approve of the twelve going to england I 1 I 1 this day the prisoners crossed the missouri river at arrow rock so called from the la ina canites coming from all quarters to geta hard rock from the bluff to make arrow points during thu this I 1 journey the they y had slept each night on their backs on the floor being till all four of them ironed together with hand and ankle irons made f for 0 r the purpose this being done the windows and d doors were all fastened and then five guards with their loaded pistol staid in the room and one at a time sut tip and watched daring the night this cruelty was inflicted on them more to gratify a wicked disposition than anything else for it was in vain for them to have tried to escape without any irons being put on them and had they wished to escape they had a tolerable good opportunity at the creek saturday commerce hancock co III may mav 1839 dear sir in answer to yours of the 1 ath dinst to us concerning the writings of col I 1 lyman wight on the subject df our late sufferings in the state of missouri we wish to say that as to a statement of our persecutions being brot before the world as a political question we entirely disapprove of it havill having however great confidence in col gool good intentions and considering it to be the indefeasible ight of every free man to hold his own opinion in politics as well as religion we will only say that we consider it to be unwise as it is unfair to charge any one party in politics or any one sect of religionists i with having been our oppressors since we so well wel 1 know that our persecutors in the state of missouri r were of every sect and of all parties both religious jig ious and political and as brother wight disclaims having spoken evil of any administration save that of missouri we presume that it need not be feared that men of sense will now suppose him t tu arm any other we consider that in making these remarks we ex express press the sentiments of the church in general as well as our own individually and also when we say in conclusion that we feel the fullest confidence that when the subject ot of our wrongs has been fully investigated by the authorities of the united states we shall receive the most perfect justice at their hands whilst our unfeeling oppressors shall be brought brou glit to condign punishment with the approbation of a free an and enlightened people without respect to sect or party we desire that you may make whatever use you may think proper of this letter and remain your sincere friends and brethren JOSEPH SMITH jr HYRUM SMITH SYDNEY RIGDON elder R B thompson this day I 1 met the twelve in council the me case of brother william smith came up for investigation ti and was disposed of sunday I 1 spent at home elders orson Orso n I 1 pratt and john taylor preached As the prisoners in missouri arrived at their new house in boone county I 1 will give a sketch from mr pratts testimony when we arrived within four miles of columbia tile the bridge had been destroyed from over a large and rapid river and here we were some hours in crossing over in a canoe having to leave our carriage together with our bedding clothing our trunk of clothing books papers ac but all came to us in safety after two days after we had crossed the river our guards having swam their horses mounted them and we proceeded towards columbia the prisoners walking on foot being fastened together two and two by the wrists after walking two or three thre e mi miles I 1 es mr brown hired a carriage and we rode into columbia it was about sunset on oil sunday evening and as the carriage and our armed attendants drove the streets we were gazed upon with astonishment by hundreds of spectators who thronged thron ged the streets and looked out at the windows doors ac anxious to get a glimpse of ahe strange beings called mormons cormons Mor mons on our arrival we were immediately hurried to the prison without going to a tavern for refresh ment altho we had traveled a long summer day without anything to eat when unloosed unlooked un loosed from our fetters we were ushered us herett f from tin the carriage into the jail wid and the next moment a huge trap door was opened and down we went into a most dismal dungeon which was full of cobwebs and filth above below and all around the walls having stood empty for near two years here was neither beds nor chairs nor water nor food nor friends nor any one on oil whom we might call 1 even for a drink of cold water for brown and all 1 others had withdrawn to go where they could refresh themselves when thrust into this dungeon we were nearly ready to faint with hunger and thirst and weariness rss we walked the room for a few moments and then sank down upon the floor in despondency and wished to die lor for like elijah of old if the lord had bad enquired what dost thou here we could have replied lord they have killed the prophets prop liets mid and thrown down thine altars and have driven out all thy saints from the land and we only are left to tell thee and they seek our lives to take them away ana now therefore let us die when we had been in the dungeon some time our new jailer handed down some provisions sious but by this time I 1 was too faint to eat I 1 1 tasted a few mouthfuls mouth fuls and then suddenly the trap door opened and some chairs were handed to us and the new sheriff mr martin and his deputy mr hamilton entered our dungeon and talked so kindly to us that our spirits again revived in some measure this night we slept cold and uncomfortable having but little bedding next morning we were suffered to come out of the dungeon and the liberty of the upper room was given us through the day ever eve afterwards we now began to receive kind treatment from our jailer and from our new sherm sheriff for it was mr brown that had caused all our neglect and sufferings the pk previous evious evening our jail in columbia was a large wooden block building with two apartments apartments one was occupied by the jailer I 1 I 1 and his family and the other by the prisoners monday I 1 was at home commerce hancock co ill III may 1839 F 11 father th er bigler r dear sir we have thought well 1 write you by brother markham on the subject 0 our purchase of lands here in order to stir up y ur lur pure mind to a remembrance of the situa ti in I 1 in n which we have been placed by the act of tl te e councils of the church having appointed us a c to transact business here for the church 4 V e have as is known to the church in general nde made purchases and entered into contracts aud and promised payments of moneys for all of which we 4 now BOW stand responsible now as money seems to come in too slowly in in order that we may be able to meet our oar engage n el ants ats we have determined to call upon the liber ft it ty of futher father bigler the agency of brother P afkham and request that he will place in his h ads for us the sum of five or six hundred dolli I 1 rs B for which he shall have the security of said c also the agency of br markham a id d the thanks of the church besides JOSEPH SMITH jr V KNIGHT to mr mark bigler quincy ill commerce III may 1839 dear sir hiving having last week received a letter from br R B p ompson edg concerning your late writings in tile the kne iny whig and understanding chereb thereby y that the xich afa in gene general at quincy were rather rathe r uneasy concerning those these matters we have thought best beet to consider the matter of course and accordingly being in council on saturday last the subject was introduced and discussed at some length when an answer to br thompsons Thomp sons letter was agreed to a and sanctioned by the e council which answer I 1 expect man t will be published and of course you will have ba an opportunity to see it it will be seen by that letter that we do not at all approve of the course which you have thought proper to take in making the subject of our sufferings a political question at the same time you will perceive that we there express what we really feel that is a confidence in your good intentions tent ions in so doing an ana cl as I 1 took occasion to state to the council knowing your I 1 integrity I 1 of principle and steadfastness in the can cause 1180 of f christ I 1 iveel feel not to exercise even the privilege of counsel on oil the subject save only to request that you will endeavor to bear in mind the importance of the subject and how easy it might be to get into a misunderstanding with the breth brethren ren concerning 1 it and though last not least that whilst you continue to lo go upon your own credit you will also steer clear of |