Docket Entry, 1–circa 6 July 1843 [Extradition of JS for Treason]
Source Note
Docket Entry, [, Hancock Co., IL, 1–ca. 6 July 1843], Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo, IL, Municipal Court 1843); Nauvoo Municipal Court Docket Book, 55–87, 116–150; handwriting of and ; CHL.
a line in double file in one half mile in the east of the city of , and despapatched three messengers with a white flag to come to the . They were met by with a few other individuals, whose names I do not now recolect. I was myself standing close by & could very distinctly hear every word they said. Being filled with anxiety, I rushed forward to the spot, expecting to hear good news — but alas! and heart thrilling to every soul, that hear them— they demanded three persons to be brought out of the before they should massacre the rest. The names of the persons they demanded were , , & his wife. Immediately the three persons were brought forth to hold an interview with the officers who had made the demand, and the officers told them they had now a chance to save their lives, for they calculated to destroy the people & lay the in ashes. They replied to the officers and said, “If the people must be destroyed and the burned to ashes, they would remain in the and die with them.” The officers immediately returned and the army retreated & encamped about a mile and a half from the . A was immediately dispatched with a white flag from the of the militia <of> , requesting an interview with & ; but as the approached the camp, he was shot at by the Methodist preacher.
The name of the messenger was who is now Brigadier General in the . However, he gained permission to see . said that had been dismounted by a special order of the a few miles back and had been sent back to , Clay county. He also stated that the reason was that he () was too merciful to the Mormons & would not let him have the command, but had given it to who was from , & whose heart had become hardened by his former acts of rapine & bloodshed, he being one of the leaders in murdering, driving, plundering and burning some two or three hundred houses belonging to the Mormon people in that in the years 1833 & 1834.
requested to spare the people & not suffer them to be martyred massacred until the next morning, it then being evening. He cooly agreed that he would not & also said that “he had not as yet received the ’s order, but expected it every hour & should not make any further move until he had received it; but he would not make any promises so far as regarded ’s army.” he having arrived a few minutes previously & joined the main body of the army; he knowing at what hour to form a junction with the main body. then returned to the , giving this information.— The immediately dispatched a second messenger with a white flag, to request another interview with in [p. 66]