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.
of . & that he, Mr Smith, was in no way connected with the Militia of that : neither did he bear arms at all, nor give advice, but was a peaceable law abiding good citizen & a true republican in every sense of the word. He was with Mr Smith a great Share of the time, until driven out of by an armed force, under the exterminating order of . He heard the most the most of Mr Smith’s public addresses & never did he hear him give advice or encourage anything contrary to the laws of the State of , but to the contrary, always instructing the people to be peaceable, quiet & law abiding & if necessity should compel them to withstand their enemies, by whom they were daily threatened in Mobs at various points that they the Mormons, should attend to their business strictly & not regard reports; & if the mob did come upon them, to contend with the Strong arm of the law & if that should fail, our only relief would be self defence, & be sure & act only <up>on the defensive. And there were no operations against the mob by the militia of only by the advice of Generals , & .
At the time that the army came in sight of , he observed their approach & thought some of the militia of the , had come to the relief of the citizens; but to his great surprise, he found that they were come to strengthen the hands of the mobs that were around us & which immediately joined the army. A part of these mobs were painted like Indians & their leader, was also painted in a similar manner & styled himself the “Delaware Chief” and afterwards he & the rest of the mob claimed & obtained pay, as Militia, from the , for all the time they were engaged as mob, as will be seen by reference to the acts of the Legislature. That there were Mormon citizens wounded & murdered by the army, under the command of & he verily believes that several women were ravished to death by the soldiery of & . He also stated that he saw Joseph Smith, , , & , delivered up by to but expected they would have returned to the that evening or the next morning according to agreement & the pledge of the Sacred honor of the officers, that they should be allowed to do so, but they did not return at all. The next morning demanded & took away the arms of the Militia of (which arms have never been returned.) assuring them that they should be protected, but so soon as they obtained possession of the arms, they commenced their ravages by plundering the citizens of their bedding, clothing, money, wearing apparel & every thing of value, they could <lay> their hands upon; and also attempting to violate the chastity of the women, insight of their husbands & friends— under the pretence of hunting for prisoners & arms. The soldiers Shot down our oxen, cows, hogs & [p. 117]