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.
The efforts made to get the authorities to interfere at this time was attended with some success. The militia were ordered out under the command of of , Brigadier Generals , of , & of , who marched their troops to , where they found a large mob & said in my hearing presence, he took the following singular method to disperse them. He organized them with his troops, as part of the militia called out, to suppress & arrest the Mob, after having thus organized them discharged them & all the rest of the troops, as having no further need for their services & all returned home.
This however, seemed only to give the mob more courage to increase their exertions with redoubled vigor. They boasted after that, that the authorities would not punish them, & they would do as they pleased. In a very short time their efforts were renewed with a determination, not to cease until they had driven the citizens of & such of the citizens of as they had marked out as victims, from the . A man by the name of , who resided in , & formerly Sheriff of said , organized a band who painted themselves like Indians & had a place of rendevous at Hunters Mills on a stream called Grindstone. I think it was in , the county west of , & between it & the west line of the .
From this place they would sally out & commit their depredations Efforts were again made to get the authorities, to put a stop to these renewed outrages & again & again & were called out with such portions of their respective brigades as they might deem necessary to suppress the mob or rather mobs, for by this time there a number of them, came to & while there, recommended to the uthorities of to have the militia of said , called out as a necessary measure of defence; assuring us that had a large mob on the Grindstone & his object was to make a descent upon , burn the & kill or disperse the inhabitants; & that it was very necessary, that an effective force should be ready to oppose him, or he would accomplish his object.
The militia was accordingly called out. He also said, that there had better be a strong force sent to , to guard the citizens there; he recommended that to avoid any difficulties there which might arise they had better go in very small parties, without arms so that no legal advantage could be taken of them. I will here give a short account of the courts & internal affairs of , for the information of those who are not acquainted with the same.