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.
haste, I did not know his business. When we got to the came to me & told me he wanted us to hurry as , had arrived from , with a message from Gen. ordering him to return with us to , as he was there with a large army, he said he would not comply with the demand, but did not know but , might send an army to take us by force. We were hurried over the as fast as possible with as many of ’ army, as could be sent over at one time & sent hastily on, & thus we were taken to the Shire town of & put into an old house & a strong guard placed over us. In a day or two they relaxed their severity, we were taken into the best tavern in & there boarded & treated with kindness, we were permitted to go & come at our pleasure, without any guard. After some days Colonel , arrived from s army, with a demand to have us taken to , Ray county. It was difficult to get a guard to go with us indeed we solicited them to send one with us & finally got a few men to go & we started, after we had crossed the , on our way to we met a number of very rough looking fellows & as rough acting as they were looking, they threatened our lives.— We solicited our guard to send to for a stronger force to guard us there, as we considered our lives in danger. met us with a strong force & conducted us to where we were put in close confinement.
One thing I will here mention which I forgot, while we were at I was introduced to , a lawyer of some note in the country. In speaking on the subject of our arrest, & being torn from our families, said he presumed, it was another scrape. He said the mormons, had been driven from that and that without any offence on their part. He said he knew all about it they were driven off, because the people feared their political influence. And what was said against the mormons, was only to justify the mob in the eyes of the world, for the course they had taken. He said this was another scrape of the same kind.
This , by his own confession, was one of the principal in the mob.
After this digression I will return— the same day that we arrived at , came into the place where we were with a number of armed men, who immediately, on entering the room cocked their guns, another followed with chains in his hands, & we <were> ordered to be chained all together— a strong guard was placed in & around the house & thus we were secured. The next day came [p. 144]