“ 17th. March 1840 Revd. & Joseph Smith Junr.— Gentn— I some time since addressed a letter to Mr. Smith at , to which I have received no reply, and was in that two or three weeks ago, but not being able to hear any thing of Mr. Smith, I suppose he must of course have left; and with the hope of still reaching you I now send to — I should have written you long before, and indeed very often this winter, but my health has been miserable, and since my return from , I have been confined to my house. I beg you to inform me how you are progressing with your Petition before Congress, and its probable result— Whether you have any friends in the House or in the Senate, who will bring forward your case, and advocate it in sincerity, and persevere in your behalf with skill and ability until something is accomplished. Milk and water friends in Congress are good for nothing. They must be true, have talents, be zealous, or else they will be detrimental rather than advantageous to you— Should you, Gentlemen, and come as far East as this it will afford much gratification to have you take up your quarters at my house— I did intend to see you at , but my health will not now permit— With much respect Yours .”

“ Illinois March 17. 1840. This is to certify that I Owen Cole was resident of , State of Missouri, and while residing at my dwellinghouse, the Militia under , and by his orders plundered my house and shot me through my thigh, my damage sustained by the Militia by being driven from the besides my wound, was five hundred dollars. These Militia men were quartered on the lands of the people called Mormons contrary to the Laws and Constitution of the . I hereby certify this to be a true statement. Owen Cole” Sworn to before C. M. Woods. Clk Circuit Court—

“, Illinois, March 17. 1840 I Ezekiel Maginn Certify that I was a Citizen of the State of in the year — — 1838 and was an eye witness to the following facts, first I saw the Militia, called for by ’ exterminating order, enter the house of , and took from it a bed and bedding [HC 4:64] pillows and dishes personally known to me to be his property Ezekiel Maginn— Sworn to before C. M. Woods Clk Circuit Court,

“ March 17. 1840 I Addison Greene do certify that in the month of October one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight, when I was [p. 1031]