Hyrum Smith, Testimony, 1 July 1843 [Extradition of JS for Treason]
Source Note
, Testimony, , Hancock Co., IL, 1 July 1843, Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo, IL, Municipal Court 1843). Copied [3–6 July 1843]; handwriting of and ; docket by , [6 July 1843, , Hancock Co., IL]; docket by , ca. [6] July 1843; notation by , ca. [6] July 1843; twenty-eight pages; Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.
as usual until supper, which was served up to us as we sat upon the floor or on billetts of wood, and we were compelled to stay in that house all that night & the next day & They continued to exhibit us to the public by letting the people come in and examine us & then go away & give place for others alternately all that day & the next night; but on the morning of the following day we were permitted to go to the Tavern to eat and to sleep; but afterwards <they> made us pay for our own expenses, for board, lodging & attendance and for which they made a most exorbitant charge. We remained in the Tavern about two days & two nights when an officer arrived with authority from to take us back to , Ray County, where the had arrived with his army to await our arrival there; but on the morning that we of our start for we were informed by “that it was expected by the soldiers that we would be hung up by the necks on the road whilst on the march to that place, and that it was prevented by a demand made of <for> us from who had the command in consequence of seniority and that it was his prerogative to execute us himself. And he should give us up into the hands of the officer who would take us to and he might do with us as he pleased.” During our stay at the officers informed us that “there were 8 or 10 horses <in that place> belonging to the Mormon people which had been stolen by the soldiers, and that we might have two of them to ride upon if we would cause them to be sent back to the owners after our arrival at .” We accepted of them and they were rode to and the owners came there and got them. We started in the morning under our new officer, , of Keatsville, Chariton County with several other men to guard us over, we arrived <there> on friday evening the 9th. day of November in the month of November and were thrust into an old log house with a strong guard placed over us. After we had been there for the space of half an hour [p. 16]