Freeman was a Carthage blacksmith, former probate judge, and prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The compilers of JS’s history identified this “Mr” as “Mr. Bartlett”— possibly Franklin J. Bartlett, who was active in Hancock County politics at the time, or Bryant Bartlett of Montebello Township, Illinois. (Thomas Ford, Carthage, IL, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 21 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; Gregg, History of Hancock County, 448–450, 612, 688–689, 790–791; JS History, vol. F-1, 132.)

Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

In the letter that Freeman delivered to JS, Thomas Ford noted that he had arrived in Carthage on the morning of 21 June to help “preserve the peace and enforce the laws.” Feeling that he needed “to hear the allegations and defences of all parties” before making any decisions, Ford asked JS to send “one or more well informed and discreet persons” who could explain JS’s side of the controversy and who would be able to receive “such explanations and resolutions as may be determined on.” (Thomas Ford, Carthage, IL, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 21 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.)

At this special session of the city council, which met at four o’clock in the afternoon, fifteen affidavits were read. Four taken by Richards and one taken by William W. Phelps may have been the “affidavits of all before taken” referenced in the entry. The remaining ten affidavits were taken by Aaron Johnson. In one way or another, each of the affidavits referenced threats against Nauvoo, JS, or other members of the church. (Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 21 June 1844, 32; Affidavits, 31 May, 16– 20 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.)

JS Office Papers / Joseph Smith Office Papers, ca. 1835–1845. CHL. MS 21600.

According to William Clayton, the men who had come from Thomas Ford were in a hurry to return to Carthage, so Taylor and Bernhisel, accompanied by Edward Bonney, took only some of the affidavits with them, with the understanding that the remaining affidavits would “be sent in the morning.” In a brief letter to Ford, which the men also carried, JS noted that “the affidavits and hand bills here with connected are submitted for your Excellency’s Consideration.” When Taylor and Bernhisel met with Ford, Taylor reported that the governor “was surrounded with some of the vilest and most unprincipled men in creation.” The group included William and Wilson Law, Chauncey L. Higbee, and Joseph H. Jackson. According to Taylor, he and Bernhisel related “an outline of the difficulties, and the course we had pursued from the commencement of the troubles, up to the present” and presented Ford with the documents they had brought. In the conversation that followed, Ford maintained that JS and the others must come to Carthage for trial and then kept the two men waiting “some five or six hours” for his written response to JS. Taylor and Bernhisel returned to Nauvoo with Ford’s response at ten o’clock at night on 22 June. (Clayton, Journal, 21 June 1844; Clayton, Daily Account of JS’s Activities, 21 June 1844; JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Thomas Ford, Springfield, IL, 21 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; John Taylor, Statement, 23 Aug. 1856, pp. 21–24, Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856, CHL; Thomas Ford, Carthage, IL, to JS and City Council, Nauvoo, IL, 22 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; Richards, Journal, 22 June 1844; for the contents of Ford’s response, see Editorial Note following 22 June 1844 entry.)

Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Draft Notes, ca. 1839–1856. CHL. CR 100 92.

Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

Willard Richards took Greene’s and JS’s affidavits in his capacity as city recorder. In his affidavit, Greene testified that “on or about the 27th day of May 1844,” while JS and others were at Artois Hamilton’s tavern in Carthage, Robert D. Foster, “with considerable emotion,” warned him that if JS left the building, “his blood would be spilt.” Foster intimated that the would-be assassin was Joseph H. Jackson, who, according to Greene, had earlier threatened to “take vengeance” on JS. In his affidavit, JS testified that on the same day in Carthage, Charles Foster had warned him of a conspiracy against his life and cautioned that he “had not better go out.” (John P. Greene, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 21 June 1844; JS, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 21 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL.)

Emmons, editor of the Nauvoo Expositor, was suspended from his position as city councilman on 8 June. On 11 June, he was summoned to attend the council on 13 July “to answer charges . . . for slandering said city council.” (Nauvoo Expositor, 7 June 1844; JS, Journal, 8 June 1844; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 8 June 1844, 14; 11 June 1844, 31.)

Phelps took these and other affidavits in his capacity as clerk of the mayor’s court. In one affidavit, Jackson testified that on 11 June 1844, Francis M. Higbee said the “proprietors” of the Nauvoo Expositor had established the paper in order to destroy Nauvoo and that Higbee “meant to kill Joseph Smith and Hyrum.” In the other affidavit, Jackson testified that on 19 June, while he was at home near Pilot Grove, Illinois, a mob of some two dozen men “fired about twenty six guns at him” and that they were “cursing and swearing that they would kill every damn’d Mormon.” (Affidavit from Joseph H. Jackson, 21 June 1844–A; Affidavit from Joseph H. Jackson, 21 June 1844–B.)

Clift testified that a party of men had “fired one gun” at two Mormons near the Mound outside of Nauvoo that afternoon. (James Clift, Affidavit, Nauvoo, IL, 21 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.)