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Letter from Robert Peirce, 20 August 1841

Source Note

, Letter, , Chester Co., PA, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 20 Aug. 1841; handwriting presumably of ; one page; Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU. Includes address and docket.
Bifolium measuring 9⅞ × 7⅞ inches (25 × 20 cm). The letter was written on the first page and then trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. The second leaf was torn, likely when the letter was opened. The letter was folded for filing. The manuscript shows substantial wear and has tears along the fold lines.
A docket was added by , who served in a clerical capacity for JS from 1841 to 1842. JS presumably gave this document to , who kept a variety of financial records for the church. This document, along with many other personal and institutional documents that Newel K. Whitney kept, was inherited by his daughter Mary Jane Whitney, who married Isaac Groo. The documents were passed down within the Groo family. Between 1969 and 1974, the Groo family donated their collection of Newel K. Whitney’s papers to the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See John S. Fullmer, [Nauvoo, IL], to George D. Fullmer, Nashville, TN, 28 Mar. 1841, in Fullmer, Letterbook, 124; Letter to Smith Tuttle, 9 Oct. 1841; and JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Isaac Galland, [Keokuk, Iowa Territory], 17 Jan. 1842, JS Collection, CHL.

    Fullmer, John S. Letterbook, 1836–1881. John S. Fullmer Journal and Letterbook, 1836–1881. CHL.

  2. [2]

    Andrus and Fuller, Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers, 24.

    Andrus, Hyrum L., and Chris Fuller, comp. Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers. Provo, UT: Division of Archives and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, 1978.

Historical Introduction

On 20 August 1841, , a member of the residing in , Pennsylvania, wrote a letter regarding financial matters to JS in , Illinois. Peirce had recently sold land in to , who was acting as an for JS, and JS owed Peirce the value of his property. With this communication, Peirce hoped to use that credit to make two transactions. First, Peirce wanted JS to draw on Peirce’s account to provide land in Nauvoo for fellow church members William Gheen and , who were preparing to relocate there from Pennsylvania. Second, Peirce wanted his letter to function as a pay order, requesting that JS give money to a “Brother Whitesides” (likely James Whitesides) on Peirce’s behalf. JS would then deduct the payment to Whitesides from what he owed Peirce.
sent the letter with Gheen, who delivered it to JS. A docket on the letter in the handwriting of JS’s scribe indicates that JS received it. One month after the letter was written, Gheen and each received property in .

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Extant deeds reveal that the property was deeded from Peirce to Almon Babbitt in March 1841 and then from Babbitt to Isaac Galland the next month.a Galland purchased Peirce’s land in Chester County, Pennsylvania, as a part of the church’s effort to offer land deeds to Horace Hotchkiss as payment for land church leaders had purchased in the Commerce area of Illinois.b The 28 February 1842 entry in JS’s journal recorded that Peirce was paid $2,700, “the balance due him for a farm Dr Galland Bought of Bro Peirce.”c The note from JS promising payment to Peirce is no longer extant but likely would have resembled a bond received by Henry Kern. That bond was for a similar transaction made around the same time, also through Galland, who was acting as agent for JS.d

    (aChester Co., PA, Deeds, 1688–1903, vol. U-4, pp. 82–83, 185–187, microfilm 557,205, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL. bSee Authorization for Hyrum Smith and Isaac Galland, 15 Feb. 1841. cJS, Journal, 28 Feb. 1842. dSee JS et al., Bond, Nauvoo, IL, to Henry Kern, Bart Township, PA, 6 Apr. 1841, JS Collection, CHL.)

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

  2. [2]

    Although Peirce’s neighbors in Pennsylvania apparently doubted that JS would honor the notes that Peirce had received from Galland, Peirce later confirmed that the notes were indeed honored. (Robert Peirce, Nauvoo, IL, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 28 Feb. 1842, in Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:715.)

  3. [3]

    JS and Emma Smith, Deed, Hancock Co., IL, to William Gheen, Chester Co., PA, 18 Sept. 1841; JS and Emma Smith, Deed, Hancock Co., IL, to Edward Hunter, Chester Co., PA, 18 Sept. 1841; JS and Edward Hunter, Agreement, Nauvoo, IL, 18 Sept. 1841, Edward Hunter, Collection, CHL. JS’s negotiations with Peirce and Hunter continued into the next year. (See Letter from Edward Hunter, 27 Oct. 1841; and Robert Peirce, Nauvoo, IL, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 28 Feb. 1842, in Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:715.)

Page [1]

Chester Co August 20th. 1841
Esteemed Brother in the Gosple
As Brothers [William] Gheen and leaves here to morrow morning for your place, I embrace this opportunity to drop a line, As Brother Gheen has not sold his property yet, I wish you to supply him with some property there on my account; and Brother Whitesides has written to me for money; as money is scarce with me at this time, having my stock on hand yet, and meeting with difficulties a little as he did I am under the painful necesity of sending him your note, if you can answer it, it will oblidge <​me​> verry much, and him too I expect, If you cant do it, I hope ere long to be there and attend to it myself, my heart sickens within me to see the conduct in this place at this time. We are all well at present and hope this will find you & Family enjoying the blessings of health and peace we wish to be remembered to all enquiring friends, With sentiments of respect I subscribe myself yours as ever
Joseph Smith [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Robert Peirce, 20 August 1841
ID #
674
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:233–235
Handwriting on This Page
  • Robert Peirce

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    William Gheen was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, in 1798 and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1840. (Ann Gheen Kimball, Journal, 1–3; Snow, Journal, 1838–1841, 90, 98–99.)

    Kimball, Ann Alice Gheen. Journal, ca. 1869–1879. Heber C. Kimball Family Collection, 1840–1890. CHL.

    Snow, Erastus. Journals, 1835–1851; 1856–1857. CHL. MS 1329, box 1, fds. 1–3.

  2. [2]

    Likely James Whitesides, a member of the church from Brandywine, Pennsylvania, who relocated to Montrose, Iowa Territory, by 1841. (Minutes, Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1840, 2:[206]; Edward Hunter, Nauvoo, IL, to Edward Hunter [Uncle], Brandywine Manor, PA, 11 Dec. 1841, typescript, Edward Hunter Correspondence, BYU.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Hunter, Edward. Correspondence, 1725–1965. BYU.

  3. [3]

    Peirce probably purchased stock in the Nauvoo House from Hyrum Smith or Isaac Galland—both were selling stock as agents for JS and had recently been in Pennsylvania. (Authorization for Hyrum Smith and Isaac Galland, 15 Feb. 1841; Letter from William Smith, 5 Aug. 1841.)

  4. [4]

    Peirce’s Brandywine congregation met with Philadelphia members at a special conference in March 1841, suggesting he would have been aware of disharmony the church in Philadelphia experienced throughout 1841. The March special conference was called to settle disputes between local leader Benjamin Winchester and traveling elder Almon Babbitt. Their disagreements were “the cause of much sorrow to the saints.” Discord continued after John E. Page arrived in June 1841. After preaching to the Philadelphia Saints for some time, Page wrote to JS to complain of Benjamin Winchester’s leadership and to encourage JS to send an elder to gain the confidence of the branch. (Minutes, Times and Seasons, 15 Nov. 1840, 2:217; Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 15 Mar. 1841; Letter from John E. Page, 1 Sept. 1841.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

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