Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 28 November 1843, Willard Richards Copy
Source Note
[JS] and others, Memorial, , Hancock Co., IL, to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, , 28 Nov. 1843; handwriting of ; signatures of and 44 others; docket in handwriting of ; seven pages; JS Office Papers, CHL.
valueable property; they next went to the for the same purpose, but one of the owners thereof, agreeing to close it, they abandoned the design. A series of outrages was then commenced by the Mob, upon individual members of our Society. was dragged from his house and family where he was first partially stripped of his clothing, and then tarred and feathered from head to foot. A man by the name of was also tarred at the same time. Three days afterwards the mob assembled in great numbers, bearing a red flag, and proclaiming that, unless the Society would leave “enmasse,” every man of them should be killed. Being in a defenceless situation, to avoid a general massacre, a treaty was entered into and ratified, by which it was agreed that one half of the Society should leave the by the first of January, and the remainder by the first of April following. In October, while our people were gathering their crops, and otherwise preparing to fulfil their part of the treaty, the mob again collected without any provocation, shot at some of our people, whipped others, threw down their houses, and committed many other depredations; the members of the Society were for some time harrassed, both day and night, their houses assailed and broken open, and their women and children insulted and abused. The store-house of & co was broken open, ransacked, and some of the goods strewed in the streets, These repeated assaults so aroused the indignant feelings of our people, that a small party thereof, on one occasion, when wantonly abused, resisted the mob; a conflict ensued, in which one of our people and some two or three of their assailants were killed. This unfortunate event raised the whole in arms, and we were required forthwith to surrender our arms and leave the . Fifty one guns were given up, which have never been returned or paid for to this day. Parties of the Mob from 30 to 70 in [p. 2]