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Letter from George W. Robinson, 26 April 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 26 Apr. 1843; handwriting and signature of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address and dockets.
Single leaf measuring 12½ × 7⅝ inches (32 × 19 cm). The leaf is ruled with thirty-six horizontal gray lines that are now faded. It was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. When the letter was opened, the document’s left edge was torn. The letter was later refolded for filing.
The document was docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from December 1841 until JS’s death in June 1844 and served as church historian from December 1842 until his own death in March 1854. It was also docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865. The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

  2. [2]

    Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  3. [3]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [3], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. [4]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 26 April 1843, wrote from , Illinois, to JS in , Illinois, in an attempt to settle a longstanding land dispute in Nauvoo. Robinson, a former clerk and land agent for the , had been entangled in a disagreement over property with , a Nauvoo resident and wagonmaker. On 16 November 1841, Robinson filed a complaint against Granger in the Nauvoo mayor’s court alleging that Granger took possession of Robinson’s land in September 1839 and “with force and strong hand doth unlawfully, and unjustly, hold possession thereof.” Conversely, Granger claimed that he had bought the land from Robinson but came to learn that Robinson had later sold the same land to “sundry persons.” At the 1841 trial, Robinson’s father-in-law, , and his sister Sophia Robinson were sworn in as witnesses for the plaintiff, while , , , , and JS were witnesses for Granger, the defendant. After hearing the “proofs and allegations” and examining the “title-papers exhibited to the jurors,” the jury found in favor of Granger.
In a hearing held after the trial, JS and took opposing views of the verdict. JS argued that had right of possession and that he properly paid for the land. Rigdon argued that possession did not establish legal right. prepared an appeal to the Circuit Court. However, JS convinced him to settle out of court with Granger, and court records indicate that by May 1842, the case was dismissed due to a settlement. Robinson and Granger engaged in other land transactions over the next several months but did not fully execute the terms of the settlement.
By July 1842, had left the church. Suspicious and hostile toward Robinson, largely because of his association with , JS publicly denounced him. JS wrote a letter to on 27 March 1843 accusing Rigdon of conspiring with Bennett and Robinson to undermine JS and the church.
Despite the ongoing tension, in April 1843 sought to finally settle the land matter with . JS and acted as intermediaries for Granger and Robinson in the settlement. Robinson wrote the letter featured here to JS, instructing him to obtain the deed from Rigdon and to have Granger give Rigdon the bond and receipts. Apparently, Robinson faced other financial difficulties in spring 1843, and any land in his name was liable to seizure and collection in judgments against him. This exchange of documents would provide Robinson with transferable notes and preserve Granger’s claim to the land, sparing him a lawsuit with Robinson’s creditors. It is unclear how this letter was transmitted to JS. Nevertheless, JS received it, and a week after Robinson wrote it, JS gave unspecified instructions about a deed between Robinson and Granger. JS went to Rigdon’s residence and obtained the deed for Granger on 4 May 1843.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Granger was not a Latter-day Saint but was “friendly to them.” (“G. W. Robinson,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:878.)

  2. [2]

    Robinson v. C. Granger [Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1841], Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book, 18; see also Historical Introduction to Robinson v. C. Granger.

    Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book / Nauvoo, IL, Mayor’s Court. Docket Book, 1843. In Historian’s Office, Historical Record Book, 1843–1874, pp. 12–50. CHL.

  3. [3]

    “G. W. Robinson,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:878. In a statement published in the Times and Seasons, Horace Eldredge claimed that he bought land in Nauvoo from Robinson in November 1839 for over $300, but when he came to Nauvoo to take possession of the land, he discovered that Robinson had already sold it to Granger. Eldredge also stated that the title bond Robinson had given him was defective. (“Certificate of Horace S. Eldridge,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:878; see also Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:878.)

  4. [4]

    Robinson v. C. Granger [Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1841], Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book, 18, 20–22.

    Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book / Nauvoo, IL, Mayor’s Court. Docket Book, 1843. In Historian’s Office, Historical Record Book, 1843–1874, pp. 12–50. CHL.

  5. [5]

    Docket Entry, ca. 16 Dec. 1841, Robinson v. C. Granger [Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1841], Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book, 22.

  6. [6]

    Account of Hearing, ca. 16 Dec. 1841, Robinson v. C. Granger [Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1841], JS Office Papers, CHL.

  7. [7]

    Docket Entry, Dismissal, 6 May 1842, Robinson v. Granger [Hancock Co. Cir. Ct. 1842], Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court Records, 1829–1897, vol. C, p. 277, microfilm 947,496, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; “Letter from Col. Robinson,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 26 Aug. 1842, [2].

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  8. [8]

    The disputed land was in the southwest quarter of Section 31, Township 7 North, Range 8 West in Hancock County. (George W. and Athalia Rigdon Robinson to Carlos Granger, Deed, Hancock Co., IL, 1 Sept. 1842, Hiram Kimball, Collection, CHL; Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. N, p. 134, microfilm 954,600, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)

    Kimball, Hiram. Collection, 1830–1910. CHL.

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

  9. [9]

    George W. Robinson, “Letter from Nauvoo,” Quincy (IL) Whig, 23 July 1842, [2]; Discourse, 29 Aug. 1842; Letter to George W. Robinson, 6 Nov. 1842.

    Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.

  10. [10]

    Letter to Sidney Rigdon, 27 Mar. 1843; “Col. Geo. W. Robinson, of Nauvoo,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 5 Aug. 1842, [2]. Robinson’s disaffection occurred at the time of the controversy surrounding John C. Bennett in summer 1842. Letters to Bennett from Robinson were published in Bennett’s book History of the Saints; in those letters, Robinson asserted that JS was secretly practicing plural marriage and had proposed to Nancy Rigdon, Robinson’s wife’s younger sister. (Historical Introduction to Agreement with George W. Robinson and Sidney Rigdon, 26 Aug. 1842; Bennett, History of the Saints, 44–45, 245–249.)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

    Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.

  11. [11]

    JS, Journal, 4 May 1843.

Page [1]

Apl 26th 1843
Genl Joseph Smith
Dr Sir
I was coming down to Your , to see if some settlement could not be made about the affair— but it is such very bad going I cannot come at present, & feeling somewhat interested, I take the present opportunity of Saying to You, & through You to , that I am anxious to have that matter settled, I have executed a deed and left it with to agreeable to our settlement, (that is) between You, , & — which gives him all that I had not sold, & more than pays him for what he has payed me, he can give the bond & recpts to when he gets the deed, The reason why I urge this matter is this, I want him to have all the land he has payed for & no more, but I am bound with some others, in a bond of some four thousand & five hundred dollars, which I expect (from what I can learn) may give me trouble this spring, now that land is in my name & in my right, & stands so on the records at , & is just as liable for my debts as any other of my lands, which may all be swept from my possession, So I wish him to get the deed on record immediately, which will undoubtedly save him his land & a Lawsuit with my creditors—
Your Friend——
Genl J. Smith— [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from George W. Robinson, 26 April 1843
ID #
1055
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:237–240
Handwriting on This Page
  • George W. Robinson

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Severe spring weather made travel difficult. On 25 April 1843, a torrential storm in Nauvoo covered much of the ground with standing water. La Harpe, which was about twenty-two miles east of Nauvoo, likely had similar weather. (JS, Journal, 25 Apr. 1843; see also Letter from James Adams, 27 Apr. 1843.)

  2. [2]

    Warren, an attorney from Quincy, Illinois, assisted with the out-of-court settlement in 1842. He also provided legal support to JS on a variety of matters, including JS’s efforts to evade extradition by Missouri and Illinois officials. (“Letter from Col. Robinson,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 26 Aug. 1842, [2]; Letter from Calvin A. Warren, ca. 23 June 1842; Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 13 July 1842.)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  3. [3]

    See George W. and Athalia Rigdon Robinson to Carlos Granger, Deed, Hancock Co., IL, 1 Sept. 1842, Hiram Kimball, Collection, CHL; and Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. N, p. 134, microfilm 954,600, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.

    Kimball, Hiram. Collection, 1830–1910. CHL.

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

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