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Letter from J. F. Edgerton, 5 September 1842

Source Note

, Letter, , Adams Co., IL, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 5 Sept. 1842; handwriting of ; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, endorsement, and dockets.
Bifolium measuring 9¾ × 7⅝ inches (25 × 19 cm) when folded. The first three of the four pages are ruled with twenty-eight horizontal lines printed in black ink. The first page was inscribed in blue ink and the following two were left blank. The letter was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. It was folded again for filing.
The letter was presumably kept among JS’s papers after it was received. It was docketed and endorsed by , who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844. The document was also docketed by , who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1853 to 1859. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s endorsement, dockets, and inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

  2. [2]

    “Obituary of Leo Hawkins,” Millennial Star, 30 July 1859, 21:496–497.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  3. [3]

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

Historical Introduction

On 5 September 1842, wrote a letter from , Illinois, to JS in , Illinois, expressing support for JS amid the ongoing attempts to arrest him and extradite him to . Edgerton was almost certainly John F. Edgerton, an artist in Quincy who was not a member of the at that time. In addition to informing JS that the general opinion in Quincy was that he should remain free, Edgerton advised JS to leave Nauvoo until the excitement surrounding the attempted arrests subsided. Edgerton also wrote about scheduling a time to paint JS’s portrait.
sent the letter to JS by a “Mr Reynolds,” who was apparently a friend of JS in . According to a notation on the letter, JS received it by 7 September, when he replied to Edgerton. By that time, JS was hiding in from legal authorities seeking his arrest. The letter he wrote in response is apparently not extant.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    It is unclear if Edgerton joined the church. Although Edgerton passed through Utah Territory en route to California in 1850, he appears to have returned to Illinois by 1855. (1850 U.S. Census, Green River Precinct, Utah Territory, 163; 1852 California State Census, El Dorado Co., 186; 1855 Illinois State Census, Galesburg, Knox Co., IL, 388–389.)

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

  2. [2]

    The identity of “Mr Reynolds” is unknown. JS expected church members in Quincy to report on the ongoing efforts to arrest and extradite him. The unidentified Reynolds may have been part of that group. (Letter to Emma Smith, 16 Aug. 1842; David S. Hollister, Quincy, IL, to Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo, IL, 12 Aug. 1842, JS Office Papers, CHL; Historical Introduction to Letter from George Miller, 4 Sept. 1842.)

  3. [3]

    Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127]; Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 7 Sept. 1842.

Page [1]

Ill 5. Sept. 1842
Dear Sir,
Having an opportunity of sending a line to you by one of your friends, (though not a Mormon) I improve it by giving you a word of common report report among the civilized people. I find the general wish is, that you will not be taken, if you are that you will not resist the officers for you have a heartless people to deal with, all are in hopes that you will leave your town for the present, until the present excitement subsides I say all, I mean the better part of community. I have no more time to write,— dont let those Blood Hounds get you.
Your friend
Gen Smith Est.
P. S. If I can do your painting I will write you again, soon If you cant have your portrait taken now please write me soon
[p. [1]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from J. F. Edgerton, 5 September 1842
ID #
921
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:51–53
Handwriting on This Page
  • John F. Edgerton

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