Sidney Rigdon, Testimony, 1 July 1843 [Extradition of JS for Treason]
Source Note
, Testimony, [, Hancock Co., IL], 1 July 1843, Extradition of JS for Treason (Nauvoo, IL, Municipal Court 1843). Copied [between 3 and 6 July 1843]; handwriting of ; docket by unidentified scribe, [, Hancock Co., IL], ca. [6] July 1843; notation by unidentified scribe, ca. [6] July 1843; twenty-four pages; Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.
army to take us by force, we were hurried over the as fast as possible with as many of ’ army as could be sent over at one time and sent hastily on. and thus we were taken to the shire town of , and put into an old house and a strong gaurd placed <over us.> in a day or tow [two] they relaxed their severity we were taken to the best tavern in and there boarded, and treated with kindness. we were permitted to go and come at our pleasure without any guard. After some days Col arived from ’s army with a demand to have us taken to Ray county. It was difficult to get a guard to go with us indeed we solicited them to send one with us, and finally got a few men to go and we started After we had crossed the on our way to , we met a number of very ruff <rough> looking fellows and as ruff <rough> acting as they were looking they threatned our lives We solict solicited our guard to send to for a stronger force to guard us to Richmond <there> as we considered our lives in danger. met us with a strong force and conducted us to where we were put in close confinement.
One thing here I will mention which I forgot. While we were at I was introduced to a lawyer of some note in the country. In speaking on the subject of our arrest and being torn from our families, said he presumed it was another scrape. He said the mormons had been d[r]iven from that and that without any offence on their part. He said he knew all about it. they were diven off because the people feared thier political influence, and what was said against the mormons was only to justify the mob in the eyes of the world for the course they had taken He said this was another scrape of the same kind [p. [17]]