[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from S. M. Smith, Kirtland, Ohio to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, Mo. ]
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Smith mormon
Kirtland
Kirtland Mills, O
Ma 23
His Excellency
L. W. Boggs
They have to present to your excellency a petition praying
your assistance in a matter of vital importance to me and to
my friends. I have received by letter from the widow &
others the following facts respecting the murder of a
brother in your state by the name of Warren Smith. He was
a mormon (the only one of the connection) He set out for Far
to do his duty to go. This was a misfortune to be pitied
not a crime to be punished. [
3 or 4 other families had arrived to within a short distance
of the end of their toilsome journey they were informed
that the roads were strictly guarded & to proceede farther was to
be disastrous, they consequently halted at shoal creek and encamp=
=ed in the edge of a prairie, when they were attacked on
the 6th Nov. by an armed force of 2 or 300. The women &
children fled to the woods, the men & boys to a log block
Smith shop. The ruffians instantly surrounded the latter
& in a few minutes massacred about 20. After the
roar of death had ceased & the inhuman banditti
retired, the women crept silently from their hiding
places & selected each her own husband from among the
mingled & mangled slain, wiped the warm flowing life
blood from their [__] cheeks, snatched a hasty kiss &
buried their lifeless [many] in a deep narrow tomb
together ([niz a null]) & fled again to the thick [cirkling]
shade of the gloomy forest to escape a like, or a
worse fate, & now wander friendless & pitiless without
money or means in a strange land, a land of enemies
They perished my brother & a little son of his of
about 10 years, who begged hard for life, but was shot
through the head in cold blood after the excitement
of battle was over, If there is
philanthropy in
let it be exercised in relieving the suffering of
these widows and orphans, if there is power in the law
or energy in the executives of
requisition to bring to [_andign] punishment the perpetra
=tors of this barbarous deed, This is my petition!
will it be heard? Will the
Governor of
see that the laws of his state are executed, & the suffer
ing of innocent widows and orphans assuaged.
I have not sought to procure the
signatures for any
but I to present my petition singly in the
name of the suffering, I appeal to your humanity as a man, & to
your authority as Gov. of Mo. hoping that it
will not be in vain, It is said and believed by many
that your Proclamation authorized the extermination
of the mormons, I can hardly believe this possible
I think it would go to legalize murder & robers & be
incompatible with your constitutional processes
In your [ ] address W. M. Smith Williams
[Mills _____Ohio].
I have the honor to subscribe myself
your obedient, humble servant
His Excellency
L. W. Boggs SM Smith
Kirtland, March 31. 1839