[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from Joseph Dickson, CLerk of Circuit Court of Carroll County in Carrollton, MO to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, MO ]
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Carrolton
Septr 6th 1838
Honr L W. Boggs
Governor of
Sir.
I am requested by the Committee of
Safety appointed for
Honor a copy of an affidavit made by John N. Sapp the
contents of which they have every reason to believe are true—
they wish your Honor, if you should consider the same
advisable to acquaint the Indian agents on our frontier with
that part of said affidavit which relates to the Indians
I Have the Honor to be
With great Respect Your
State of
I, John N. Sapp, do solemnly swear that I
resided in
of five months, and was a member of the Church of the
people, styled Mormons, and that I quit them about
fifteenth day of August last by stealth. When I left
them they (said people, Styled mormons) were building
Block Houses, and calculated this fall to build
fortifications for the protection of themselves and families
in time of war, for which they are making every
arrangement and the understanding is, that each man
is to Cultivate one acre of land and if the produce
raised on said acre is not sufficient for their maintainance
and that of their Family they are to take the balance
from the Missourians (thereby meaning people of other
denominations) and I do further say there are betwixt
Eight and Ten hundred men well armed and Equiped
who have taken an oath to support Joseph Smith and
Lyman Wight in opposition to the laws of the State of
and I was a member of said body of Danites and have taken
the above oath – and I do further say, I have heard
Sidney Rigdon and Lyman Wight say they had
twelve men of their Church among the Indians and
that their object was to induce the Indians to Join them
(the said mormons) in making war upon the Missourians
and that they Expected to be fully prepared to commence
war this fall or next spring at fartherest and I also
Say the danites aforesaid are Sworn to cowhide any
person or persons who may say aught against
Joseph Smith, and Lyman Wight, and if that will
not prevent them from speaking about said Smith
and Wight then they are to assassinate them
his
John N x Sapp
mark
Subscribed and Sworn to before me Joseph Dickson, Clerk
of the County Court within and for the
State of
year 1838
(Seal) In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand
and affixed my private seal at office, there being no official seal
yet procured, this fourth day of September 1838
Joseph Dickson—Clerk
I Joseph Dickson, Clerk of the County Court
within and for the
certify that the foregoing instrument of writing
is a true and correct copy of the affidavit of
John N Sapp filed with me for safe keeping
on the fourth day of September 1838
I Testimony whereof I have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my private seal at
office there being no official seal yet procured
this fourth day of September 1838
Joseph Dickson
Clerk
Affidavit of Jn.
Sapp
Sept 6, 1838
copied