[ Full-text transcription of: Letter from Citizens of Daviess and Livingston Counties to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, MO ]
[ view finding aid | view image ]
To his Excellency the Governor
of the State of
We, the Citizens of the Counties of
Daviess & Livingston represent to your honor, that
a crisis has come, which we believe requires us, as
the legitimate citizens of
:utive of State for protection—For several weeks
past the Mormons have been making formidable
preparation for a civil war—and one which they
are pleased to call a war of extermination—We presume
that your honor is apprised of the attack made on
Adam Black esqr. on the 8th of August by the Mormons,
and shall not enter into a detail of it here—But we
will apprise your honor that the Mormons have
& keep a lawless armed force stationed in our county,
and are constantly throwing out menaces, threats &
challenges to our Citizens. Influenced by fearful
apprehensions of danger, we, the people of the
above counties, sent an express to
week for arms and ammunition, and on their
return with their load of guns, say forty five,
and several kegs powder, & 200 lbs: lead, they were
intercepted, on Sunday last, in passing through
:ical Enthusiasts, made prisoners of, & taken
to Far West—where they, the guard & the above mu:
:nitions of war are still held in custody—on Sunday
last, an armed force of fifty Mormons left
their encampment in this county and Marched
to the Territory of Livingston County for the purpose as they
Said of removeing a considerable amount of property
which was subject to a lien held by Mr. James Weldon—they
passed into the settlement secretely and falling in with a
Family which they suspected would alarm the settlement
they violently seized and made prisoners of the whole Family
which consisted of three men and two Ladies, all of whom
with three others of our citizens we believe are still held in
the custody of those Rebels, and deprived of their Liberties. Our
county, Sir, is in a distressed situation probably two thirds of the
Families of
among the neighboring Counties while a few of the old settlers are
still here and are determined only to surrender their houses
with their lives—for about four weeks we have humbly and
unceasingly been petitioning our neighbouring Counties for aid
but we are yet in a helpless and defenceless condition. We
therefore, the people of the above Counties, being well aware that
your Honor is well acquainted with the character of
those people called Mormons & believeing that our lives
our liberties our property and our all are in the most
emminent danger of being Sacrificed by the hands of those
Imposterous Rebels earnestly call on your honour for
assistance—assistance, we must have or leave our homes
and seek protection else where
Most of us, Sir, have emigrated to these frontier Counties
before there were any settlements formed; we have
had to encounter & have realized nearly all the difficulties
incident to a new country. We have foregone the pleasure
& the advantages of the old and well settled counties,
which we have left in anticipation of enjoying the
like blessings in this—but alas, our anticipations are
blasted and unless we can get rid of those Cannadian
Refugees and Emmissaries of the prince of Darkness
we and our Families are ruined
We are Sir Your petitioners
The Citizens of Daviess & Livingston
Counties
I George T Prichard of the
swear that I had an interview with the Mormons, who
arrested the Family in the
refered to, and saw three of their prisoners and was
informed by them the Mormons that they had the rest
of the Family under arrest and that they intended to
keep them untill they saw their own time to release them
George T. Prichard
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 12th day of
September 1838 R
Clerk of the Circuit
Court of Daviess County
Citizens of Daviess Cty
to
Govr Sept 12, 1838
copied