The Papers
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History Draft [1 March–31 December 1843]
Source Note
Source Note
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
was a void writ in law, upon which said writ they were held to bail <in $10,000 each & they had to send to for bail bondsmen> & were <placed> in the custody of the Sheriff of . <& > felt bad when these <last> writs were served on them & began to cool in his <their> conduct a little
<Saturday June 24> (2) About 9 <8> the Master in arrived & ordered <issued> a writ <of , returnable before the Hon: John D. Caton, judge of the 9th. judicial <Circuit of Ottoway>> issued which was duly served on them < & ,> <when> & <after which at 10 a m they> also obtained a writ of Habeas Corpus for the purpose of being discharged before <said> Judge Young of <Caton>, but they di
about 2 a m by request, the case was laid over until morning & Joseph was conducted back to the room—
<see other side>
<(4a)>
<June 24> upon which said writ <*> <(5)> I was conveyed by & <upon the <first> writ of Habeas Corpus> towards Ottawa as far as <32 miles *> <*> <where I was befriended by Mr. them, Mr. Root who told that if he was determined to pursue his then <wicked> course, that there was a <regulating> committee <living> in that town, who attended to such busines persons, <which was the highest tribunal in the State> & from whose decision there was no appeal.>
<Sunday June 25> <(6)> <At this place> where it was ascertained that Judge [John D.] Caton was on a visit to . upon which <whereupon> I, , <θ>
<June 26> about 9 a m I wanted <sent> to go to & have enough of the brethren <come> to protect him <me>
<*> <θ> <, , , Dixon> & others <started about 8 a m &> returned to <the Town of> <by about 4 p m when I was again locked in a room & guarded thru the night.> when another writ was issued by the said master in returnable before the nearest tribunal in the fifth judicial circuit; authorized to hear, & determine writs of
<* where I was again abused by & which was observed by the Landlord Mr. John Robinson who told Mr [blank] Root & others <*>>
<(4a) My Wife & her children started with my carriage <from Inlet Grove>, driven by & for — immediately after I had left Dixon—>
<June 24 The receive a letter from of , requesting them to appoint a in that place to settle some difficulties existing there.>
The free and accepted <ancient> York Masons met at the Lodge room, <being the anniversary of St. John’s Day> then formed a procession in due Masonic form in front of the Hall, & walked to Main Street, where the corner Stone for a was laid by the Worshipful Master , two Masonic Hymns were sung; after which they proceeded to the near the , where an oration was delivered by bro. ; from thence they proceeded to Mr. Warner’s, where about 200 sat down to an excellent dinner; the Company broke up early in the afternoon, highly delighted with the day’s proceedings.
<Sunday 25> The water has fallen in the , more than a foot since last Sunday.
<In the at 10 a— m meeting <at the > preached on Charity, & in the afternoon was preaching when my brother went to the & requested the masonic fraternity <brethren> to meet him at the Lodge Room <Masonic Hall> in 30 minutes, who <The brethren> immediately went there, a quarter <in such numbers that one fourth> of them could not get into the room; & <so> they adjourned to the Green & formed a hollow square, when my brother informed them that <Elder > had arrived about 2, & told him that Sheriff of Mo. & of , had come upon me & by surprise, & each presented a pistol at my breast, & swore they would kill me if I made any resistance <and arrested me> & related the occurrences as far as was known up to my arrival in ; he now wanted a Company to go up to my assistance & see that I had my rights; he called for volunteers 2 or <upwards of> 300 volunteered, from whom they selected such as they <were> wanted; Generals & started the same evening with a Co of near 200 <about 175 men> on horseback> <X see above> <X at the time of <previous to> starting, Elder went to the Company with <& donated> a barrel of rifle powder, when every man filled his horn or flask, previous to starting and my brother delivered to several hundred dollars’ to defray the expenses of the expedition.>
arrived in about 2 p m & delivered the message to my brother & ; who gathered the people together & selected about 100 men part of whom started on and about ◊ 75 <75 on board> the Maid of Iowa <<with Captn > who went up the for Ottawa <,> & <to> examine the Steam Boats> & the remainder on horseback under Genl <suspecting I might be <a prisoner> on board one of them, in as they supposed me on the road to Ottoway—>
Several of the Pottawatomie Indians call to see the & , they wanted to talk, but had no <their> interpreter could not speak much.
<The old writ <of > was returned <endorsed thereon> “judge absent” when another writ <of habeas corpus> was issued at 7 a. m. <by the Master in ,> & was worded at ’s request, “returnable before the nearest tribunal in the fifth judicial {circuit <district>} authorized to hear & determine writs of habeas corpus” & the Sheriff of Mr [blank] served it on them & (A) <see below>> <<(A)> took them into his custody, [blank] in a few minutes afterwards I, my Lawyers, , Dixon & my <other> friends, held a council & agreed <arranged> to start before 9 <a m> to go before Judge , at , a distance of about 250 <260> miles— <θ> after these arrangements were made, I sent with an Express <a letter> to Gen , with directions <directing> to <him to> meet me at on Wednesday evening, with sufficient force to prevent my being kidnapped into ; as I well knew that the whole country was swarming with men anxious to carry me there, & kill me, without any shadow of law— or justice, & they well knowing that I had not committed any crime worthy of death or bonds.>
<<θ> I employed Mr. Lucien P. Sanger <with the> Stage [illegible] coach to convey us on our journey towards .>
<Monday 26> It is <was> reported there are state writs in the City <> for <to take> , & to , who armed themselves to prevent being kidnapped—
The City watch report that at one this morning, two men came out of ’s, went to the upper landing, met a boat with one man, guarded by <Lyons> son, so reported—
County assessor returned about noon
To the Editor of <I copy the following from> the Chicago Democrat (see Neighbor 46 <copy>) Yours G. [p. 48]
