Letter to Elias Higbee, 7 March 1840

Source Note

Elias Smith
6 Sept. 1804–24 June 1888. Teacher, printer, postmaster, bookkeeper, probate judge, newspaper editor. Born in Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Moved to Stockholm, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1809. Baptized into...
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, Letter with postscript by JS,
Lee Co.
First permanent settlement established, 1820. Organized 1837. Population in 1838 about 2,800; in 1840 about 6,100; in 1844 about 9,800; and in 1846 about 13,000. Following expulsion from Missouri, 1838–1839, many Saints found refuge in eastern Iowa Territory...
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, Iowa Territory, to
Elias Higbee
23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...
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,
Washington DC
Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...
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, 7 Mar. 1840. Featured version copied [between Apr. and June 1840] in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 109–111; handwriting of
Howard Coray
6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...
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; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.
Historical Introduction
On 7 March 1840,
Iowa
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in...
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high council
A governing body of twelve high priests. The first high council was organized in Kirtland, Ohio, on 17 February 1834 “for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church, or the bishop...
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clerk
Elias Smith
6 Sept. 1804–24 June 1888. Teacher, printer, postmaster, bookkeeper, probate judge, newspaper editor. Born in Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Moved to Stockholm, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1809. Baptized into...
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1
Elias Smith was appointed to the Iowa high council at the time of its creation in October 1839. He was appointed the high council’s clerk on 19 October 1839. (Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; Iowa Stake Record, 19 Oct. 1839, 7.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.
wrote a letter to
Elias Higbee
23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...
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containing instructions about representing the
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. At a 6 March 1840 meeting of the Iowa high council held in
Montrose
Located in southern part of county on western shore of Mississippi River. Area settled by Captain James White, 1832, following Black Hawk War. Federal government purchased land from White to create Fort Des Moines, 1834. Fort abandoned; remaining settlement...
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, Iowa Territory, JS declared that “the affair now before Congress was the only thing that ought to interest the saints at present.” The high council then directed Elias Smith “to inform Judge Higbee, that it is the wishes of this council that he should not upon any consideration consent to accept of any thing of Congress Short of our just rights & demands for our losses & damages in
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
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.”
2
Minutes and Discourse, 6 Mar. 1840.
Elias Smith wrote this letter as a result of that direction, and JS approved the letter’s content in a postscript.

In addition to declaring support for
Higbee
23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...
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’s mission,
Elias Smith
6 Sept. 1804–24 June 1888. Teacher, printer, postmaster, bookkeeper, probate judge, newspaper editor. Born in Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Moved to Stockholm, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1809. Baptized into...
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relayed the disdain the high council members felt for political leaders who refused to back the Saints’ petition for redress. Despite expressing a negative view of various politicians, the letter signaled the high council’s optimism that the federal government would award reparations to church members who were expelled from their property in
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
More Info
. JS and the high council in
Iowa
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in...
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were unaware that the judiciary committee had already decided that the Senate should no longer consider the church’s memorial, indicating JS had not yet received the letter Higbee had written on 26 February 1840.
3
Letter from Elias Higbee, 26 Feb. 1840; Report of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 4 Mar. 1840.

Elias Smith
6 Sept. 1804–24 June 1888. Teacher, printer, postmaster, bookkeeper, probate judge, newspaper editor. Born in Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Moved to Stockholm, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1809. Baptized into...
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presumably sent this letter by post to
Washington DC
Created as district for seat of U.S. federal government by act of Congress, 1790, and named Washington DC, 1791. Named in honor of George Washington. Headquarters of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of U.S. government relocated to Washington ...
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, but the original letter is not extant. If or when
Higbee
23 Oct. 1795–8 June 1843. Clerk, judge, surveyor. Born at Galloway, Gloucester Co., New Jersey. Son of Isaac Higbee and Sophia Somers. Moved to Clermont Co., Ohio, 1803. Married Sarah Elizabeth Ward, 10 Sept. 1818, in Tate Township, Clermont Co. Lived at ...
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received the letter is unknown.
Howard Coray
6 May 1817–16 Jan. 1908. Bookkeeper, clerk, teacher, farmer. Born in Dansville, Steuben Co., New York. Son of Silas Coray and Mary Stephens. Moved to Providence, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, ca. 1827; to Williams, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, by 1830; and...
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copied it into JS Letterbook 2 sometime between April and June 1840.
4
Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 17, 19. It is unclear whether Coray copied this letter from another copy retained by JS or from the original letter that Higbee received and subsequently brought back to the Commerce, Illinois, area.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.

Footnotes
1. 1
  Elias Smith was appointed to the Iowa high council at the time of its creation in October 1839. He was appointed the high council’s clerk on 19 October 1839. (Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; Iowa Stake Record, 19 Oct. 1839, 7.)
  
  Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.
2. 2
  Minutes and Discourse, 6 Mar. 1840.
3. 3
  Letter from Elias Higbee, 26 Feb. 1840; Report of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 4 Mar. 1840.
4. 4
  Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 17, 19. It is unclear whether Coray copied this letter from another copy retained by JS or from the original letter that Higbee received and subsequently brought back to the Commerce, Illinois, area.
  
  Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.

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Ill. [Iowa] Mar 7th 1840

Dear Sir

I take my pen for the first time to write a few lines to you, in compliance with the wishes of the bretheren in this as manifested by their vote, at a meeting of the held at on Friday the sixth inst, at which Joseph Smith Jr. was present, and communicated to us some things relative to the proceedings of Congress, on the subject of our persecutions in the State of , and final expulsion therefrom by the Executive authority thereof.

We are fully sensible, that you will as the Representative of the , do every thing [in] your power to have our case fairly presented in all its bearings to Congress. And be assured, that you have the prayers, and the faith of the Saints here. who seem determined that nothing shall be withheld that they are in possession of or can procure; that will be of use to you in discharging the duties of your appointment. Exertions are making to furnish you with every needful testimony, to prove every item of the memorial, presented to the Senate by , which will be forwarded soon by Prst Smith. I am instructed by the unanimous voice of the Church here to request you not to give an inch in any position that has been taken; [p. 109]

Ill. [Iowa] Mar 7th 1840

Dear Sir

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Document Information
Editorial Title
Letter to Elias Higbee, 7 March 1840
ID #
521
Total Pages
3
Handwriting on This Page
- Howard Coray
Footnotes
1. 1
  See Minutes and Discourse, 6 Mar. 1840.
2. 2
  In an earlier letter, Higbee had requested the prayers of the Saints in his behalf while he attended to the church’s petitioning efforts in Washington DC. (Letter from Elias Higbee, 20 Feb. 1840–A.)
3. 3
  The minutes of the Iowa high council’s 6 March 1840 meeting indicate that church leaders were still gathering affidavits that testified of the violent encounters between the Saints and the vigilantes in Missouri and itemized the Saints’ damaged and lost property there. The Iowa high council appointed a committee of three people to gather the affidavits and to send them to Higbee in Washington DC. Additionally, Higbee had written in an earlier letter that should the church’s memorial be considered further by the Senate, the church would be able to send witnesses to Washington to testify. (Minutes and Discourse, 6 Mar. 1840; Letter from Elias Higbee, 22 Feb. 1840.)

Letter to Elias Higbee, 7 March 1840

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