L. B. Fleak to Governor Reynolds, August 3, 1843

Historical Introduction

Violence with and against indigenous people in both Iowa and Illinois was a constant presence during nineteenth-century colonization efforts. White residents of Lee County remembered that it was not long ago when the area around the Mississippi where they lived was a site of battles and skirmishes as part of the Black Hawk War of 1832.¹ While most of these battles were fought further north, the defeated Black Hawk settled in Montrose, Iowa.

While Latter-day Saint theology emphasized a partnership with “Lamanites,” which they interpreted to mean Native Americans, and while there were several missions to the “Lamanites” during the early Church period, Joseph Smith was often hesitant to form any sort of official partnership with indigenous groups. This did not prevent anti-Mormons and other outsiders from fearing an alliance between Mormons and Indians. Specifically, outsiders were afraid that Smith would partner with indigenous peoples for the purpose of pushing white people out of their settlements in these more western states and territories.²

These fears, along with Latter-day Saint efforts to distance themselves from the racial connotations of association with indigenous peoples, culminated in this meeting between Potawatomi leaders and Smith. On April 18, 1843, three Potawatomi leaders visited Nauvoo, Illinois, to ask Smith for his help. They attempted to appeal to American’s paternalistic view of Native Americans by calling Smith their father and deliverer. While they were received warmly with a special feast, Smith informed the leaders in private that he could not aid them because he did not want to violate federal regulations.³

Emanuel Hitchcock was asked to be the interpreter for the meeting and originally refused because of his dislike of Smith and other Latter-day Saint leaders, but eventually acquiesced. He was horrified by the events of the meeting and frustrated that the Native American leaders kept referring to Smith as an authority figure. He immediately wrote to Henry King, the local Indian agent, to inform him of “‘a grand conspiracy . . . between the Mormons and Indians to destroy all the white settlements.’”⁴ He apparently also sent an affidavit to Fleak who forwarded it on to Governor Reynolds in Missouri.

Document Transcript

Keokuk I. T. Augt 3rd 1843

His Excellency Gov Reynolds

Dear Sir, Herewith I send you a copy of an affidvit that is now in my office, although there is nothing definite in it, yet you may rely upon it that if those Mormons do not give you trouble on your Western & northern line this Fall, it will be because they cannot get enough of the Indians to fall in with their diabolical schemes. They have numbers of emissaries among the Indians at this time who represent to the Indians that they are Englishmen. They are also scattering English Medals among the Indians, & represent to them that Smith holds a commission under the British government. This may all look like a hoax to you, but the time will come when it will not be felt as a hoax. Hitchcock the deponent has long been acquainted with the Pottawattomies, speaks their tongue as fluently as he does the English language. He is well known here and has been known, always, as a man of undoubted veracity. I myself know that those chiefs (as they calld [sic] themselves) were there at the time he mentions in his affidavit & I also know that they returned at the time that he says they told him they would & that they brought their own interpreter with them this last time. The following is a true copy of the Affidavit, many of the expressions are awkward but he says it is a literal translation of their conversation so far as it goes.

Territory of Iowa

Lee County

ss —Personally appeared before the undersigned a Justice of the Peace for Lee County, Iowa Territory E Hitchcock who being duly sworn according to Law, deposeth & sayth “That about the first of April last, three Pottawattomie chiefs, the oldest was Waugh-be-ke-she, the next oldest Apa-guch-a-ba & the youngest Na-am-wat came to Montrose and enquired of the deponent for the British Captain, that talks with the Great Spirit A Mormon took them across the river to Nauvoo about 10 o-Clock A. M. & about 2 O Clock P. M. Joe Smith (the Prophet so called) sent a request for the deponent to come to Nauvoo which the deponent complied with, when the deponent arrived at Smith’s, said Chiefs were before Smith’s house surrounded by about one hundred Mormons. After the lapse of some minutes, Smith ordered the deponent & Chiefs to appear before him in his rooms. This was before the deponent began the interpretation. The house of Smith was then cleared and no one allowed to enter the room but Hiram Smith, Joe’s Brother & three other Mormons. The Chiefs requested the deponent to tell the Brittish Capt (Joe Smith) that many of his men were among them on Kanzas River and had told them that that great white streak seen in the West two & a half moons past, signified the great white prophet (Brittish Capn Joe Smith,) that talked with the Great Spirit and that he Smith would tell them how to settle all of their abuses of the whites and how to get redress for their wrongs. The Chiefs then said that ten tribes had already smoked the pipe of Peace & were then ready to receive & obey his (Smiths’) orders. The Chiefs also requested Smith to send some of his big men home with them. They then showed Smith two Brittish medals to prove to him that they were true friends as they said. All the reply that Smith made to them, through the deponent was “my hands are tied, by holding a Commission under the United States” but he said to them that he wished the ten tribes to stick closely together. Hiram Smith told the deponent to say to them that they should not send any one with them but if brother Dunham was willing to go with them he might go.⁵ The next morning about sunrise the Chiefs came back to Montrose, when this deponent asked them when they would return to Nauvoo, they replied when corn comes knee high. The Chiefs earnestly requested this deponent to keep their talk a secret & further the deponent saith not.[”]

Signed Emanuel Hitchcock

Sworn to & subscribed before me on this 27th day of July 1843

Signed J[ames]. A. Clark J. P.

The above is a true copy of the affidavit & with my knowledge of those fanatics together with the fact of the return of those chiefs at the time specified and other circumstances, I do fully believe that there will be an attempt made on the frontiers of Missouri this very Fall. I have read a letter from Capt Allen of Fort Rackoon,⁶ some 250 miles up the Desmoines River He states that there had been one or two hundred Pottawattomies encamped in that vicinty vicenty & that the Sac & Fox Indians had furnished them with some 80 to 100 horses, he says in his letter that he does not apprehend any difficulty, but at the same time he will be on the alert, always in readiness and keep his eye closely on any whites that may be passing. It is not my wish to create any unnecessary alarm, but I do think that the inhabitants on the border of the State should know what facts there are in the case, That the Mormons have a fixed hatred against Missouri you are well aware. One of the principal articles of their creed is the destruction of Missouri. No Mormon has prayed yet I expect without calling for the vengeance of Heaven on Missouri. Well I claim to be a Missourian & glory in the name & I hope the Mormons will make their intended invasion, then the extermination of their [sic] would take place beyond a doubt. I said I was a Missourian; I am not by birth, but by adoption. I have resided in the State for several years & intend being there shortly again, as soon at least as I finish closing my business which will be in two or three months.

I am now offering to pay the reward for Smith that you offered, provided he is delivered to me in Clark Co Mo five miles from this place. There is nothing on earth would give me more pleasure than to make my appearance at Jefferson City with Joe in tow However I have no hopes of success as he keeps a body guard near him all the while.⁷ I send you a paper to day containing Hiram Smiths Testimony as given before the Municipal Court of Nauvoo at Smiths last exparte examination.⁸

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L. B. Fleak

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