L. B. Fleak to Governor Reynolds, December 4, 1842
Source Note
Laban B. Fleak, Letter, Keokuk, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, December 4, 1842. Published in Warren A. Jennings, “Two Iowa Postmasters View Nauvoo: Anti-Mormon Letters to the Governor of Missouri,” BYU Studies 11, no. 3 (1971): 286–87.
Historical Introduction
Thomas Ford took the office of governor of Illinois in early December 1842. Trying to figure out if Ford would support his predecessors support of Smith’s extradition to Missouri, a group including Hyrum Smith, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, and William Clayton traveled to Springfield and met with attorneys Stephen A. Douglas and Justin Butterfield, who seemed optimistic that the extradition was illegal and would be dismissed if brought to courts. They wrote to Governor Ford and Ford agreed to bring up the case before the judges of the supreme court and see what they recommended. The judges agreed that the Missouri requisition was illegal, and Ford thus advised Smith to appear in court, positive that he would succeed in a hearing.1 Emboldened by this advice, Smith voluntarily surrendered and had his hearing in Springfield, Illinois, before Judge Nathaniel Pope. At the hearing, it was decided that the extradition order was flawed and was thus overturned.2
Document Transcript
Keokuk I. T. Dec 4/42
Gov Reynolds
Dear Sir
All of our efforts to seize the renegade Smith, have proved fruitless and we have been compelled though with reluctance to abandon the project. He keeps constantly around him as body guard of some 12 to 14 enthusiastic fanaticks which renders a secret approach impossible, and with the River frozen over as it now is, even if we were to get him it would be impossible to get away with him, for one haloo from him [sic] call a thousand men to his rescue.
The only possible way to get him is through the newly elected Governor. He may do something but Carlin never would if he were to continue Gov 20 years, he is about half Mormon himself—
His house has been Smith’s Hotel, when in Quincy for the past two years.
Depend upon it, those fanaticks will one day give your State a great deal of trouble, their whole thought is how they they [sic] shall injure or destroy Missouri & the first thing taught their new members is to despise Missouri. They have now purchased the principal part of Keokuk & are coming into it very fast, which puts a body of them within 3 miles of the Missouri line. I shall leave here in March for Missouri.
. . .
L. B. Fleak
. . .
