L. B. Fleak to Governor Reynolds, October 7, 1842
Source Note
Laban B. Fleak, Letter, Keokuk, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, October 7, 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.
Historical Introduction
In this and other letters from Fleak to Governor Reynolds, Fleak states that because of the ongoing extradition attempts, Latter-day Saints living in Keokuk, Iowa, and other settlements in Lee County were relocating to Nauvoo. Residents in Lee County, Iowa, had grown frustrated with their Latter-day Saint neighbors as early as September 1841, when violence broke between the two groups.1 The Iowa Stake minutes end in August 1841, so we have no official minutes to document any formal exodus of Latter-day Saints in Lee County, Iowa, to Nauvoo, but it would make sense that in the face of this perceived persecution, many Saints would focus on protecting their prophet and city rather than continue to branch out into surrounding settlements.2
Document Transcript
Keokuk I. T. Oct 7th 1842
Gov Reynolds
Dear Sir
I hasten to correct the information which I gave your per last nights Boat respecting the supposed arrest of Jo Smith.
Smith is not arrested as was reported, this I have from my brother (the same that addressed me the note that I enclosed to you) and I know it can be relied upon. The note before me from him is dated at Nauvoo & was written the morning after the other was written. What can be the object of the Mormons in reporting his arrest I cannot conjecture, they must have something in view. I shall be in Nauvoo tomorrow—and should anything transpire worthy of notice I will again write you. In the meantime the plan proposed in my note of the 5th Ins will be vigorously prosecuted.
The Reward has had one salutary effect—it has stopped their settling in our Town & those that had come down have returned to Nauvoo
. . .
L. B. Fleak
. . .
