TO EMMA SMITH
1838 DECEMBER 1

ALS. Joseph Smith, Liberty, Missouri, to Emma Smith, Far West, Missouri, 1 December 1838, 1 p., Joseph Smith Collection, LDS Church Archives.

For Joseph Smith, his associates, and some fifty other Mormons confined in Richmond during the November 1838 court of inquiry, the experience was anything but pleasant. Parley P. Pratt wrote that "it was a very severe spell of snow and winter weather, and we suffered much. During this time Elder Rigdon was taken sick from hardship and exposure, and finally lost his reason; but still he was kept in our miserable, noisy, and cold room, and compelled to sleep on the floor with a chain and padlock round his ankle, and fastened to six others; and here he endured the constant noise and confusion of an unruly guard . . . frequently composed of the most noisy, foulmouthed, vulgar, disgraceful, indecent rabble, that ever defiled the earth." Beside this suffering and privation, the proceedings of the court, which lasted from 12 November to 28 November, brought little hope. According to Parley Pratt, "The judge could not be prevailed on to examine the conduct of the murderers, robbers, and plunderers, who had desolated our Society. Nor would he receive testimony except against us. And by the deserters and apostates who wished to save their own lives and property at the expense of others; and by those who had murdered and plundered us from time to time, he obtained abundance of testimony, much of which was entirely false."544

Finally, the court found "probable cause" to charge Joseph Smith, Lyman Wight, Hyrum Smith, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin, and Sidney Rigdon with "overt acts of treason" in Daviess and Caldwell Counties,545 and to charge Parley P. Pratt and four others with murder in Ray County.546 In the absence of adequate jail facilities in the counties where the alleged crimes took place, those charged with treason were consigned to the jail at Liberty in Clay County; the others were to remain at Richmond. All were to await trial the following year.

The prisoners sent to Liberty Jail were taken there on 1 December in a heavy wagon under armed guard. For Joseph Smith, this was the beginning of four months and five days of confinement. Upon his arrival he wrote a brief letter to his wife and two weeks later he wrote to the scattered and destitute Church members in Caldwell County. Both letters follow. The first is a holograph; the second was written for Joseph by an unknown person at the jail.

December 1st, 1838

My Dear companion

I take this oppertunity to inform you that I we arrived in Liberty and commited to Jaol this Evening but we are all in good spirits Captain bogard [Samuel Bogart] will hand you this line my respects to all remain where you are at preasant J yours &c

Joseph Smith Jr [p. 1]

To Emma Smith

Far West