of the kind take place soon there was a company of 17 Missourians
armed came of over the river below Warsaw and kidnaped 4
of our bretherens and carried them over the river & whiped two of
them almost to death The names of those that they whiped is Noah
Rogers & the other by the name of Bois the others Jas. Alred & Alansow
Brown bro. Alred they striped & tied to a tree & drawed the lash over him
but did not whip him brother Brown they hung up by the neck
until he was almost dead. Pretending they had stolen some goods from
a little town where they had the bretheren ^prisoners^ called Tully in Missouri &
they thus tortured them to make them confess & they would not receive
any thing for a confession only what they would dictate so to save
life the bretheren confessed what they wished. finally bro. Brown ran away
from them & they set brother Alred at liberty & sent the rest to Palmyra Jail where they are at this time all this without any eveden
ce of their guilt & we have petitioned the govenor of this state
to have them brought back & those ^that^ have thus abused them brought back to Justice which we think the govenor of Missouri will
not comply with and if not it will end in difficulties between the
State of Illinois & Missouri as govenor Carlin says he is determined
to carry it it out according to the strict letter of the law. the church
has been talking of making a settlement on the lines between Missouri
and Iowa which gives the Missourians a good deal of uneasiness
they say we have formed a conspiracy with the Indians & are goin there
for that purpose & the was fifty brethren started from here to go &
the report has gone they was fifty to start every weeks which does
much perplex them the very much alarmed at the aspect
of affairs we are at peace here the people are generally
friendly I have considerable to write you but have n[ot] [page torn]
time at present I am much hurried they are waiting
for me to go to meeting with the best of feelings I subscribe
myself your friend & brother in the Lord Albert Petty
Dear Brother Woodruff being priveledge with a space
is sister Woodruffs letter I gladly improve it and I can say to you that I
and Wm is well Mr Smoot is on a mision to the south I had a letter
from him June th 12 he was in Jackson, Co, Tenbe had just arrived
and was well he wanted to hear what Bro Woodruff was doing in England I too Bro Woodruff with your wiffe have been called to wit
ness the fall of one of the lovleiest flowers that ever bloomed yes your lit
tle lovly Sarah is no more in this life She is gone to dwell among the blest
yes She expired in my arms I done the last honor to her that was in my pow
er I closed her precious little eyes washed her dressed her kissed her again and again
an to day with her weeping mother consigned her to the grave to wait till gabriel
trump sound then may we all meet her is the prayer of yor sister in Christ
sister Woodruff has gon to visit Sarahs grave site Margaret T Smoot
of the kind take place soon there was a company of 17 Missourians
armed came over the river below Warsaw and kidnaped 4
of our bretherens and carried them over the river & whiped two of
them almost to death The names of those that they whiped is Noah
Rogers & the other by the name of Bois the others Jas. Alred & Alansow
Brown bro. Alred they striped & tied to a tree & drawed the lash over him
but did not whip him brother Brown they hung up by the neck
until he was almost dead. Pretending they had stolen some goods from
a little town where they had the bretheren prisoners called Tully in Missouri &
they thus tortured them to make them confess & they would not receive
any thing for a confession only what they would dictate so to save
life the bretheren confessed what they wished. finally bro. Brown ran away
from them & they set brother Alred at liberty & sent the rest to
Palmyra Jail where they are at this time all this without any eveden
ce of their guilt & we have petitioned the govenor of this state
to have them brought back & those that have thus abused them brought
to Justice which we think the govenor of Missouri will
not comply with and if not it will end in difficulties between the
State of Illinois & Missouri as govenor Carlin says he is determined
to carry it out according to the strict letter of the law. the church
has been talking of making a settlement on the lines between Missouri
and Iowa which gives the Missourians a good deal of uneasiness
they say we have formed a conspiracy with the Indians & are goin there
for that purpose & the was fifty brethren started from here to go &
the report has gone they was fifty to start every weeks which does
much perplex them very much alarmed at the aspect
of affairs we are at peace here the people are generally
friendly I have considerable to write you but have not page torn
time at present I am much hurried they are waiting
for me to go to meeting with the best of feelings I subscribe
myself your friend & brother in the Lord
Albert Petty
Dear Brother Woodruff being priveledge with a space
is sister Woodruffs letter I gladly improve it I can say to you that I
and Wm is well Mr Smoot is on a mision to the south I had a letter
from him June had just arrived
and was well he wanted to hear what Bro Woodruff was doing in
England I too Bro Woodruff with your wife have been called to wit
ness the fall of one of the lovleiest flowers that ever bloomed yes your lit
tle lovly Sarah is no more in this life She is gone to dwell among the blest
yes She expired in my arms I done the last honor to her that was in my pow
er I closed her precious little eyes washed her dressed her kissed her again and again
an to day with her weeping mother consigned her to the grave to wait till gabriel
trump sound then may we all meet her is the prayer of yor sister in Christ
sister Woodruff has gon to visit Sarahs grave site Margaret T Smoot
"Letter from Phebe Whittemore Carter Woodruff, 18 July 1840," p. 3, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed May 15, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/p1r