Lot
526 
Nauvoo July 1844, dateline on folded cover postmarked "Quincy, Ills Jul 10" red-orange cds with "25" rate and addressed to John F. Wingate (Brother), Brunswick, Maine; letter with FANTASTIC CONTENT REGARDING THE CAPTURE AND MURDER OF MORMON LEADERS, JOSEPH SMITH AND HYRUM SMITH WRITTEN BY A BODYGUARD, EDWARD B. WINGATE, reads, in part, "…Our whole troubles originated from a few Apostaties from this Church because Joseph would not uphold them in there Hellish Deeds they have said all manner of eavle against Joseph they could not say & do enough no other way but they had to go to work and publish a paper which they called the Nauvoo Expositer in that they publish all manner of lies that could be thought of therefore the city counsil came together for the purpose of taking into consideration the Above named press wether it was a nuisance or not which they had the power to do according to their charter granted them by the United States therefore they declared it a Nuisance and ordered the police to go to the office and take the press and burn it which they Did do. They then came out in all their fury they went to Carthage and the surrounding town and got the Devel in the people and they waged war against us there was at one time above a thousand Mobilrats that swore and passed resolution that they would exterminate all the Latter Day Saints in Nauvoo But thank god they could not raise forse enough General Smith called out Legion which Numbered about 5 thousand yet they wer few in number they wer equal to 20 thousand because their cause was a Just one and they would have faught until the Last Drop of Blood had left there Bodyes. The Goviner ordred out the state troops but could not controle them he therefore sent a letter to Joseph stating the circumstances as they wer and issued a writ for Joseph & his Brother Hyrum Smith to appear at Carthage to answer to the charge of Treason which God and all honest men knows they wer not guilty of But however they cornplyed with all that was put upon and was willing to go to justice when justice could be found the Goviner pleged his Word and honor that he would protect them they therefor started for Carthage with about 30 men and I had the pleasure of being of them Joseph & Hyram wer confined in Prison for safe Keeping and then waited for tryal. But instead of that what shall I say the Goviner with about 50 horse come to Nauvoo for the Purpose of making Peace But it was far from that it seems for wilst they at Nauvoo those ungodly wretches the Mobererats came out from there hiding place there was about 200 of them all armed with faces painted they rushed to the Jail nocked down the gard at the door 8 in number men that the Goviner had station there they went up in the jail to the room where Joseph & Hyram was and killed them both on the spot and wounded 2 others 4 shot each…I am your Brother, E.B. Wingate," small wax seal hole in verso, hinge repaired tear on verso, Very Fine and choice.Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT LETTER PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT OF THE LYNCHING OF JOSEPH AND HYRUM SMITH.
Joseph and Hyrum Smith were murdered by an armed mob on June 27, 1844, at Carthage Jail in Illinois. After the brothers were charged with treason and held in the jail, the mob stormed the building, shot them, and killed them, ending the founding period of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and leading to a schism among its followers.
The sender, Edward "Big Ned" Bradley Wingate (1820-1887) was raised in Maine and became an early Boston convert to the LDS faith. Wingate, believed to be a "Danite" or church policeman/body guard, was married to the daughter of church leader Sidney Rigdon and would escort Joseph Smith to the scene of his murder at the Carthage Jail.
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Realized: $15,000