Lot
106 
[Mormon] Far West Mo. May 19, neat bold strike of fancy postmark in red and manuscript "25" rating on folded letter datelined "Far west Caldwell County May the 19 1838," shortly after the Mormons began arriving, it is from a recent widow to her brother in Goshen Conn., she writes "…all kinds of produce is very high here at this time and hard to be had without the cash the inhabitants are coming in here from all quarters of the world…I have not one relative to come to my humble dwelling to sooth my sorrows nor pour the healing balm of consolation in to my wounded breast I am here perhaps two thousand miles from you…I am led sometimes to say I cannot stay in this country alone at others I give it up and if my heart is with these people I must stay with them for I think them to be the people of God."; some minor edgewear, Very Fine and choice strike. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
In 1838 a large group of Mormons settled in a sparsely inhabited region of northwest Missouri. They established their own County of Caldwell with Far West as the county seat. With increasing numbers of Mormons spilling over into adjacent counties, a number of incidents between them and their gentile neighbors led to a civil war between the two groups. The Governor of Missouri threatened to have the State Militia "Expel or exterminate them". The Saints decided to pack up and go back to Illinois.
In the meantime General Lucas of the militia had arrested Joseph Smith and other leaders of the church. They were tried by a court-martial and ordered to be shot for treason in the public square of Far West. Alexander Doniphan, who was to win fame in the Mexican War, was called upon to execute the condemned but refused. He wrote General Lucas that "It is cold-blooded murder. I will not obey your order. My brigade shall march for Liberty tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock, and if you execute these men I will hold you responsible before an earthly tribunal, so help me God." The order was never executed and the prisoners were permitted to escape. Most of the Mormons took the steamboat route down the Missouri and up the Mississippi to Quincy. The last of the Saints left Far West on April 20, 1839.
Realized: $3,500