Col. Brewer and lady arrived at the Mansion about 9 p.m. Also James W. Woods, Esq., my attorney from Burlington.

At 10 p.m., Private — Minor gave information that as he was passing, an hour since, about two miles out of the city to his home, he was fired upon by some unknown person. General Stephen Markham ordered out a detachment to proceed to the designated place, scour that part of the country, and see that all was right.

[Saturday, June 22.—]

Letter: Joseph Smith to Governor Ford—Inviting the Governor to Come to Nauvoo and Investigate Conditions.

NAUVOO, Saturday Morning, June 22, 1844.

To His Excellent Thomas Ford, Governor:

DEAR SIR.—I this morning forward you the remainder of the affidavits which are ready to present to you, by the hands of a gentleman who is fully competent to give you information on the whole subject which has been the cause of the origin of our present difficulties. I would respectfully recommend the bearer, Col. Woodworth, as one of my aides, and a man whose testimony can be relied upon.

I presume you are already convinced that it would be altogether unsafe for me or any of the City Council to come to Carthage on account of the vast excitement which has been got up by false report and libelous publications. Nothing could afford me a greater pleasure than a privilege of investigating the whole subject before your Excellency in person; for I have ever held myself in readiness to comply with your orders and answer for my proceedings before any legal tribunal in the state.

I would hereby respectfully pray your Excellency to come to Nauvoo, if congenial with your feelings, and give us a privilege of laying the whole matter before you in its true colors, and where abundance of testimony can be forthcoming, to prove every point by disinterested persons—men of character and of worth and notoriety, strangers—who were here all the time. But I am satisfied your Excellency does not wish men to expose the lives of the citizens of this place by requiring them to put themselves into the power of an infuriated, blood-thirsty mob, a part of whom have already several times fired upon our people without the least shadow of cause or provocation.

I am informed this morning that some gentleman has made affidavit that he had a private conversation with me, in which I stated that I had secret correspondence with you, &c. If any person has been wicked enough to do this, he is a perjured villain; for in the first place, I do not suffer myself to hold private conversation with any stranger; and, in the second place, I have never even intimated anything of the kind as having secret correspondence with your Excellency.

Our troubles are invariably brought upon us by falsehoods and misrepresentations by designing men. We have ever held ourselves amenable to the law; and, for myself, sir, I am ever ready to conform to and support the laws and Constitution, even at the expense of my life. I have never in the least offered any resistance to law or lawful process, which is a well-known fact to the general public; all of which circumstances make us the more anxious to have you come to Nauvoo and investigate the whole matter.

Now, sir, is it not an easy matter to distinguish between those who have pledged themselves to exterminate innocent men, women and children, and those who have only stood in their own defense, and in defense of their innocent families, and that, too, in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the country, as required by the oaths, and as good and law-abiding citizens?

In regard to the destruction of the press, the truth only needs to be presented before your Excellency to satisfy you of the justice of the proceedings. The press was established by a set of men who had already set themselves at defiance of the law and authorities of the city, and had threatened the lives of some of its principal officers, and who also made it no private matter that the press was established for the express purpose of destroying the city, as will be shown by the affidavit of Joseph Jackson, and as they stated to me in their threats.

Mr. Babbitt informs me that reports are in circulation that we have taken property which belongs to the Messrs. Law and others. There has been no property meddled with, to my knowledge, belonging to any person, except property we have purchased of the rightful owners.

Mr. Law turned over some property to a Mr. Hicks, to pay a debt. This I purchased of Mr. Hicks, and I am responsible to him for the amount. We have been especially careful to preserve the property of those who are exciting the public against us, inasmuch as we know that every means would be used which could be invented to raise excitement; and we have appointed the police to watch this property and see that no harm was done to it by any person, as they had tried to fire their own building and were detected in the act. The fire was extinguished by the policemen, and no property damaged.

There have been no prisoners taken in this city, neither any person held as hostage, only some who are residents of this place, who had broken the laws. No stranger has been interfered with or detained in the city under any circumstances.

In haste, I have the honor to remain, dear sir, your most obedient servant,

JOSEPH SMITH.

Lieut.-Gen. N. L.

This letter was accompanied by other affidavits, and was sent by Lucien Woodworth, who was delegated to go in place of Dr. Richards. He started at noon in company with Squire Woods of Burlington.

CHAPTER XXVI.

PREPARATIONS TO DEFEND NAUVOO—MOB MOVEMENTS ON CARTHAGE ROAD—GOVERNOR FORD'S REVIEW OF HANCOCK COUNTY DIFFICULTIES—JOSEPH SMITH'S ACCOUNT OF THE SAME DIFFICULTIES, DEFENSE OF HIS OWN AND ASSOCIATES' COURSE.

Saturday, June 22 [continued].—Legion met as usual; and after receiving instructions, were dismissed until 6 p.m., when they met again.

Orders for Nauvoo's Entrenchment.