| 292 away by the flood, and have not since been heard of. A house at Kelley's mills above Darby was also carried away and its inmates, a woman and four children were drowned.
There were eighteen coal boats sunk in the Schuylkill, and forty-four vessels sustained more or less injury.
A large number of boats run against the piers of the bridge, from one of which a colored man fell and was drowed [drowned].
The creeks near Wilmington were swollen to a feral height, and flooded the country for a great distance. Several head of cattle were lost.
The bridge at Naaman's creek was much injured.
Eleven lamp posts were blown down in the city.
Two or three bridges on the Reading Railroad have been swept away.
From the State Register.
ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI.
We have seen and heard a statement that Governor Ford had delayed making a decision upon the demand of Missouri for the militia to arrest Joseph Smith, until after the election: so as by intimidation to compel the Mormons to vote the democratic ticket. The authors of this desperate and reckless slander take counsel from their own corrupt hearts, and judge others by a knowledge of what they would do in like case. No doubt but that they would do this and more too if necessary to secure the success of their party, and hence their readiness to believe evil of others. If, however, they had been in the least degree inclined to judge correctly, they would have gone as we have done to the records of the Secretary's office, where they would have ascertained that all these suspicions were groundless; and that the Governor had actually decided not to call out the militia, eleven days before the election.
The following letters we copy from the record in the office of the Secretary of State.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, }
Springfield Illinois, July, 16, 1843. }
To His Excellency, Thomas Reynolds,
Governor of Missouri:
SIR: The demand of Joseph H. Reynolds, Esq. the agent appointed by you to receive Joseph Smith, jr., for a detachment of militia to assist in retaking said Smith, has been duly considered by me, and I now, at the earliest moment, after coming to a conclusion on the subject, proceed to lay before you the result of my deliberations.
The request for a military force is declined. The reasons which have influenced me in coming to this determination will be furnished to you at large, as soon as I can obtain leisure to do so. I have the honor to be
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
THOMAS FORD.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, }
Springfield, Illinois, Aug. 14, 1843 }
To His Excellency Thomas Reynolds,
Governor of the State of Missouri:
SIR: On the 26th day of July last, I had the honor to inform you by letter, that after full consideration, I had come to the conclusion to decline ordering out a detachment of militia to assist in retaking Joseph Smith, jr., who was said to have escaped from the custody of the Missouri agent and in that letter I engaged to furnish you with my reasons at large for coming to that determination .
It appears that an indictment was found at a special term of the Davies Circuit Court, Missouri, held on the 5th day of June last, against Smith for treason. Upon this indictment the Governor of Missouri issued a requisition to the Governor of this State, demanding the arrest and delivery of Smith. A writ was thereupon duly issued by me for the apprehension and delivery of Smith as demanded. This writ was put into the hands of an officer of this state to be executed. The officer to whom it was directed immediately arrested Smith, and delivered him to Joseph H. Reynolds, the agent of Missouri, appointed to receive him. The writ has been returned to me as having been fully executed.
After Smith was delivered into the hands of Mr. Joseph H. Reynolds, it is alleged that he was rescued from his custody by the municipal court of the city of Nauvoo.
Affidavits on both sides of the question have been filed before me, and I also have additional information on the subject contained in a report of M. Brayman, Esq., a special agent appointed by myself to investigate and collect facts in relation to the whole matter.
The undisputed facts of the case are that Smith was arrested near Dixon, in Lee county; he was immediately delivered over to Mr. Reynolds: Smith immediately brought an action against Mr. Reynolds for false imprisonment, and held him to bail in the sum of four hundred dollars. Mr. Reynolds being in a strange country, and unable to give bail, was taken into custody by the sheriff of Lee county, and held as a prisoner; whilst Reynolds held Smith as his prisoner. The parties finally concluded to get out writs of habeas corpus, and try the legality of the imprisonment in each case. The
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