Letter from John Solomon Fullmer, 18 October 1881
President Woodruff.
Dear Sir.
Some few days since, Bro. C. H.
Wheelock called on me stating that you wished him to
collect such items relative to the incarceration and assassination
of Joseph Smith the Prophet and his brother Hiram the Patriarch,
as would be interesting to future generations, and gleaned
from those who accompanied them during the last
few days of their impriso^n^ment in the Carthage Jail.
And having had the privilege of remaining with them
nearly the entire time of their incarceration, I feel called
upon to state such facts as came under my own obser-
vation, as briefly and in as compact a shape as, in my
judgement, would make them both interesting and in-
telligable to the future reader: Bro. Wheelock having gone
some days ago; upon consideration, therefore, I concluded to
direct my statement to you in person, where it would
be safely preserved until wanted
By way of preface, I will begin my narative
by stating, that although I had been with the Prophet a
great deal since my first acquaintance with him; was in
his company and employ, in his office and in his store
over a year, and acted also at times as his private secre-
tary, ^but^ at the time of his going with Hiram to Carthage to
deliver themselves up for trial, I was at my farm some four
miles from Nauvoo with my family, and did not hear of
his movement for a day or so until Tuesday morning the
