Isaac W. Stathem, Letter, , Philadelphia Co., PA, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 10 May 1843; handwriting of Isaac W. Stathem; dockets in handwriting of and ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL.
Historical Introduction
On 10 May 1843, Isaac Stathem wrote a letter from to JS in , Illinois, to inquire about land arrangements Stathem had made in Nauvoo and to claim that he and his wife had been unjustly disfellowshipped by the Philadelphia of the church. Stathem purchased land in Nauvoo in 1841 and then entered an agreement with , who owned an adjoining tract, allowing Morrison to rent Stathem’s land and house for thirty-six dollars a year. Stathem also entered into an agreement with a “Mathews”—probably —for additional land. In 1842, brought a suit against Stathem in the Circuit Court for nonpayment of a forty-dollar debt. When Stathem did not show up for the trial, the court ordered that a house owned by Stathem that was “a few paces North of the Store of Arhur Morison” be sold to pay the debt. This was probably the same house Morrison was renting from Stathem. If so, Stathem seemed unaware of the court order; he had previously asked to collect the rent from Morrison and pay it to Mathews as partial payment on the land, and he stated in the 10 May 1843 letter featured here that he expected that Young had collected another year’s rent. Young may have been involved in the transaction because he had made his own arrangement to purchase some land from Mathews. Stathem may have agreed to purchase some of the land Young bought from Mathews.
Sometime before February 1842, Stathem arrived in , where he was a supporter of , the presiding of the Philadelphia . When Winchester and a group of his supporters split off from the rest of the branch and began meeting in a new building, Stathem followed them. One branch member referred to Stathem as one of Winchester’s “immediate Friends that Constantly surround him.” Stathem ran into difficulties after and set the Philadelphia branch in order under ’s leadership as presiding elder. Hess informed Hyrum Smith and JS in February 1843 that Stathem and his wife (whose name is not known) were “keeping a Kind of tave[r]n and oyster house” in Philadelphia “for prostitutes and their associates to resort.” The Stathems were also accused of prostituting Sister Miller, a young woman who had come to live with them after her parents disowned her because she converted to the church. The Stathems countered these charges by accusing Miller of immorality.
As a result of testimony regarding the Stathems’ accusations against Miller, Stathem’s wife was charged with defamation of character and using profane language. The first charge was “laid under the table” by the , a decision that believed was orchestrated by and his supporters. Stathem’s wife confessed to the second charge of using profanity and was exonerated. However, two months later, a “Select Council of ” disfellowshipped the Stathems based on Hess’s charge that they were “keeping a house of ill-fame.” Isaac Stathem composed this 10 May letter to tell JS his side of the story and to seek information about his property dealings.
The lack of postal markings on the letter suggests a courier delivered it to . The courier may have been , who was present at a 27 May 1843 meeting held to consider his standing in the church. Although three other letters written by members were read at this meeting, the minutes of the meeting do not mention Stathem’s letter. No response from JS has been located.
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one yeir and others that was dis fellow shiped took shuch [such] in full Communion and then turned round lide [lied] about the 10 St members and for so doing thair was Charges brought against which he would not give no satisfaction and be caus I went a gainst shuch proseedings thair was shower of Lies and slander Showered Down on me for which I presented too C[h]arges against one Conspiring a gainst me and the other Slander and I could brought one against him for Evedropen. [eavesdropping] thair fore they Cald a prevet meeten and disfellowshiped me and my wife. but I will fech those C[h]arges up to when I come and of Afadavid up with me to show what Cind [kind] of carectors they got to testify a gainst me I will leve the rest for to state for he [k]nows all about it and what they have Charged a gainst us is folse and God will Juge them for it