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Doniphan, Alexander William

 Person

Biography

Alexander William Doniphan (July 9, 1808-August 8, 1887) was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best know today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Joseph Smith, Jr. at the close of the 1838 War. He also achieved renown as a leader of American troops during the Mexican-American War, as author of a legal code that still forms the basis of New Mexico's Bill of Rights, and as a successful defense attorney in the Missouri towns of Liberty, Richmond and Independence.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Robert Carson letter

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230312313]
Identifier: MSS SC 1391
Scope and Contents

Handwritten and signed letter written at Santa Fe, New Mexico and addressed to Carson's "Honored old friends" in Howard County, Missouri. Carson briefly recounts experiences and news about the war including the tremendous death toll from disease, the putting down of an "insurrection," and the activities and battles of General Alexander William Doniphan on the way to El Paso, Texas.

Dates: 1847
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Robert Carson letter

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  • Subject: Doniphan's Expedition, 1846-1847 -- Sources X

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