1866 April 25 Letter to Warren S. Snow

Title

1866 April 25 Letter to Warren S. Snow

Description

Sanpitch and his companions escaped. Law enforcement pursued and some were killed. Brigham regrets the violence but agrees that the law cannot allow citizens to be killed.

Type

Correspondence
Indian Affairs

Sender

Brigham Young

Recipient

Warren S. Snow

Date

1866 April 25

Location

Great Salt Lake City
Manti, Utah

Number of Pages

2

Subject

Indian Affairs
Dispute

Item sets

President's Office Gt Salt Lake City
April 25th 1866.

General Warren S. Snow,
Manti.

Dear Brother:-

Your letters of April 21st to Brother Wells and myself respecting the escape of Sanpitch and his companions and the successful attempt which had been made to overtake them, have been received last evening by the hand of Brother Moffatt and perused with interest.

I do not know that any better course could have been taken in relation to Sanpitch and the others than has been. You could not feel any worse about their escape than we did. Our only fear now is that Sanpitch may come to life again, or in other words, that he was not killed, as there seems to be some uncertainty about where he was killed. We do not want to kill the Indians; it is painful and repugnant to our feelings to have recourse to violence against them; but it will not do for us to sit down and see our brethren and Sisters killed by them, and not take measures to prevent such occurrences.

I had a long talk with Kanosh a day or two ago, and reasoned the case with him. I asked him, what could we do. It would never do for us to let the Indians who profess to be friendly stand between us and those who are hostile. The professedly friendly Indians never tell us where the hostile Indians are; but they can go to them and tell them all about us. If they did not cease to take this course, I told him, we would have to cut them all off. He assented to my views and statements, and said we could do no less.

Mr Head has been communicated with very freely upon all matters that have transpired connected with the Indians, and he feels very well. He thinks as we do, that we could no better.

With love and praying the Lord to bless you I remain

Your Brother,