President's Office
Gt Salt Lake City,
June 15th 1866.
President Brigham Young Jr.
42 Islington, Liverpool, England
Dear Son:-
Your welcome favor of May 8th, containing the intelligence of the sailing of the "John Bright" and the "Caroline," has been received, and been perused with interest. We have been anxious to hear from you and about affairs in your field, emigration, &c. and the receipt of your letter has relieved the anxiety. It is gratifying to read your description of your efforts to obtain ships, and the signal manner in which you have been blessed in securing suitable vessels upon, what may be considered this year, reasonable terms to carry our peoper. You are obtaining an experience now that cannot fail to be of great benefit to you. We have remembered you constantly in our prayers asking the Lord to open your way in obtaining ships and to bless you in all your labors. The Lord is kind and merciful and never forsakes nor forgets His children who put their trust in Him.
Encouraging reports have reached us respecting the progress of the teams which have gone down to bring up the poor, and we hope that, under the blessing of the Lord, all the trains with the Saints will reach this place early in the fall.
The weather until the last day or two has been remarkably cool and stormy for this latitude. Since the severe storm to which I alluded in my last, we have had considerable rain, and as a consequence the
streams are very high; Jordon has never been so high since our settlement here as it is at present. The weather now is fine, and gives promise of being more seasonable than it has been.
President Wells started for San Pete County on Monday, the 11th instant, with a company of twenty-five men; He will push forward as energetically as possible the fortifying of the settlements, that the people may be able to dwell secure from Indian depredations and attacks. On Sunday last, the 10th, the Indians made a raid on Round Valley, Millard Co., and drove off 150 head of cattle and 75 horses, and killed Father Ivie and another man. They moved Eastward with the Stock. At the crossing of the Sevier Gen W B. Pace, who was out with a Scouting party of 25 men, fell in with them on Monday, the 11th, and a fight ensued. Though the brethren were outnumbered three to one, without counting the Indians who were guarding the stock, they succeeded in inflicting severe loss on the Indians; and, what is worthy of notice, though compelled to fight on the open ground, and part of the time under a heavy cross fire, they lost neither a man nor a horse, one of the brethren only being shot in the leg, but not so seriously as to disable him from active service. The Indians were too numerous for the brethren to recover the stock. Col. Heber P. Kimball's command came up that evening, and on the morning of the 12th a command of about 86 men started for Grass Valley --the rendezvous of the Indians. We are expecting intelligence from them every hour. Since Bro. Wells started upwards of 80 men have started from this City to San Pete Co. The bands of Indians which surround us do not countenance the acts of this predatory band of outlaws. The success of Black Hawk, and the few who were with him, in murder and robbery last season has enabled him to collect a band of renegade Indians, who hope under his leadership, to gratify their murderous and thievish propensities. They are not a tribe, neither is Black Hawk a recognized Chief; but they are banded together for purposes of plunder. It is hoped that their operations will be speedily checked. Every thing is quiet in the City, and good health generally prevails. The prospects for fruit and grain crops continue good. The families of the Elders are well so far as known. Accept my love to your self and folks, and give my love to John W. Bro Orson and all the other Elders, in which the brethren here join. Praying the Lord to uphold and prosper you I remain Your Father,
Brigham Young
P. S.
I have drawn the following drafts upon you: No 871, £6.3.0, John Hodges; 872, £5.0.0, Elizabeth Criddle, 873, £71.8.0, H. C. Kimball, to pay his boys indebtedness. 874, £5.0.0, Mrs. M. S. Vernon; 875, £2.0.0, Wm. Yates. Drafts no. 872, 873 enclosed.