The Brigham Young Center

President's Office,
Gt. Salt Lake City,
July 21st, 1866.

President Erastus Snow,
St. George, Washington Co.

Dear Brother:

Your favor of the 9th inst. has been received. I am pleased to hear from you that every thing is moving along well. I have been surprised at hearing of John G. Smith's transgression; I scarcely thought that he would so far forget his covenants and position as to be guilty of such grievous sin. Your better course with him will be to let him lay and soak awhile before baptizing him.

Every thing is peaceable here at present, and there is nothing particularly new stirring. Col. Heber P. Kimball and his command reached home this morning. They had, before they were relieved by Gen. Wells, penetrated into the country where the Indians had been located. It was fortified, built of stone, with loop holes and corrals in which they kept the stock. They <(the brethren)> obtained five or six head of cattle. The signs were that they had gone North.

The boys who went out in this command have been absent about three months, and look, so far as the outfit shows, that they have had rough, hard times. Gen. Rufus Ingalls (who was Capt. in Col. Steptoe's command in '54) passed through here, and feels very well towards us. The tide among the Military seems to be setting in our favor at present. Col. Babcock, a Member of Gen. Grant's Staff, has been here, being on a tour of inspection among the Forts and garrisons West of the Mo. From all that has been seen and heard he has been favorably impressed in favor of the citizens. These gentlemen, regular Army Officers, smile at the airs of Pat. E. Conner and the petty tyranny exercised by him towards his officers and others, who did not join with him in his operations. He is now here, but you know how it is with the wicked, when they lose position and money, their influence is gone.

Bro. Wells will still remain in the field for awhile longer.

With love,

I remain Your Brother,

Brigham Young

P. S.

I wish you to get up a reconnoitering expedition, of a sufficient number to be perfectly safe, and send out to the Buckskin Mountains to explore them and the country lying between them and Green River, and to find out all that can be learned about that country. The company should also ascertain where the Navajoes cross the Colorado. The wire for our home Telegraph is on the way here, and we hope to have the line up before long. When it will <be> completed, we can talk together without trouble or delay, and if we should then be under the necessity of organizing an expedition against the Lamanites to preserve our own lives, we can easily do so, and communicate quickly <intelligence of> any movements necessary to be known.

B. Y.