The Brigham Young Center

President's Office,
Gt. Salt Lake city,
August 15th, 1866.

Col. Thos. S. Smith,
St. Thomas, on the Muddy.

Dear Brother:

Your letter of the 1st instant has just reached me, and I am glad to hear from that of your prosperity and welfare and the good crops that you have raised. The Lord has visibly blessed your labors and given you great success, which I trust be continued by unto you by you all living before the Lord in such a way that you will not be unworthy of his favor. The friendly feelings of the Indians you will do well to encourage, as you say that you have been doing. The most of the Indian difficulties that <have> occurred might <have> been avoided, if the Whites had only been wise. The wrong-doing of one man, through hastiness of temper, or from a disposition to commit injustice, will frequently involve a community or a nation in trouble and bloodshed. Among us this should carefully shunned. We must treat them with charity, never forgetting their origin and the promises of the Lord respecting them. To descend to their level, and treat them as they would us, is entirely unworthy of men professing to be Latter-day Saints. With the exception of the renegades composing Black Hawk's band, the Indians up here all express a strong desire to maintain peace.

We have had a number of heavy rains which, though very welcome in many respects, have damaged grain and hay to some extent. Crops of all kinds are very heavy this season in all parts of the Territory.

Peace prevails in the City. There are but few troops; but plenty of lawyers. Capt. Hooper reached home on the 11th inst. in good health and spirits, accompanied by Maj. Gen. John E. Smith, the newly appointed U. S. Assessor of Internal Revenue for this Territory.

Kanosh was in the Office this morning with Dimick Huntington. He says that the Piedes tell him that <the> sons of the Navajoe Chief who was killed at the time the two Berrys and the woman were killed are raising the tribes to make a descent upon our Settlements. They expect to have six thousand Indians and in about six weeks to clean the Settlements out from St. George to Beaver. This is an Indian story, still it should not be neglected. The work of arranging for the defence of the Settlements should be pushed forward, and no pains should be spared in making every thing secure. Your Settlements are small and you will not have, therefore, so large a fort to build to secure yourselves and families. Do everything that you can to preserve yourselves, families and stock from the depredations and attacks of the red men. At the Fall Conference we will try and raise you the needed help to strengthen your Settlements, and make you secure.

With love, and praying the Lord to bless you and all who are with you

I remain

Your Brother,

Brigham Young