President's Office
Great Salt Lake City April 9th 1866.
President Brigham Young jun.,
42 Islington L/pool, England
Dear son:
A much longer time has elapsed since my last letter was written to you, than I am in the habit of permitting to pass. I have been suffering from a very severe cold, accompanied with rheumatism, whichmhas prevented me from attending to much business. My health has improved very much of late, so much so that I was able to attend the afternoon meeting in the Tabernacle on the 5th that being the last of our two day's meetings. As the weather becomes more mild, and I can go out and take the air I feel that my health will soon be fully restored. Colds with a severe cough, and a species of lung fever have been very common of late, numbers of both sexes being attacked by them.-An appointment was made at our last Fall Conference for a two days' meeting to be commenced on the 4th of April. Those meetings were held, also our annual Conference. Notwithstanding the bad condition of the roads, the people turned out in great numbers, filling the Tabernacle, and many hundreds not being able to get inside. The necessity for the completion of the new Tabernacle is pressing, and we hope by next Fall to have it so far finished that we can meet in it. The teachings were excellent and full
of the spirit and the people rejoiced. Bros. D. T. and C. S. Kimball and H. I. Richards reached on Sunday afternoon in time to speak to the people. All the members of the quorum of the Twelve in the Territory were here to attend Conference -- Bro C. C. Rich having crossed the mountains from Bear Lake Valley on Snow Shoes to be present with us.
There has been considerable excitement in the City for the past week in relation to the shooting of a
man by the name of Squier N. Brassfield. It seems that Brassfield had made the acquaintance of the
second wife of Archibald N. Hill, named Mary Emma, and whose maiden name was Milan. This intimacy
continued until a marriage and a removal to Austin, Nevada, were proposed. Without taking any steps
to obtain a divorce from Bro. Hill the parties were married by Judge Solomon McCurdy, one of our
Federal District Judges, on the 27th of March. On the same day on which the ceremony was performed
Brassfield and the woman undertook to remove the goods and chattels from Bro. Hill's residence which
she occupied; but were interrupted by the Police. He drew his pistol and uttered some threats; and the
Police took him off to the calaboose and locked him up for the night. He was charged with larceny, and
also with an assault with intent to kill, and on both charges was released on bail. A writ of habeas corpus
was issued by Judge McCurdy, on the request of the woman, to obtain possession of her children -- her
offspring by her previous marriage. This case was argued before Judge McCurdy. Mr. Hempstead
appeared for the petitioner and Judge Z. Snow as Deputy Attorney General for the Territory of Utah. On
the evening of Monday, the 2nd inst., Brassfield was returning from this examination, in company with
Capt Hosmer, U. S. Marshall, and as they were turning to go into the National Hotel, east of Godbe's
store, some person stepped up to Brassfield and fired a gun or pistol, and ran off, pursued and fired at
by men, who were around, but without being caught or even recognized. About 45 minutes after being
shot, Brassfield died. Before his death, he remarked to his surgeon, stated in his evidence at the
coroner's inquest -- that "had the Judge done as I asked him, this would not have happened." The
explanation of this remark, as given now is that Brassfield wished M Curdy to obtain a divorce before the
marriage; but that Mr C. told him there was no need of a divorce, but to go ahead, as the woman's
marriage to Hill would not stand. It is said, however, that M Curdy now disclaims all knowledge of the
woman's being married, and says that she deceived him. The fact is, I suppose, and I believe it can be
proved, that at the time he performed the ceremony, he was so drunk that he scarcely knew what he
was doing. Brassfield stated to a friend -- A Gentile-- (this has transpired since his death) that they were
intending to make this <marriage> a test case, and that it was the entering wedge to burst up polygamy.
Whether he was killed by some man with whom he had had difficulty, or on what ground he was shot,
has not yet been ascertained. As a matter of course, the miserable clique who have encouraged and
urged forward Brassfield and others to encroach uponnthe citizens here and their rights, have through
their organ, raised a howl about this act.
They are disappointed, and feel that they are beaten at their own game; and like desperate men, they
are using every means in their power to make capital and create difficulty out of this occurrence. Yet
they acknowledge that Mrs. Hill was the second wife of Bro Hill.
As a community we disclaim all knowledge of or complicity with the man who killed Brassfield. He may
have been killed on account of some personal grudge, or he may have been shot by a friend of Hill's. In
either case it is folly to accuse a whole community of, and charge them with the deed, and had such an
occurrence happened in any other community, nobody would have thought of doing such a thing. It has
not surprised any person, who is acquainted with the feelings and the views of the people here
however, that this invasion of Bro. Hill's marital rights has terminated so suddenly. Men who have more
wives than one, hold their rights as sacred and estimate them as highly as those, who do have but one.
They are their wives, the mothers of their children, bound to them by the most holy and binding ties.
The seducer who invades the sanctuary of home-- whether there be but one wife or more -- and
endeavors by the use of insidious and devilish arts to lead away an inmate, must expect to have his
career suddenly terminated. No man, who possesses any of the feelings of manhood, would quietly
submit to a wrong of this kind, while he had the power to resent it.
Twenty-two Elders have been called as Missionaries to Europe during Conference Their names are:
John Rees, Wm. Givin, Wm. Grant, Geo. Hunter, Moses Thatcher, John P. Wretburg, Elmer Taylor, John
Urie, John Ezra Pace, Nephi Faucet, Marius Ensign, C. Liston, Edward Petty, Isaac Kimball, Edwin Walker,
Isaac Aldredge, James Smith, Joseph Lawson, Edward A. Noble and Edgar Dalrymple. They will go down
with the teams, which go after the poor.
The folks are all well, and all join in love to yourself and family. Accept my love to yourself and family, in
which the Bro's Kimball, Wells, and the rest of the brethren and George Q. join.
May the Lord bless you, and all the Elders, and give you the power to magnify your callings and
priesthood, and to bear off that portion of the work of God, devolving upon you is the prayer of
Your Father
Brigham Young
P. S.
Should you have means in the Office that you can spare, I would like you to emigrate James Davidson
and family, Dundee Branch, Dundee Conference.-There is a draft in New York, which can be used on this side of the water for emigration purposes. You can retain the funds you collect for R Road fares, teams etc in your hands to make up the deficiency in the L'pool Office, and draw on New York to cover such funds.
If the health of any of the Elders fails, you should send them home.--