The Brigham Young Center

President's Office,
Gt. Salt Lake City,
August 9th, 1866.

To James McCormick, G. B. Leonard, Morgan Lewis, and thirty-eight others, formerly of Kamas Prairie and now of Peoa

Dear Brethren:

We have received your Petition, in which you set forth the inconveniences of your position and the desire that you have to return to Kamas Prairie.

The only condition upon which we can consent in our feelings for you to return to Kamas Prairie is for you to build a strong, safe Fort, in which you and your families can live and be secure from the attacks and depredations of the Indians. This Fort should be built of stone and laid in lime mortar, or of block houses, and the walls should not be less than Sixteen (16) feet high, whether built of stone or logs. It should be <built> sufficiently large to easily accommodate Fifty (50) families. Strong Corrals should <also> be built close to the Fort-- so close that they can be covered by your guns in the Fort, that your Stock can be safely kept. Your stack yards should also be built in a similar manner. Care must be taken that the walls of your Fort, and that your Corrals are built strong. When you have built such a Fort, and that your Corrals are built strong. When you have built such a Fort, then it will do for you to take your families there; but not until then.

When peaceful times shall again come, then it may do for you to build on your City lots; but this will be a work of the future; if ever it should be that you would find it proper and safe to thus build, the Fort should not be torn down, or be suffered to fall into decay, but be kept in repair, so that it can be used upon an emergency.

Brigham Young
Geo A. Smith
Heber C. Kimball
Lorenzo Snow
Geo. Q. Cannon