Great Salt Lake City, March 31st, 1854
Dear brother,
Yours of January 13th. & 14th came to hand on the l0th. inst. also the newspaper articles you allude to though most of the printed matter due by that mail, and started from Independence, lodged somewhere on the route. The article in the Missouri Democrat is so palpably unjust, and so barefacedly inconsistent, and absurd, that it confutes itself to any reflecting mind, and even official refutation would be of little or no use to those who make and love lies; and Col. Abert is mistaken if he thinks we were offended at Gunnison's pamphlet, the only remark upon the matter that I know of amounting simply to this, that his experience and information were sufficient to print his views free of inaccuracies, still I know of no feeling at all akin to anger on account of the errors that were printed. Had Col Davis been disposed, he could at the time you called upon him have furnished you Capt. R. M. Morris' official letter on the subject of the massacre, the printing of which would have effectually silenced such 'vile' articles as appeared in the Democrat, and he knew it.
Enclosed, I forward you a petition to the Second Assistant Postmaster General, asking the appointment of Joseph Cain as a special mail agent for Utah Territory. You will please fill the blank with the name of the second Assistant Postmaster, for I have not learned it, and when you present the petition, you will call notice to the fact that the signatures are those of all the principal officials in our Territory and with few exceptions, not members of our church, and that any required number of names could have been procured, had it been deemed necessary. Please inform Professor Henry that the information he so much wishes shall be forthcoming at the earliest practicable date, and remind him that we are not in an old settled country with all its conveniences and leisure amateurs, but I expect to fit up a room in my new house this season and mount the instrument properly and have correct and regular readings taken and forwarded.
Adjutant General James Ferguson has made up the papers relating to our expenses in the Utah wars, so far as returns have been made, and sketched a brief history of those troubles, which he forwards by this mail under cover to you.
General Horace S. Eldredge is duly authorized to draw upon you for funds to enable him to carry out my instructions to him in regard to business operations. I will here take occasion to state that all official papers are duly forwarded by mail, and are made out as much in accordance with law, and the requirements of the Departments as my knowledge and judgment will admit; and certainly the heads of the Departments must know, that if there any oversights, omissions or errors in any of my official communications and they will be so good as to inform em thereof, that it would afford me great pleasure to comply with any legal, reasonable requirements. Hence it appears strange to me that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs does not more seasonably pay my drafts, or inform me specifically why he does not, for it seems that ordinary courtesy, to say nothing of official duty, would require one course or the other.
In addition to using your influence for the Cains appointment <I wish you also to work for the appointment> of Elias Smith to be the Postmaster in this City.
The Draft I gave O. H. Cogswell, for $2000. has been returned here, and I have paid it, with $38.90 Cost and Interest
General news remains much as at my last date, except that Indian Walker has come in from his winter quarters, professing friendship & a desire for lasting peace, and in accordance with his request I dispatched E. A. Bedell, & bro. Huntington to meet him at Fillmore & have a talk and they left this city on the 25th inst for that purpose.
Bro Franklin D. Richards is authorized to draw upon you for funds to assist him, and the missionaries in his Company, who are on their way to England, and when he reaches there he will refund you whatever amount you may assist him to.
As I am often troubled by the alleged non-arrival of official papers at the Departments, I shall in future enclose them in open envelopes under cover to you, and I wish you to look over them, and notice whether they have come safe to hand, previous to sealing and presenting them, and then they will not be able to put you off by pretending they have not been forwarded. If any package has been opened, and papers abstracted before reaching you, I wish you to inform me forthwith and of what is missing, that the Departments may obtain the papers which are due them and I probably be able to learn where blame should rest, when all do not arrive in due [?] for no pains is spared to make out justly & correctly & to forward promptly all required documents and accounts.
You will notice that I forward some papers with blank address, not knowing the name, hence I wish you to furnish me the names of the heads of the Departments, and of such secondary officials as I may have occasion to communicate with.
I enclose for you to look over, seal, and deliver my Report, Account Current, Abstract and Vouchers from 1 to 15 inclusive, for the Quarter ending March 31st 1854, a Draft on the Department for this Qr's a/c amounting to $1489 25/100, the Mail Agent petition & certificate of presence.
Notwithstanding the purity of our climate and the general health of our community, still we are subject at times to sickness, and death releases here and there a from his earthly burdens. On the 11th inst. at 9 (1/2) A. M. our beloved brother Willard Richards was called to join the hosts beyond the vail, there to aid his brethren in the cause of Zion more efficiently than his tabernacle of flesh and blood would permit him to do here.
Ever praying that we may of humility as to be also ready
Your brother in the Covenant
Brigham Young
Hon J. M. Bernhisel
Washington City
D C.