Great Salt Lake City May 12.<th> 1858
President Brigham Young
Dear Brother: -
We arrived here all safe 9 O.Clock (yes)terday evening:-- Your teams are loaded with the remainder (of the) lumber at your wood yard the doors and the remainder(wi)th flour from the Tithing store house, as Hiram said he (had)not loading sufficient which had been sent for, mine (and)the church team are also loaded with flour. The teams (from) Provo have come down without beds on the wagons for (the) purpose of loading back with the bowery benches. It (appears) to me that it is of the utmost importance to get our (flour) and wheat taken care of and then if there is time (to) take such things we can do so, however those benches (wi)ll scarcely pay the hauling of timber was any way easy of access at Provo. You are aware that almost the only good ones were made by the 18th ward from Cottonwood logs being simply split in the middle and are consequently very heavy half a dozen of them which a man or two should be able to make in one day if they had the lumber it would take a week for an ox team to haul and the lighter ones would break to pieces. I have therefore taken the liberty to load these teams, with posts & scantlings for fence, storehouses shanties &c preparatory to s[-] [-] people in storing grain, and will wait your further instructions as regards the benches. I would send more inch lumber if we had it, we have nothing on the yard but refuse lumber of which we are making boxes, and thick stuff, would (it) not be well to have Bro. Feramorz Little have some teams to haul a lot of it down to the mouth of the Canon so that we could load teams from that point it would be better for us to let our teams work them if he has other business so much that he cannot do it with his as it appears important to have lumber. Bro Angell is loaded with flour and will leave in the morning. Bro Ellsworth arrived to day all well and will also load with flour and leave day after tomorrow. John Sharps (tr)ain will also leave to morrow with smutted wheat (us)ing the wheat boxes, which have been used in bringing the wheat from the north. Adam and Joseph Sharp are now north after the remainder of the wheat that direction. We also send other public property which we stow in to make up loading according to circumstances a bill of which is always forwarded to Bishop Blackburn, wrought & cut nails also the greater part of the spikes will be sent by Andrew.
Col Kane and Gov. Cumming will leave in the morning I obtained the drafts and enclosed them as you directed also sent duplicate of your last letters to Dr Bernhisel H. S. Eldridge and Bro Calkin, also letters to the returning Elders and order to Richards, at the Platt Bridge. I expect to let Bro. Egan have five hundred dollars in specie (for) contingent expenses and I think that ought to be sufficient (al)though William suggested a thousand. The Col. thinks he (ha)s sufficient. He is considerably disappointed in not returning his letters and trunk his letters he wished forwarded him when they do come, and has obtained passes from Governor Cumming to an express to take them to Bridger.
I send this by mail as it will reach you to-morrow night and also forward the remarks<inder> of the papers (br)ought by Bro. Samuel W. Richards. Brother Box lost (some) more horses night before last from Binghams Canon (one) moccasin track only was seen two of the horses were those stolen before and brought in by Ben Simonds-- We have sent orders to Col Pace for forces to relieve a portion of the guard in Echo last creeek &c. The detail for the City (are) a great portion of them absent would it not be well to notify the people at meeting that those who have property should make arrangement to have some one left to take care of it and report to Genl. Grant the names. Those who have no interest, I find have generally been detail(ed) and cannot be depended upon I shall be thankful for any suggestions on any point and will endeavour (to) carry them out to the best of my ability. I trust Heber is getting better.
May God bless you and him with his choicest blessings, and help Israel to triumph over all their enemies.
As ever I remain truly and sincerely your brother.
(signed) D. H. Wells