Show LETTER from elders am amasa asa lyman and C C crich rich to president B young and council Gm inci SAN bernardino jan 10 1854 DEAR BRETHREN we improve the present opportunity port unity to let you know of our welfare and prosper prosperity ity br amasa lias has just recovered from a spell of sickness of some ten days he is mending slowly though quite feeble br rich is at present quite indisposed but hopes to be ba about again gain in a few days davs there has been bean considerable sickness in bur place for a few weeks past tho fatal in very few instances and those children we are sorry to inform you of an instance in our community of self destruction br hyrum dark clark on the of december cut his throat with a razor the family state that for some time previous to his death he had been slightly insane and low spirited he committed the deed in a field a short distance from his house about 5 in the afternoon the family discovered his absence and his son george started after him and was but a few steps from him when lie he made the fatal stroke seve severing eng the jugular vela vein and I 1 windpipe wind pipe he even spoke after chis bid george farewell and requested him to take care of his mother we are now making every exertion to moet meet 0 our u r march M h payment which we think we shall he be able lb e to d do 0 wi with th what means we can raise here and ma may b be e le able I 1 to influence abroad we 0 notified ed you by last mail the amount of tithing funds and perpetual emigrating fund money on hand subject to your draft for which amounts we an drafts from you livingston kinkead have informed us that they have so some sixty thousand dollars in salt lake city for which they would sell drafts at par you will pleas excuse our brevity at this time we remain your brethren in the bonds of the now new covenant LETTER from elder john D lee to president B young CEDAR FORT jan 1854 BRETHREN ali AH is well with us here peace and good order seems to be regarded by the major part of this people vs Ps a pearl of intrinsic value by the grace of god we have been enabled to carry out the general orders the greatest difficulty that WP we have had to contend with was the at spirit irit of carelessness and indifference in the people with regard to their safety many of this people are ignorant and lack experience per peri lence ence therefore we have found it the better policy to preach and expound principle instead of enforcing the rigid letter of the law in every instance 8 yet we have not suffered the instructions contained either in ill the general or post orders to be trampled under foot with impunity there have been no outbreaks upon our settlement m as yet aar any n depredations committed upon any of our animals save two horses that were drove off west of the iron springs spring by a coli couple coupie of the uncivilized biedes the watchword atch word was soon passed to us by some of the friendly natives I 1 immediately dispatched 10 men and 4 natives under the command of sixtus ejohnson eloh loh who soon recovered the horses or rather one of them the indians perceiving that they were e losely closely pursued shot the other horse seven times with arrows then made their escape to the mountains reeses keeses train passed this place about the january reports since have been brought b by one of the boquer captains sons the black black chief that three of his train were shot by the indians on the first desert two of tham they suppose to be mortally morally wounded and two horses were stolen I 1 asked him why they committed the depredations were not hot the comi company liany friendly he replied that they were at first and fed them the first night that they encamped on the santa clara clam but that three indians who lived on the colorado that wore were afraid to come into camp yet were hungry in the night killed one of their horses to eat but that they tile friendly indians knew nothing of the circumstances at the time in the the morning a number of them went into camp expecting a friendly reception recaption directly they saw w a man come into camp very much enraged but what lie he said they knew not but bat perceiving that evil was intended they tried fried to make their retreat when one of their number was shot dead on tile the ground and throe three others wounded this sad occurrence enraged the whole nation they therefore cut across the mountains and waylaid the train and attacked them in a kanyon on the rio virgin this report has since boon been confirmed by the california mail who narrowly escaped themselves from the indians they further said that men shot every indian that came within reach of them and that reese had been robbed of by his own company and that about one half of his animals and wagons were left scattered along 9 on the desert and that reese himself had gone ahead for supplies for his company to return I 1 told tempt which is the indian name that brought the message that this friendly union was wa s broken first b by the indians killing that horse which belonged to i reeses bews company which caused some that were innocent to be shot ifor for this I 1 was sorry and if all that company had bein been mormons cormons Mor mons they would not have acted so hastily but that more than one half of them were americans and so long as they suffered bad indians to remain among among them that they would have trouble he then en asked me what they should do with the three indians that killed the horse orse I 1 told him to say to his father the head chief of that tribe to i I 1 I 1 t kill them and all al lother other indians in deans wh who 0 would not 1 I 1 quit stealing tan th sn why not hot kill all the white thieves who know better than these three poor indians who killed one horse that they might eat and live ed and that we would tell tile the companies not to shoot them any more he left me with a promise that it should be attended to I 1 the winter has been severe yet the loss of stock has been small the wolves have killed more than what have died from cold or hunger we doubtless would have lost a great many cattle and horses had we not have taken thern them 6 miles south on the range where we have kept the them in under 12 aimed herdsmen herd and 6 of that nu number in be are re indians natives of this place whom we believe to be more than equal to that number of white men I 1 on the sunday before christmas the people I 1 voted to enclose the city with wilh walls bars and gates I 1 before they should dance or make merty merry and from that time on a general rush was made until the gates w were ere up which was completed on ath january then the four wards which com comprised i the eity city had tile the privilege of the meeting house two days each the brethren who were sent to our assistance I 1 have been a great help to us many of them are firm men and men of experience some time in the mouth month of dec ammon and some 6 or 8 utes made their appearance at paro wan but was rather shy he ammon sent to know of me whether he could have walkers cattle which were left in my care at harmony I 1 answered he could and to tell walker that we we do not betray our trusta trust that when we say that we are their friends they may depend on it having obtained tile the cattle tie lie returned no doubt to walker yet they denied it and within ten days he was back again with some 30 or 40 more this second company came to coat coal creek fort and were very saucy the same evening that they came one of them shot a biedes brains out the natives ran to me with the report I 1 sent for both parties to inquire into the matter and for I 1 col little about warriors of the natives as without the fort near my house br little and myself stood on the fort wall and talked to them the utes said that they had shot I 1 the indian by accident but the natives said it was done intentionally and demanded the mur derer the utes saw that the natives were too strong I 1 fo for r them and agreed to give him up we had the wall between the parties or I 1 believe the natives would have wreaked wrecked their vengeance on them we told the utes that they must not steal nor kill any of the bledes neither their women nor children from that time forth for so long as the biedes would do right we intended to protect them they had helped us build the fort and we had promised them protection within its walls we told rold the natives to forgive them for that of fence and be friendly we also told the utes that we wanted to be friendly but that we did not want them to come into our houses contrary to our wish neither did we intend that they should sponge their living out of us as they had been accustomed to that we worked for our provisions and so did the pie des and that they were no better to labor than we were and that we wished them to understand that we meant just what we said for we did not intend to be run over by them or any other people that we had guns and men that loved to use them and wo we would fight sooner than be trampled upon this friendly talk has saved us much bread and perhaps cattle and horses besides encouraging the natives to do right the utes are still amongst us but are now as quiet as mice on the a wind storm from the SW blow blew down from 15 to 20 rods of our fort wall on the N and S lines the lasted 24 ho hours urs it was the heaviest wind storm that I 1 ever saw in the moun mountains talus we were also visited by a band of pau pan van ts the ones that murdered capt gunnison and company we told them our mode of treatment towards all indians they were quite impudent and tried to sir tip the blades but failing in ia this attempt they left our borders and have not net been seen since the iron agent or rather the superintendent is a stirring man mail yet he cannot control all the elements that ob obstruct the way just now how when we cameto this place from harmony the to quer captain or black chief and about I 1 of his band followed us here they remained here until first of last month when the weather sat in rather tight on oil them and they returned to the rio virgin previous to his departure he came to my house to talk and said you have promised to make a settlement on oil my land a good ago I 1 met you at your fort Hir harmony mony and bid you welcome and I 1 with my men helped you build your houses fence and dour clear your laiad lan d and cultivate u your u ground did we ever steal or kill your cattle or even lie to you was we not hot always friendly I 1 answered we was too ege tick a boo what made you afraid of your fi friends lends ans I 1 was not Q what made you leave t ans the big captain wanted me to help make pan a ker iron he has help enough now without you he has sent lots of men here since you came I 1 want you to go to my country and live I 1 said that there was no road for the wagons he replied that he and his men would go before us and roll the big stones out of the way and help make a road and would help make and build a big wall so the could not hot get over I 1 said that I 1 would write to the big captain and ask hn him when I 1 might go how many moons will it be before you yon will go I 1 said I 1 did not know he then threw his arms around me and wept and said come go now we will be lonesome over there by ourselves we wont have anybody to talk to us about she nob I 1 must confess that I 1 was touched to the contre centre and prayed in my heart that the spirit of the lord would continue to rest upon these tures many of these indians I 1 have preached the gospel to and they have had faith enough to enjoy the gift of healing this indian of whom I 1 have been speaking had lost his eyesight eye sight and was blind about 6 days and was restored to his sight immediately and when any disease or sickness has come among them I 1 they have sent to me to intercede the great spirit in their behalf and many of them have as much fuith faith in the gift of healing as the elders have I 1 wish here to be understood that I 1 do not mention these things because I 1 want to form a sett settlement lemom on oil the rio virgin particularly my desires are to be where I 1 can do the most good yet in bygone by gone days I 1 have been under tile the hammer and could not command that respect and influence necessary to render me useful but thanks be to my god a better day has dawned and I 1 hope in filature io appreciate and improve the golden hours of time 13 br jas A little is a good firm man and one who is near my heart I 1 love him for the truths sake that dwells in him my heart is full god bless you my brethren with long life with power and favor with god and influence among your brethren to do good and build up zion on the earth I 1 ask it in the name of jesus christ |