Show elder george A smiths courtesy enables us to publish the following interesting letter du QUOIN perry colln colin county ty illinois july 24 1862 DEAR i BROTHER GEORGE A SMITH my TN ty heart leaps with joy and thanksgiving to god this morning while realizing the present manifestations of my brethren and friends at home as they celebrate this to us great and momentous day and that I 1 might in mind the better participate in the days lys celebration after breakfast I 1 took the volume of the JUillen millennial nial star into the woods near by and mounted upon an oak log read your oration of 1852 1851 1 with none for my auditors but the wild wood birds you may pronounce this romantic folly but to me tile the language and the occasion were indeed a source of profound pleasure 0 I 1 wrote to you from pike county in in this state I 1 remained there a few days longer visiting my old friends than I 1 first expected that I 1 should on the I 1 left there for st louis where I 1 landed safely and found br henry boyle still stopping stepping with the st louis brethren awaiting the arrival of br H coray of whom we had bad heard nothing since he fell back of us in echo canon callon to join knowltons Knowl tons train I 1 remained two days in st louis when by railroad for this place where I 1 arrived safely and found as its I 1 expected to br john brown this is br browns old home and I 1 find that the people esteem him very highly as every one must who knows him and excludes prejudice from his judgement misjudgement jud gement by solicit solicitations soli citations afons Alons of old friends bro brother ther brown had bad held two public meetings in this community before I 1 came here and by request we held another meeting last night preaching in the only meeting house in this section it being beilig the property of the community at large and open for the preaching of any denomination we are to hold aeeti meeting I 1 ng again on sunday this is called the four mile prairie and is situated eight miles from any town the old settlers are mostly former residents of tennesee and kentucky and so far as I 1 can learn learn they are very well behaved people and their treatment to us them to be hospitable and kind and in their religious views more liberal than they were a few years past ast As yet br brown ras has done most of the preaching dwelling mostly upon the first principles of the gospel some who have heard him say they do not believe that he preaches mormonism 11 intimating that there is too much truth in his preaching for it to be truly mormonism to many who are of or an inquiring disposition we have given access to our books and I 1 believe that much good would result from a limited circulation of our books we have written jonew to rew bew york to learn whether there is a supply of books on hand at that office and for a price list of them we hope ley they have them so that those who are inquiring can learn for themselves what mormonism is we are making our home with benjamin crain a brother in law of brother brothel brown irown he is a very wealthy farmer and understands how to make a guest feel at home which none know better how to appreciate than does a latter daab day saint missionary as you have dou doubtless experienced the other day we walked to the county seat of this county and back gain again it I 1 eing the first walking I 1 have done for some time I 1 was very tired I 1 occasionally go into the field and work in haying and harvesting as I 1 think that by some labor I 1 will become inured to exercise in walking so that when we start from here I 1 can came come nearer keeping pace with br brown who by the way is some on a long heat br smith I 1 there is one of two things certain I 1 either have a very poor mem ory or else christendom is making gi gantic strides on the road of wickedness and a few days stay in st louis louit forced me to almost conclude that they were near the terminus it is indeed almost heartrending heart rending to witness such suck an extent of evil and wretchedness associated socia ted with our fellow beings and tc know that it is mostly brought them by the professed righteousness 0 the century I 1 feel br smith truly thank thankful fult fuit tt my god for the verification thus far of all those blessing and promises tha were placed upon me by the men 0 god before leaving my home to go or 01 this mission my health was never E s good as it has been every hour since I 1 left home it is really too good for th very warm weather we are now havin having I 1 here as I 1 accumulated too much feesl alesi on the trip across the plains and then upon such a mission I 1 am bold to con fess that it is my experience that I 1 nev er have been placed in a situation I 1 professed to be a latter day saint where one sees and realizes that ther then are so many weedy spots in the gardei of his character as a latter day aint saint and thus situated one sees the imme diate necessity of reformation As the weather is very warm yet we w think of remaining until it gets cooler as we hear that there chere is some fever in the south I 1 think that fron hero here we will go into tennesee I 1 send you a paper containing a heava beav political letter and have ordered apik a piat county paper to be sent to you give my kindest regards to hrs camp bell smith and richards of your office all of whom I 1 would like to hear from and will write to them remember Rem Eem embe me to your family and all friends may the lord bless you yon and all saints As ever your brother WARREN WARRE i N dusenberry MORONI sanpete county august 19 EDITOR DESERET NEWS on rpm gen burton eurton maj calder capt dewey gennace gen pace race and ami some others arrived to inspect the militia of this post the cavalry were drilled by major clark and capt lew dewey and infantry by gen W B race pace after which gen burton gave some goo instructions commended them and tol told them to still continue in their gloo goo works and be as punctual in all thin thing gi as they had been in meeting him on antho th present occasion the brass and martial bands wert wen out gen burton remarking that that thai was the only brass band he had seen ia the county andisi tuesday morning the indian made armidon a raid on the teanis team s while on their way to the meadow kill ing james meeks and wounding tw tv more one fatally the other was sh ohof through the ear the herd boys of thil thi place being within hearing of the guns guus mounted their horses and went to th assistance of those who were in trouble troubie the indians seeing them broke for th tb mountains driving onn off only a fe horses fel all are hard at work gathering li their hay and cutting grain I 1 remain yours in the gospel JOHN KIRKMAN kirrman |