to the rest of the Apostles for on the he fell to the ground as though he had been knocked down seemed to have fainted away but soon revived but on the following day it seemed as though the enemy made a powerful grasp upon his life. He fainted away several times and seemed as though he would die we stoped several times with him at a home by the way side we then took him into a waggon & drove to Brother Horace S Eldridge and spent the remainder of the day & night doctoring him and in the morning Br Tayler recovered so for that he thought he would be able to ride so we started on our journey

[upside down text] I am not so weak and unkind as for a moment to harbour the thought that any thing in your letter is written in unkindness or hardness. Brother answer your feelings, speak plainly, it is your right and duty so to do, and if I have the Spirit of Christ I shall never be offended at your honest plainness. I say with yourself God forbid that we should be under the influence of mormon- ism if it is not the work of God. I ask none of my friends to engage in it that have not the evidence and witness in & for them- selves. I know the work to be of God and true for myself and not another and without this knowledge I never should have desired our father, Mother, sister, & other friends to have engaged in it and if those of my friends who have not engaged in ^it^ do not find it to be the work of God they will be much troubled to find a work which is of God in this generation. You see Brother that I speak plain and pointed myself but bear with me in these things for I speak them with the best of feelings under the consideration that I am accountable to God for all I certainly have had a chance to know for myself whe- ther the work be of God or the devil as five years experience with Joseph & the Church in all their councils &c must leave me without dubiety upon my mind. I have much I would like to say to you upon this subject which I must defer untill another time as you see I am in close quarters so farewell for the present {shorthand} [end of upside down text] [sideways text] As you will discover from my writings that I am about to go to the west consequently it would be improper for any of my friends to send any more letters to the eastern country to me. I was informed by Sister Eunice that you thought of visiting your friends in Connecticut this fall should this be the case I shall, probably, not see you. as I pass through Terre Haute I should be pleased to have you visit your friends in the east for they would all be happy to see you. I should esteem it a great favor to me to have an interview with you but I would not wish you to defer your visit to the east on my account, for I know others wish to see you also, should it so happen that I should not see you as I go west you will please direct your next communication to far west, Caldwell, County, Missouri. I wish you to answer your mind freely & ask me any questions you wish, & it will be with pleasure and cheerfulness that I shall endeavour to answer your every question according to the best of my abilities. I am sensible that there hath many things transpired with us as a people that may appear strange to one at a distance, who has send the report of these things, & not known the circumstances under which they have transpired. I should like to have you give the Book of mormon and also another the doctrine & covenants another reading & let it be accompanied with prayer before God that you may have a knowledge of these matters & while perusing these Books consider the limited privilege of J Smith jr and then see if it appears rational that he or any other man could be the author of these things without the assistance of God again would the Lord suffer any man to prosper to bring forth such a Book as the doctrine & covenants [end of sideways text]

29th We passed through Indianapolis the capitol of the State & rode two miles & stoped But this was a gloomy day to my Soul & Body both The enemy made a powerful grasp upon the life of Elder John Taylor he fainted several times & it seemed as though he would die consequently we were obliedged to stop. We called for a few hours in a house by the way side. we then took him into the waggon & drove to Eldridge Elder Eldr- idge & spent the day nursing Elder Taylor he took a course of Tomsonian medicine

On the we passed through Indian- apolis. This was a gloomy day to us both in body and soul. The enemy made a powerful attack upon the life of Elder John Taylor. He fainted several times and it seemed that he would die. We were obliged to stop and tarried for a few house ^hours^ at a house by the way side We then took brother Taylor in the wagon and drove to brother Eldridge's and spent the remainder of the day in nursing Elder Taylor. Father Coltrin exchanged horses with Elder Eldridge and we continued on our journey 40 miles the next day over rough road. We were terribly shaken in our weak state. The day following we travelled to German- town where we were obliged to stop in consequence of brother