December 18, 1848 ~ Monday

18^th I took cars rode to Boston to Cambridgeport And spent
the night with my family once more 50 [miles]

December 19, 1848 ~ Tuesday

19^th 6 I recieved 6 Letters from O Hyde, L. N. Scovil &
L Gaulter, Wm H Wilson, T Cartwright, W I Appleby &
Jesse Haven. I Also Recieved A Large amount of Papers
which Br Badlam had bou[gh]t for me to pick out files
to send to the valley. I went into Boston with Br Badlam

December 20, 1848 ~ Wednesday

20^th I spent the day at home reading & writing. And I find
[FIGURE] Gold from the publications of the day that the signs of
the times Are fulfilling many of the Ancient as well as
modern Revelations And Prophesies. Thrones are cast
down. all governments of the earth are tottering from their
foundations Anarchy & confuscion are begining to reign. Hatred
strife and war are begining to be poured out upon the childr[en]
of men. In the midst of this order of things, the Latter
Day Saints discover vast quantities of Gold at the base of
the mountains of Israel in the valley of the sacramento in
upper Calafornia. And not ownly the people of the United
States but of other nations ketch the sound of Gold Gold &
tens of thousands are rushing forward evry way in their
power to get to the gold country as A Horse would rush to
Battle. But the Amount of Gold, silver, coper &c discoverd
in that country indicates that the worldd of the Lord spok
by Isaiah will be fulfilled, when He says that "for Brass He
will bring Gold for Iron I will bring silver, for wood brass
for stones Iron, &c [Isaiah 60:17] truly this is an age big with events
Companies Are forming in all most all parts of the United
States And ships in all our ports prepareing to take the
people to the Bay of San Francisco which is ownly 20 miles
from Capt Sutters Fort whare the Mormon gold digings commence
And It seems as though all the world thought of at the present
time was to obtain gold. Though the cholera has commen[ce]d
spreading in New York once more, yet the gold panic is
so much greater then the fear of the cholery that it is
hardy noticed.

Among the letters which I obtained yesterday was one from
O Hyde who informed me that Olover Cowdery had come
back to the Church had made satisfaction And was voted to
come in by the door of Baptism. He was the first man baptized
into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in this last
dispensation, under the Hands of Joseph Smith the prophet
but after being out of the Church eleven years He had now
returned again. And may the Lord bless him & Keep him
steadfast unto the end. The following is A Fac similee of
the Alphabet used in conveying intelligence by the magnetic telegraph
A - – B – - - - C - - - D – - - E - F - – - G – – - H - - - - I - - J – - – -
K – - – L — M – – N – - O - - P - - - - - Q - - – - R - - - S - - -
T – U - - – V - - - – W - – – X - – - - Y - - - - Z - - - - & - - -
1 - – – - 2 - - – - - 3 - - - – - 4 - - - - – 5 – – – 6 - - - - - - 7 – – - - 8 – - - - -
9 – - - – 0 ———
- – – - - — - – - - - - - - – - - - – – - - - - – - - - - - - - – - – -
[WILFORD WOODRUFF]
{Remember the [illegible shorthand]ion of [illegible shorthand]}

December 18, 1848 ~ Monday

18th I took cars rode to Boston to Cambridgeport and spent the night with my family once more 50

December 19, 1848 ~ Tuesday

19th [FIGURE] 6 I recieved 6 Letters from O Hyde, L. N. Scovil & L Gaulter, Wm H Wilson, T Cartwright, W I Appleby & Jesse Haven. I also recieved a Large amount of Papers which Br Badlam had bought for me to pick out files to send to the valley. I went into Boston with Br Badlam

December 20, 1848 ~ Wednesday

20th I spent the day at home reading & writing. And I find [FIGURE] Gold from the publications of the day that the signs of the times are fulfilling many of the ancient as well as modern Revelations and Prophesies. Thrones are cast down, all governments of the Earth are tottering from their foundations Anarchy & confuscion are begining to reign, Hatred strife and war are begining to be poured out upon the children of men. In the midst of this order of things, the Latter Day Saints discover vast quantities of Gold at the base of the mountains of Israel in the valley of the sacramento in upper Calafornia. And not ownly the people of the United States but of other nations ketch the sound of Gold Gold & tens of thousands are rushing forward evry way in their power to get to the gold country as a horse would rush to battle, but the amount of Gold, silver, coper &c discoverd in that Country indicates that the word of the Lord spoke by Isaiah will be fulfilled, when He says that "for Brass He will bring Gold, for Iron I will bring silver, for wood brass for stones Iron," &c truly this is an age big with Events Companies are forming in all most all parts of the United States and ships in all our ports prepareing to take the people to the Bay of San Francisco which is ownly 20 miles from Capt Sutters Fort whare the Mormon gold digings commenced and It seems as though all the world thought of at the present time was to obtain gold. Though the Cholera has commenced spreading in New York once more, yet the gold panic is so much greater then the fear of the Cholery that it is hardy noticed.

Among the letters which I obtained yesterday was one from O Hyde who informed me that Olover Cowdery had come back to the Church had made satisfaction and was voted to come in by the door of Baptism. He was the first man baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in this last dispensation, under the hands of Joseph Smith the Prophet but after being out of the Church eleven years he had now returned again, and may the Lord bless him & Keep him steadfast unto the end. The following is A Fac similee of the Alphabet used in conveying intelligence by the magnetic telegraph A - – B – - - - C - - - D – - - E - F - – - G – – - H - - - - I - - J – - – - K – - – L — M – – N – - O - - P - - - - - Q - - – - R - - - S - - - T – U - - – V - - - – W - – – X - – - - Y - - - - Z - - - - & - - - 1 - – – - 2 - - – - - 3 - - - – - 4 - - - - – 5 – – – 6 - - - - - - 7 – – - - 8 – - - - - 9 – - - – 0 ——— - – – - - — - – - - - - - - – - - - – – - - - - – - - - - - - - – - – - WILFORD WOODRUFF {Remember the illegibleion of illegible}