Brother Brannan
Dear Sir
As their is a ship about to
sail from New York: to carry the mail to Calafornia
I feel a disposition to improve it by droping a few lines to
you to give you even a synopsis of evry thing transpired with me
since I saw you & of the news of the county on a sheet of paper
would require more still then I possess yet I will say a few things
We stayed in the valley about one month, put for home, met 600
waggons of Saints about the NMountain pass going on, while spending
the last night with the last company the Indians stole 49 Horses
from us, 8 days after made an attack upon us in open day for more
but ownly got one. We lived mostly on Buffalo Meat going Home
without Bread Arived at Winter Quarters the fore part of Nov, found
our families generally well. And we all spent a good Winter had
good meetings & councils & the Lord was with us, not a quarter
as much sickness as the year before the folks all busy during
the winter & spring getting ready to go either to the East or West
After I got ready with the rest to go to the West, it Was decided
that I should go to the Eastern States & preside ofover that part, and
Canidas, New Brunswick Nova scotia &c And O Pratt go to England
to preside over the British Isles. So I changed abot & set my face
for the East instead the West I waited However to see the spring caps
camps start for the vally. I was ^with^ Brs Young & Kimball at the Home to
see them start with their first company of 600 waggons. they made
a grand looking Encampment they were fitted out with provisions one year &
a half they left about 25 May. W Richards & A Lyman left abot the 25th
of June with another company of over 300 waggon their were near 1000
waggons in all of the saints went this spring. We had letters from ^them^ from Laramie
& the Saints in the vally theDated the last of May. they were doing well
all good health prospect of good crops ownly the crickets had eat some of it
the camps at Laramie was getting along well Had not seen an Indian
on the same side of the river with them since they left the Horses. Winter Quarters
was evacuated all had gone on the Iowey side, they built a large log
Tabernacle they have a post office called Kane P. O. Kaneville, Potawatamie Co
Iowa. I think their is 15000 saints in that county they are flowing in there
from all parts making that their rendezvoux to fit out for the
valley. O. Hyde, G. A. Smith & E T Benson stop & preside in
that county O Hyde came part of the way with more went to Wash-
ington was sick there 4 weeks came to Phil'a get better & went home is exp
ecting to start a paper there soon. I came to Boston via Nauvoo
St Louis Chicago Buffalo & Albany. Brought my family with
me & stoped for the time being with Alexander Badlam who is
doing well in the varnish Business & made a time for many of the Saints
has treated me & family kindly His Lady your Sister is well they
recieved two letters from you of late but no papers, they both wish
particular to be remembered to you Sister Badlam says she will
write to you soon. I expect to make it my home with Br Badlam
or near him for a year or two untill I go to the vally & I expect
that will be when I can push the remainder of the Saints out of
these Eastern lands to the West. O Pratt sailed in July to England
was 18 days on the way the work is progressing like fire in a dry stubble
throughout that land. Thousands are coming into to the Church in
England, Wales, Scotland &c. Capt Dan Jones has done wonders
in Wales has converted many thousands to the gospel, but has
worn his lungs out at it He is preparing to come to America
with his welch fleet next season Either to New Orleans or
the Bay of San Francisco. We had sent may Elders to England
& more are wanted: As to News in this country I have ownly to
say that the Awful looks of life by burning & blowing up ship &Boats &
steamers at sea, Lakes on the Rivers &c, are increasing 50 per cent & fires
in cities more than that among the Numerous fires for the last
month one quarter of Albany, NY, & 200 Homes in Brooklin NY
are in ashes pestilence of every kind is waisting away the people of New England
& the States in General on the increase of 50 per cent. In the East
the potatoes are roting, clams are poisoning the people to death
& the Eels are dying by cart loads supposed to be poisoned by
Eating clams. Politicks runs High VanBuren goes as the free soil
candidate Taylor the Whigs, Cass the Dems. But I must leave
those subjects for I want to say of few words about another. The New
England States are all Brought up standing like a rail car run off the
track at the Asstounding News that the Mormons have found Rising
which have [beds] paved with gold to such a degree & Extent that
it has depopulated all the Towns in upper Calafornia that
men women & children are fleeing from their Homes as they would
from an Earthquake & rushing to the placer or American fork
& Feather River Branches of the Sacramento to dig for Gold which is
found in such abundance that their is a prospect of Having more gold
than Bread at first it was looked upon as a Hoatx but reports Having
been made from the Officers of the Navy confirming the statement
that it is now generally credited fShips are fitting out at New York
with Instruments to& tools of all kinds to supply the gold digers
I now want Brother Brannan to write me a letter as soon as
you get this (if you can leave the gold diggins long Enough) & give me
all the news about it & Evry thing Els that will be of interest to me
fill a sheet full & If you should get so much gold that you do
not know what to do with it, if you will dispose of some of it & send me
a check on any good bank It will come in first rate good time & I can
find use for it to a good advantage say any sum from 25 cts to $205000.
Please direct to Wilford Woodruff Boston Mass and if I dont
get the check I shall most surely look for the Letter give my respects
to all who know & inquire after me there Yours Respectfully
W. Woodruff
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Whare is Br Fowler or James Ferguson the Historian of the Battalion
if they are in your region remember me to them I want them
to write to me please show Br Ferguson the letter if
you see him. Please dont fail of writing to me
28th I am on my way to New York & Phil. to visit the
churches Br Appleby is quite sick Elder [Samie] died
on his way to winter Quarters was buried there W W
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[sideways text]
Mr Samuel Brannon
Bay of San Francisco
on the Placer
Upper Calafornia
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