(North Lat 44 East Long 69, 10. Fox Islands) Vinalhaven Maine, Oct 20th 1837.
Brother Asahel
As I am called to stand upon the Islands of the sea, in defence
of the word of God & for the testimony of Jesus Christ, I am still under the necessity of
making use of my pen to communicate to you all the information you get
from me, as I am not permited at present to speak with you face to face. There
is many things resting upon my mind, that I wish to communicate to you, even
more than this sheet will contain: however I must be content by giving you
a synopsis of some few of them. Firstly, I have two letters lying before me
which are the productions of your pen, under date of July 22nd, & Sept 27th, 1837. And
dear Brother you may rest assured it is with no small degree of satisfaction, that I am
permitted to peruse & reperuse such letters from a Brother to whom I am bound
by the ties of consanguinity; & in whose best & fina^a^l welfare I feel more deeply
interested than any but mysefl ^12^ is aware of. It is truly a treat to ones soul to
receive a letter from a friend with whom he he has been long seperated: and been
called to travel among strangers for years, and not permitted to behold with his
eyes the change that time has brought upon the image & face of his friend & Brother. I
never was more forcibly struck with the change of a friend produced in five years, than
in Sister Eunice: and if the change is as great in Brother Asahel I should not know him were
I to meet him in Terre Haute. Had I room, I should like to be more lengthy in this in
speaking of both of your letters than my limits will now permit; suffice it to say
they are both interesting to mye; And I have not a relative on earth with whom I more
desire an interview than with yourself, But when I shall have the privilege God ownly
knows. I also receieved a letter from Mother dated Aug 23 which was interesting to me;
they were all well &c. As concerning myself, I still enjoying my usual good
health, peace, & contentment. {And am growing more and more formed in the faith in which I am engaged} I have thought of late
in my private walks and mediatations, that there was not a happier man on earth than
myself; except such as possess more of the spirit, knowledge, & wisdom of God, than I do; & I
hope that class are many. I am honest in saying, that I feel my peace to be like a river. (do
not understand me to intimate that my righteousness is great) I have every thing of a temporal
nature that reason can demand, to eat, to drink. to wear, my friends are numerous. I am
not as yet much injured by my enemies. I have a wife that I love with all my heart
& I have cause to do so. I am blessed in my spiritual calling in preaching the gospel
whareever I go, the word is attended with spirit and power, souls are converted to God, {thousands seek
instructing at my mouth} & even the captains that trade in ships at sea are demanding baptism at my hands;
the priests of the different religions & gospels of the day, are bitterly complaining that I
am [hole burned in paper] sap[in]g the verry foundation of their churches, & Holy religion &c. {shorthand}
{shorthand} Ah say you Willford boasts pretty well. No dear Brother I have not made the above
remarks in order to boast, for who am I, a poor, ignorant, weak, illiterate Willford. it is not I
that have done these things alone. All these blessings of which I speak have been bestowed
upon me from the hand of God, and if I glory it shall be in the cross of Christ.
I know it requires meekness, wisdom, & good sense in times of success & prosperity,
in order to keep humble, & know & feel our prrper place. I do think the Blessings
bestowed upon me of late have had a tendency to show me my own weakness, have
pointed out the source from whence they came, & enable'd me to see that self exhaltation
is not good or profitable. {shorthand}?
[sideways text] When you write to me inform me if you have any intelligence from Brother Azmon & his family Thom-
pson &c I wrote to them from New Rowley but have not herd from them. I intend writing to Eunice as soon as
I get time, I do not find much spare time for any thing, tell me how and whare she is. Give me the news
you get from any of our friends. I expect to have a cold time of it this winter here in Maine [illegible] [end of sideways text]
Perhaps you would like to know what I have been about since I
I left New Rowley &c. At least I will venture to give you a brief acc-
ount of matters & things with me. On the 8th of Aug, in company with
my wife I arived at Mr Ezra Carter's My father in law in the State of Maine,
and you may rest assured we met a most welcome reception amid tears of
joy, and was entertained with every mark of Kindness, respect, & friendship, that
Brethren, Sisters, or Parents were capable of affording. Also refreshed with every
luxury of a Fathers house. I spent about ten days with these my new relatives
& friends;: I spent the time plesantly with my companion in this new circle of friends
composed of five Sisters, three Brothers, & a Father & Mother in Law with other
appendages of relationship. I found them to be universally respectable, intelligent,
influential, & possessing some wealth if I could judge from outward appear-
ances of white houses & chaise's &c. four of the Sisters have been ingaged in teaching
School, two of the Brothers in the Mercantile line in the city of Portland 10 miles
from Father Carters house. Father Carter is a tanner [ink spot] & carrier by trade
& continues the business untill this day. Phebe {shorthand} is 7 days younger than
myself I was born March 1st 1807 & she the 8th of March same month. My wife has
spent the early part of of her life teaching School, & for the last 7 years she has closely
confined herself with her nedle to the Tailoress trade, at which business she was
ingaged in at Kirtland when I became acquainted with her. After an intimate
correspondence with her, I became convinced it was the will of God for us to become
{bosom} freiiends I offered her my heart, it was accepted. We were joined in matrimony &
we live happy. {Neither of us are very handsome but we both look well enough for we are as God made us} Phebe is small in stature, possesses
an amiable disposition, is good enough for me; & sends her kindest respects to you
accompanied with her unfeigned thanks for the interest you have manifested in her
welfare; we both much desire to see you &c. &c.
On the 19th Aug; in company
with Elder Jonathan H. Hale, I took the Steamer Bangor at Portland ^PoP. 16,000^ with
the intention of visiting fox Islands. We left the Steam Boat at
Owls Head & went aboard of a sloop which landed us up on the Islands at 2 oclock
Sunday morning the 20th. It gave me rather singular feelings to be landed
upon an Island of the Sea in the darkness of the night, being an intire stranger to
all men in the region; however after wandering awhile over the rocks, we found a house we
called & went to bed. We arose in the morning, made ourselves known as servants of God & asked
if thaere was any religion or priests on the Island, we were informed there was a Baptist
church, & Priest, & meetinghouse in the centre of the Island. I will give a brief note of the town
Vinalhaven is North Lat 44 East Long 69 10. Pop 1800. St. of Maine. The town of Vinalhaven incldes both north & south fox Islands. The inhabitants
are generally wealthy, healthy, intelligent, industrious, generous & hospitable. The people get most of their living & wealth by fishing. the town fits out 10.7
licensed sail besides small crafts. North fox Island is 9 miles londg & 2 miles wide. Pop, 800. They have a post Office, one store, a baptist church and
meeting house & a Priest. & four schoolhouses, & a grist mill. The land is a rather rocky & rough, yet there are many good farms which produces
fine wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, & grass which ais the staple productions. The timber is fir, spruice, hemlock, & birch. Sheep are the principal stock
upon the Island. Rasp & Gooseburies grow in great abundance.
South fox Island is one mile south of the North Island, & it comes as
near being without any form or void as any land I ever saw. It would puzzle the best historian to give an exact description of it. It is about
10 miles long & 5 broad, and it is one universal mass of rocks, formed into shelves, hills, & dales. Cut up into necks, and points, to make room for
the cooves & harbours that run through & through the Island. one may form some little Idea of it, on learning that it is rising of 100 miles round
the Island to follow the beach in all its wingdings. The Pop is 1000 they get their wealth entirely by fishing. They have some sheep, & some parts
of the Island is under cultivation, but it is at the expens of great labour and toil. Many of the inhabitants fish at New foundland & bring the fish home
to this Island, & dry them upon their own flakes, and prepare them for market.: they supply the market annually with great quantities of dried
fish, Mackerel, & boxed herren. They have two stores, three tide saw mills, six school houses, & a small branch of the Methodist Church
& a priest. The timber the same as on North Island with the addition of Pine. There is great quantities of fish inhabit the waters, cooves,
& harbours, of these Islands, such as Whale, Blackfish, Shark, ground Shark, PILOT fish, Hors Mackerel, Sturgeon, Salmon, Holloboat
Cod, Pollock, Tom Cod, Hake, Haddock Mackerel, Shad, Bass, Alewives, Herren, Pohagen, Dolphin, Whiting, Frost fish, Flounders, Smelt,
Skate, Shrimp, Skid, Cusk, Bluebacks, Dogfish, Mutton fish, Lump fish, Squid, Five fingers, Munk fish, Nurs fish, Sun fish, Sword fish, Thrasher,
Cat, Scuppos, Tootog, Eye fish, Cunner, Ling, Eels, Also Lobsters, Clams, Scollop, Mussles, Pincles, {shorthand} And Porposes, Seal, &c
&c & many others not named.
I have seen two or three Whale in sight at once. I have caught Cod, Haddock, & Hake, as fast as I could
throw out out one line & haul in another. I have stood on the wharf & caught Mackarael out of a large school as fast as I could throw in my
hook into the water & pull it out, they would bite the bare hook. or take bate out of my fingers like chickens if I would hold it in the water
I have been bathing in the salt water & seen numbers of Seal swiming around some of them near me with their heads out of water look like dogs.
{shorthand} Thus stands a brief account of fox Islands
I now wish to call your attention back to the first day that I visited the Island. I said
it was on Sunday & of course there was to be preaching in the Baptist Meeting house.
I hastened to the place, meeting had commenced. I sent for the deacon he came to the door,
I informed him we were servants of God, had a message to the people, & wished to be herd.
he informed the priest of it. We were invited into the pulpet & our appointment given out. The
priest finished his discourse; invited us home with him, gave us some refreshment. We presented
him the Book of Mormon he did not at first object, was mild & said he would read it. He
soon accompanied us to the meeting house, the congregation was assembled, & it
was with peculiar feelings that I arose to address a congregation upon an Island of
the Sea, to present before them the fullness of the everlasting gospel, & the authentitcity of
the Book of Mormon, as it was the first time to my knowledge that an Elder of Latter
Day Saints ever trod the sail of one of the Islands, or his voice herd by the inhabitants in procl-
aiming the word fo God. I had the strictest attention of all, their appearance indicated a thought
that they had herd strange things to day. When I closed I gave out an appointment for
the four following evenings to be held in the several districts. to cut a long story short suffice
it to say, they came out by hundreds, christian & sinner, captain & sailor, priest & people,
the sound went abroad to the neighbouring Islands, their sails were soon spread to waft
them o'er the deep to hear the tidings for themselves. During the first 14 days we delivered
19 discourses. Many began to believe. The two priests made friends like Herod & Pilate, they
became alarmed, they began to oppose & rage, they had no influence over the people.
The Baptist priest spent one Sunday in his meeting house without a soul to accompany him
while I had a congregation; even his own church & deacon were attending our meeting,
investigating the subject, & inviting us to visit them. Vinalhaven never was as [page torn]
stir'd up before, in peace or war. The priest imediately sent letters to the mainl[a] [page torn]
come over & help us or we fall {shorthand} The Baptist priest fearing [page torn]
not come went after them himself, while while the Methodist priest came from the South Island & made
open war against the Book of Mormon & our principals. I attended his meeting look a min-
ute of his discours, & publicly answered his crooked remarks, & he returned home confounded
soon the Baptist priest returned with several others & held a six days meeting, it did not
take affect the mark was torn from the eyes of the people & they began to see clearly, after
I had fairly set our principals before the people, I opened a door for Baptism
& twelve offered themselves as candidates; We led them down into the sea & Baptized
them & of a truth they returned rejoicing: two of the number were respectable sea
captains. The cry from the neighbouring Islands soon entered our ears come over
& preach to us. Some came from the Maine land to hear, & they believe & wish to be bap-
tized, hundreds are believing, & many ready to be baptized. I visited South Island preached
10 times, returned to North Island, organized a small branch of the church, returned to the Main
land, travled 200 miles with Elder Hale towards Kirtland; took the parting hand with, [{shorthand}] He has gone to
spend the winter in Kirtland. I returned to Father Carters after my wife, whose company I am now
enjoying. I shall return to Vinalhaven in few days to spend the winter. I shall not return west I
think start of a year. I shall spend the time on these Islands & the maine land think for a year. I never
before have seen such doors open for preaching, the courthouse in Camden is offered me to lecture in
I shall except of the offer when I return, it is the nearest town to Vinalhaven Pop 6000 & a num-
ber have offered themselves for baptism there. Ps. I wish you to direct all of your letters to Vinalhaven Maine, for the
present, as I shall make that my stand. I shall be glad to hear from you at any time. Tell me of any News you get from our frie-
nds and also inform me if you get the M & Advocate now, the kirtland paper. I shall be glad to call and see you when I go west
but there is a prospect now of it's being some time first. I shall however calculate to see my wife settled in Missouri before I leave
this Continent, which may be sooner than I have calculated, we have now seven Elders in England apart of the twelve, and as
soon as doors are open in Europe so that they need help the first Seventy will follow the twelve into that country, and as I am
a member of that quorum I shall not hesitate to go when duty calls. That the blessings of heaven may attend you in every lawful
calling. & that all things may work together for your good both temporal & spiritual is the prayer of your Brother
Willford Woodruff.
in 4 or 5 feet of snow. Is business lively with you. When do yoyu think of comeing east. how is your
health. Variant are the scenes of life. Strange things are hap'ning it these last days. Direct your letters to
to Vinalhaven Maine. Do not forget that Phebe sends her respects to you. I do not know as you can read
half of my writing I have often wished I was a better scribe & I expect others have. (Ye hali ettou boa) {shorthand}
{shorthand}
Mr Asahel H Woodruff
Terre Haute
Indiana
[upside-down text]
Willford Woodruff
Oct. 20th 1837
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