Farmington, Hartford, county Connecticut, in company with Aphek & Azubah Woodruff in the front room of a house built upon
the bank of the farmington river which room is decorated by historical charts, Atlass, portraits, paintings, &c &c whare Aphek
Woodruff & his family have spent many of his former years which have gone gone forever
JULY 7th 1837
Asahel H. Woodruff. Beloved & Affectionate Brother
It is under peculiar circumstances & amid peculiar feelings that I take up my pen to once more address you & perhaps trouble
you because of the length of it. But Brother Asahel bear with me this once come now lay aside your Books and convers awhile with
Willford I have much I wish to say to you perhaps you may be interested in some of it. I have thought that I have been burthen
some to you in some of my letters since we saw each other as I have not receieved much of any answer from you perhaps they
have contained to much what the world calls mormonism to have been of any interest to you. But as I have been visiting our
friends I thought it might be interesting to you in some degree to know sumthing about it whare I have been the whys & the wharefores
&c. & I wish to write to you jut as I would talk as easy & simple as truth itself whether it is grammatical or not in or out
of measure. I am not polished in what the world calls learning (anyhow) But I desire to convers considerable with you now & if
I am troublesome tell me of it & I will do better for the future I have had a happy visit with my friends Ill now tell you about it
I left Kirtland the 31st of May & took water at fairport & arived at
Syracuse on the third of June the day following I arived at Brother Azmons
in Richland. I had not time to tarry but a short time with them. I was truly glad
to see them once more they were generally enjoying good ^health^ I think excepting Elizabeth which
was not vary good I ownly spent one night among them Thompson looked natural as ever he
works hard they looked slick around the farm. Cousin Eldad was with them he left for Con-
necticut the morning I left for Canida. I went to Sackets Harbor from thence to
Kingston took the canal up to Joneses falls we past though four locks that cost $100,000
each said to be the most splendid works in America. After attending a conference in
Canida I returned to Oswego from thence to Albany. to Canaan to Colebrook
father had mooved his family the day before I arived I called at the rock school
house three or four times to visit Sister Eunice I do not know that I can
give you a description of my visit with her any better than to copy a page from
my journal which I wrote upon the subject which is as follows
[FIGURES]
June 21st 1837. In Colebrook I wrap'd at a school house door it
opened by a female hand, and lo it was a sister, yes sister Eunice
indeed. We saluted each other with a harty shake of the hand {shorthand}
I conversed with her a few moments with joy, and retired.
June 28 th at 11 oclock AM I entered the school tought by sister
Eunice, five hours I spent within its walls amid as great variety
of sensations as ever vibrated my bosom. I beheld my sister my
ownly sister, seventeen years of age adorned with youth, modesty,
and lovliness with her face veiled with the true picture of PHILO.
with a degree of admiration I gazed upon the change five years
had brought upon HER. HER sprightly step with energy was marked
while teaching the youth. To more perfectly call to mind the rec
ollection of youth and past scenes & to entertain my mind amid the
passing hours, this sister presented me (with a cheerful grace) a
bundle of Letters from an absent brothers I looked them through
and through they pressed my soul with feelings. Asahel yes thy letters
I read fifteen in number to Eunice directed. They brought to my
soul as great a variety of feeling as matter they contained.
They presented to my view, the display of a cultivated mind
& the refined talents of a brother presented to a sister with
the most untarnished friendship and deepest feeling for her wel-
lfare that can grace the human soul. Such teachings as these
to Eunice directed if followed by the female youth would
deliver them from a thousand snares. The name of Willford
was mentioned oft Asahel had not forgotten him. (O heaven pro
tect my Parents my Brethren & my sister) While at once I viewed
this three years convers of Asahel, I smiled, I wept.
Eunice preserve those in memory of a brothers love, regard
these teachings they will lead thee in the paths of safty. I left
the house and by my sisters side I viewed the Colebook land-
scapes as we walked. my soul was pressed. O I spake of
Asahel, I thought of him, I asked what he would say if he knew
whare we were. ah says Eunice he would wish to be here. We
visited our parents dwelling at sages mill, but they had gone
to Farmington we entered the, house and found all as emty,
vacant, silent & still as death. Not a parent or brother to salu
te, we entered the chamber & saw the work of Asahels hands
but nothing left but a stick balanced by a string in the closet
to hold his coat. it was to gloomy to tarry long I droped a tear
and retired believing it more pleasent on the banks of the
Wabash or Missouri I took a drink from the well while depart-
ing Eunice plucked each of us a, rose as we left we walked up
the hill while the stones, stumps, hills & dales, looked natural.
We was soon kindly received by Mr. Jonathan Stillmans hous
hold took a seat at his board and sup'd together which closed
the scene. HOW pleasing and how painful are the scenes of LIFE
July 4th INDEPENDANCE how can I enjoy the better than to
visit a lonely sister thought I, so a steed I mounted at Canaan
to visit Eunice but when I arived she was ^x^ gone to a saleing ^x^ [sailing]
party on a pond I rode near to it as I approached they crossed
from me I hoisted a flag in token of friendship they discovered
it & bow'd to my notice but knew not that it was Willford
as the watery element wafted them from my sight behind a
grove I bowed saying GOD save my sister {shorthand}
I took the stage in Canaan to visit Avon July 5th I made a short
stop in New hartford shook hands with Richard B Cowles & past on I arived
at Woodford tavern & once more trod the soil of Avon. I spent the night at
aunt Wheelers I saw Daniel, & Luther, I went over to Nod to see the friends there
Daniel Wheeler has had a hard time of it in the whaleing line, he was broot ^brought^ to
America in irons & is now willing to stay in Avon friends in Avon enquire
much about Asahel they have receieved papers from the west I told them they
were from you I took some papers from Sages store Directed to father. Sister
Eunice is a fine girl she gets along well in school. Apr July 6thI left
aunt Wheelers & set out to visit the friends in our old neighbourhood &c. I
went first to Uncle Adney's he has been quite sick uncle Adney looks
very old aunt Lydia about as usu[a]l. Ezra has his poor times yet I have not
seen him from Adnyes I went to the mill Henry Woodfrord now owns it it
looked natural I went up to the house & all over it & saw bogue hill & looked
all around the farm & it all gave me curious feelings Henry Woodford not at home
I saw his wife I called at Horace Judds at Wid Allens, Zina & Obed
Harts (I was accompanied all the while by Elder Jonathan Hale a Brother
that came with me from Kirtland) from thence to Roger Woodford then I
found Eldad in the blacksmith shop. Lavillia is married to Day I took dinner
with them, I then went up to Uncle Titus Woodruff he was not at home
I saw his family Claltha Herd was there I saw nothing uncommon here
excepting a pen of black & white rabits I called upon Capt Francis Woodruff
Capt Erastus woodruff Adna &c they were all glad to see me I next went to
Uncle ^[{shorthand}]^ Ozem woodruff's he was gone diging wells or laying stone Aunt Han
nah was at home & glad to see me after spending an hour here I called to see Almira[h]
Fuller from there I went to Farmington I walked from the Canal
bank down to the house & I cry to my soul I once more saluted my Mother
by the shake of the hand {shorthand} she made me hartily welcome very soon our Father
came into the house we took each other by the hand & both rejoiced I once
more set down to the table with my Parent's father looks old he fails I wish
he might spend his last days with his sons. Mr Herd has just come into the
house he says he is well. They have had bad mill[e]rs since father left, things were
much out of repair. things look natural all about the river. I have not yet
been into the street I do not know how they look there I expect to return to
Avon on the morrow & preach in Lov[e]ly street. I preached evry day for a week on
Beach hill I expect Sister Eunice will come home soon to visit with me.
I expect to spend about three weeks in Connecticut my wife did not accom-
pany me from Kirtland for I had business in UP Canida I expectshe she
will come to Albany with some friends then take the Stage & come to Avon.
Eunice is expecting to come home (when my wife comes) to visit Father &
Mother once more I should essteem it a great privilege to see you with
us I am expecting to go infrom this to the State of Mane to visit my wifes
relatives before I leave that country I expect to visit Fox islands about
200 miles east of Mane to introduce the gospel we think it is time to begin to
[v]isit the islands of the sea five of the brethren have gone to England the work
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is progressing rapidly in the earth. I want to say a few words to you about the cause
I am engaged in & the course I am persuing. I am sensible we ought to be care-
ful what we put on paper & send abroad & I have at times thought I was not sufficiently
careful upon this subject, lest even friends draw wrong views & conceptions from
my writings & to save any thing of this nature even from your mind & wish here to
make a remark. ie. since my first conncetion with the Latter Day Saints I have
been happy, contented, & satisfied. I know & bear testimony in the name of Jesus
Christ that the Book of mormon is the revealed will of God, & also that Joseph Smith jr
is a prophet of God, & that the Church of Christ is travling out of the wilderness with her gifts &
graces. I know the same signs now follow the believers that did anciently & as I have
prooven this work & know it to be true for myself, I am entirely unshaken in its work
& in consquence of this, my soul being wrap'd in the work, when I have written to any
of my friends (yourself not excepted) I have principly written upon the subject
& this is why I say, perhaps I have been to tegious [tedious] in my letters to you. But I
do not wish to burthen any, of my friends in this or any other way. my ownly motive
for not writing to Azmon more than I have since I have been travling, was because
I thought they might not be entertaining to him at this time. I have written vary plain
to Azmon in one Letter it is true, But I have nothing in my breast against him
or any relatives I have in the world. Again I receieved a letter from you last
winter wishing to correspond with me & you wished to know all about my temporal
matters I set down & write you one or two vary full letters, I told you,
about my entering some land in Missouri this land I entered at congress prise pi◊◊
pir acre I ownly entered 40 acres for an inheritance or home, this money was a
present from some friends in N. Y. the Land now I suppose is worth $10 or $15
dollars per acre as it is near the county seat. I also speak of our safety fund that
I took some shares in that, now why I speak of this is, I did not know but you might
draw the idea that I had left the gospel & gone to speculating but this is not the case. I feel
that the spirit that rolls in my veins is steadfast upon the subject, & I shall go tho to the gulentine, faggot,
or death before I shall renounce it the reason of this remark is because I know it to be true. But
enough upon this subject at this time. Now Brother Asahel for heavens sake do not think
that I have drop'd a remark in this letter to cast any reflections upon you or any
body els I have none to cast. Shall it be said that we must be seperated in feelings & [other]
ties of consanguinity severed because we may not think alik[e] upon religious subjects
let God forbid, I love you. I respect you, I have never had cause to do otherwi[se]
& I trust I never shall. I thank kind heaven that I have a Brother whose interest
is manifest for the welfare of Eunice & our Parents. Brother Asahel throw a cloak
of charity over my imperfections Letters from you will ever meet a well come recep-
tion from my hand. If I live I some expect to leave this Continent for Europe
another season should it or should it not be the case it will be a great pleasure
to me to receieve letters from you from time to time I feel interested in your wellfare
both temporal & spiritual watch the signs of the times remember you have such
a brother as Willford in the world if we do not see each other before we will soon stand
in the presence of God. your parents send their respects to you, mother says she will write to you again
soon. I shall also write to you before I leave this state for the last time if I have any thing of interest for you
should you feel disposed to write to me immediately direct to farmington, con. Perhaps you will not find our all my scribling
Believe me yours in the bonds of affection & friendship
Willford Woo[druff]
Asahel H Woodruff
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