Corbonca
Elder Woodruff
Dear Brother
As an apology for our long
silence, we write this letter, for no doubt you are
aware, that there would be a great croud of buiseness
on our hands, ^as^ soon has the Presidency, all left winter qurters,
the people are scattered over so great an extent of territory,
that it requires an immence labour, to communicate
with them, and in a great measure it has been done
through others, there his about 50 Branches organised,
all doing well, has a general thing, except some slight
touches of the big head, which his a natural conscequence,
where men, forget the work of the Lord, and seek to build up
them selves, on the 9th of December, all the Soldiers that had
come from Calafornia and the Valley with their wives and famelies
were feasted at the tabernace on a general collection of good things,
provided by the Saints for the occation, it was certainly equal to
the dinner provided for the pioneers at the pass which you now
was hard to beat, after the Soldiers had all feasted, the weather being
very cold, they praised the Lord in a dance, the after an hour spent
in this way several apropreate addresses were made and all felt,
first rate, the Seventys held a meeting on the Sunday and Monday
following, which were well attended not withstanding the severe wether,
unity and the good spirit prevaded these gatherings, they ajournd
to the new tabernacle on Pigeon, on the last Saturday in December,
Brother Egan an 12 others arrived here from the Salt Lack City, on
Thursday, the 7th he left the city on the 13th of September ^October^. President
Young arrived there on the 20 of September President Kimbal on the 24th,
a conference had been held, on ^motion^ of Elder Pratt the Presedency as organised
here was unanimosly acknowledged, also my father as Patriarck,
Charles C. Rich as President in the Valley, John Young and Erastas Snow
counsellors, arrangemengts were made ^for^ inclosing and additional field of
[upside-down text] if you should know of any that have money that is
comeing out send us there names &c
11000 ^acres^ and a company of 860 men have taken shares in it, vareing from
5 to 80 acres, the smalest lots being nearest the city, to accomodate
mecanicks, all the buldings composing the fort, were to be moved on the
city lots, except the square inclosed by the pioneers, the Indians are
freindly, and it his considerd safe to settle on farms, a new city his to
^be^ laid out 10 miles north of the Temple block, a nother about 10 South, all
the lots survaid had been taken up, and, and an addition had been made
to the old survey running to the Mountains, ^on the East side^ and with this addition there
would not be inheretances enoughf for the Saints all ready there, but
some of them would have to settle in the new citys. Bro Egan tels
me us the pioneres claims were respected, so the prospect his we will
find a place when wee are permitted to go there. Elder Addison Pratt
had arrived in the Valley in good health and Spirits, a company of the
saints who whent ot Californa in the Brooklen, where in route for
for the Salt Lake, and would probably arrive in about 2 weeks after the
express left, nearly all the Soldiers had arrived, a public dinner was
given them on the 6th of October, from accounts they had fine times, that
his if muscic dancing, public speeches, a feast of fat things, the firing
of artilery, all combined would produce fine times. Dr Richards Lyman
and Company were within three days drive of the city when the
express met them, the Docter was driving his own team, they met Capton
Compton and Company at fort John with our express. Elder Kimbal writes
^that^ two squashes Ellen S. raised in her garden wheighd 63 pounds each, mother
Sessions presented we with one weighing 84 pounds, big turnips weigh from
8 to 8 1/2 pounds, the sweetist I ever saw. Elder P. Pratt made a vegitable
dinner for me and President Young, among his bill of fare where the following
items. Green Corn, green peas, green beans, cucumbers beets, parsnips, carrots, onions,
potatoes, turnips, squashes, pomkin pies, cabbage, musk mellons, water mellons,
cantelops, corn bread, wheat bread, corn stalk molaces, and Roast Beef, &c &c
&c, there had been some sympthems of the California Gold mine feaver, breaking
out in the Valley, a company of about 20 was scecretly formed, with
the porpus of going for to spend the winter, in washing for the precious
dust, but the sympthems devoleped themselves so strongly, the malady
was detected by Presedent Young, who prescribed has pheceian in the
case with not only to stop the contagon, but also cure many who had
caught the infection. it was the opinion of Dr Egan that there would be no
deaths, of gold feaver this season, althoug it his like the big head a dredful
and contamenating disease, the winter heare has been very severe since the
fore part of nNovember, if it continues has it has commenced grain will be
a high price in the spring, has the people will be obliged to feed out a deal ^it^ to
their cattle, it is our wish to leave Potowatama Countiesy for the mountains
in the spring, with our familys, has wee do not feel ourselves safe in our
present condition, within the jurisdiction of mob law, and mob officers
to rule us, and has soon has wee get our families situated in the
Great basin, wee shall hold ourselves ready to come he or were council^l^
may direct for the building up of Zion, wee have received council from
the Presidency to come their next season with our families, wee have
exerted ourselfs to the uttermost to help away our bretheren and are
destetute of the nessary means to help our selves, and cannot go, unless [page torn]
or his saints help us away, and should any of our bretheren strech
forth the friendly hand and set us at liberty wee feel that in
so doing they would be intitled to the blessing of the most High,
and if you could use an influence among the wealthy saints to hourn
advantage, it will be appreciated by us with every feeling of grattitude
any means thus raised may be sent to us by confedential bretheren as early
has possible, wee received letters from you by Bro Carter who arrived safley
about the 210 of november, Elder Hyde has got his printing establisment all
ready, and his only wating for his fore man to come from St Louis, who his daily
expected. Walker the famos Utah Cheif has visited the saints in the Valley
with his his band of riflemen he said he allways wished to leaive in peace with our
people he wanted his children to grow up with ours as brothers, that his people should
not steal from ours, if any of them did let him now it and he would punish them and
stop it, the brethren told him they did not want his men to steal from the spanyerds
for wee were at peace with them, Walker replied my men hate the spanyards,
they will steal from them, and I cannot help it. they love your people and they
will not steal from you, and if any of the bad boys do I will stop them.
Bro Daniel Browit, Bro Allen, and a young man named Cox were killed by
the a band of diggers in the California mountains has they were exploring
a new pass through the mountains they were surrunded when assleep
and killed with stone's, a hundred dollars in gold dust belonging to Bro
Allen was found on the ground, their bodys were striped of their cloth's,
and buried by the Indians. this occurd 40 ^miles^ from the settlement's on the
sacremento, their bodies were found by a company who followed them.
Sister Bensons health is poor but, has a general thing the saints enjoy
excelent health, very few deaths.
Dec th 26 we have eighteen inches of snow and the weather
verry cold a large assembly saints at the Tabnercle
yesterday a first rate time. Sister smith & Benson wish
to be rememberd to your Lady the latter is quite unwell
if you can send us any assistance tell us by letter as
early as posible how much by whom sent &c
[sideways text] G. A. Smith & E. T. Benson
Dec 20th 1848
Answard Feb 22nd 1849
10
Kane Iow[a]
Dec. 27, 1848
Mr Wilford Woodruff
Boston
Masstt
May the Lord Bless you forever
Geo. A. Smith
Ezra T. Benson [end of sideways text]