7 Macclesfield St South, City Road, London.
Ansd May 24/46
Dear Brother Woodruff
I have delayed writing
to you as late as possible so that I might
have the latest news for you before you
start; I hope you are well. I am
happy to say I enjoy excellent health;
I am still in the great City; I have been
delivering a course of lectures this winter;
we had 5,000 hand bills circulated, and
the meetings are well attended by stran-
gers, & some are believing, & obeying, I am
going to day to baptise. I have also sent
the proclamations to some of the members
of parliament as you commanded me; and
I intend to send it ^to^ more of them.
But I have never heard a whisper
from any source about what they think
of it. I seal them up in an letter
envellope & write their private address
with the word "private" on it, so I think
there can be no mistake but what they
recieve them in person
I have also been triming up the tree
in London. we have cut off two or three
dozen dead snags, & are not quite done
yet. We ^have^ already seen the good effects of
the triming. the Church is more united,
& strangers flock to hear, & listen
without being anoyed by bad mem-
bers. I expect to go to Birmingham for
a short time; Father Crook has got him
self into difficulty, with the gin, and
the women; the two greatest snares of the
unwary; he has run away to escape an
exposition. I expect to travel through
the country considerable this Summer
but not to leave London intirely
There is great excitement here about
war with America. The English are
determind never to yield their claim to
Oregon. They say if the American govern-
ment cannot protect her own citisens
it ought to ^be^ broken to attoms, & framed
anew, & they are prepared to do it.
And although the Americans may not
be aware of the fact, it is nevertheless
true that John Bull has at this
moment some 60 or 70 ships of war
around the coasts of America, besides a
navy of sevel hundred mighty ships of
war; many of them steamers, together
with a powerfull & well trained army well
supplied with the seeds of death.
The americans may flatter themselves & say
"they tried us twice, & failed" when Jonathin
was only only a boy, but now he is a man,
but it must be remembered that at that
time England was at war with France and
indeed with almost all Europe, now she is
comparitively at peace, & with a fleet
& army five times as formidable as in
the last war, & in case of a war now
America must feel her full strength.
and I am convinced they will be decievd
in the military arm of England.
The war will not be in oregon, but
England will strike at the verry vitals of
the nation, they will arm the slaves and
the Lamanites, & exert her utmuost streng-
th, at the onset, in order to consummate
the struggle, speedily. This I have good author-
ity for, believing is the policy now in
embryo, in parliament
The English army in India have defeated
the Sykes in two pitched battles, 9,000 Sykes
& 4000 N English fell in one battle the
particulars of the other we have not yet
recieved, but the English was victorious, and
when the news reached London, votes of
thanks were taken in parliament, and
the cannon roared from the tower.
They are now sending soldiers & artilery to
Canada, & calling ship carpenters into the
Dock yards to finish their war ships as
speedily as possibly. I believe firmly that
should the Twelve deem it wisdom to lay
our Base before the British government
that they would notice it, & at least
comment upon it, which would bring
it into notice. Indeed I have been asked
by Gentlemen not in the Church why
we do not memorialize the British Government;
There has been a great many ship whrecks
this winter & hundreds of lives lost.
The weather has been extremely mild, the
ground has not been covered with snow
but twice & that only for a few hours
and scarcely any frost, the people say
they never knew it so before. provisions
are verry dear which makes it verry hard for the poor.
Now Brother Woodruff I will say a
few words about my own affairs.
Things are about as they were when
you left. My dear Mary Ann is well
& as happy as could be expected in such a
hell as she is in, Sister St John is also
well & appears cheerfull, the two old gentiles
are about as usual. Mary Ann's treatment
shas been shocking I wrote B a short
letter, & since there has ^been^ a change for the
better, I told him plainly that I should
bear it no longer, I think they will
haul in their horns a little, if they
do not, I shall knock them off,
for Mary Ann shall not bear what
she has born any more. I am glad
that I did not go thome & leave her
for I see plainly that they would have
laid her in her grave in a short time
through oppression, & ill treatment
I hope I have not done wrong by staying
I feel well about it so far, I should
like to know what Brother Young says
about it. I hope you will not forget
me when it is well with you, but rem-
ember in London there are hearts beating in sweet
union with yours
The Saints seem anxious to swell the capitol of
the Joint stock company. Brother Hedlock
informs me that a Brother Russell of
New Brunswick will have a new ship
of 650 tons burthen ready for sea by
next october, & he will take near
half the value of it in stock.
So you see the Lord works when we
work, & who can hinder, yester day
I had a letter from Capt Jones of
Wales he says he has had some dificulty
with Brother Renshaw, he sought to exalt
himself & apposed Brother Jones, & tried to
turn the saints against him, but he got
himself into poor picking, Brother Banks
was sent for, & the Capt came of victorious,
I am going to Luton next week to settle
a quarrel; in the church; I dread the job;
I hope the Lord will help me.
I had a letter from Mr Tuttle of Fair Haven a
few weeks since, he seems friendly and
gave me considerable information about
things in Connecticut. If you can prevail on
the Lamanites or any body else to carry letters
back after you get started. Please remember
there is an anxious eye in London longing for
a letter from the wilderness
Please shew this to Brothers Stratton & Sheets,
for I design it for all of you
but I hope to have a letter from each of you
if you can possibly get time; I hope you
will remember also my poor old Father and
Mother & speak comfortably to them. do for
my sake whether a word of comfort to th[em]
Please remember my love to Bothers Young
Kimball, Hyde, & all the Twelve, & to Brother
Hunter, & many other good people
Mary Ann & Sister St John, send their love
to you & Sister Woodruff, & Brothers Stratton
& Sheets. I now say to you & Brothers Stratton
& Sheets, & all others that are going ffarewell
for a short time, but I shall speak a
word to the Lord about you, when you
are in the wilderness, will you remember
me to the Lord. And I expect meet you,
& greet you, in California.
I feel in excellent health & spirits just
now never better. I will pray that
this may find you the same. Farewell
I remain your Brother
in tribulation
as ever
PS Do write soon
and a great deal
Direct to the above
address
Since I finished writing to you & had this letter doubled ready
to seal I recieved a beautifull letter from Br Wm. W. Mcguire
of Nauvoo formerly from Pennsylvania, it was written in July
1845 and is a treat to my soul. Brs Stratton, or Sheets, will you
please see him & give him & all my Lancaster and
Chester County friends my very kind love
Tell Brother Mcguire & all of them to go ahead to California
& I shall meet them there.
[upside-down text] Brother Stratton & Sheets, will please accept my
kind love, and Brother Sheets will please present
my kind love to his dear Margaret
I have just recieved a letter from Brother Hedlock
he is well and appears in fine spirits. I have nothing
discouringageing to tell you. All is well with us. [end of upside-down text]
[sideways text] Wilford Woodruff Esq
Nauvoo Ill
North America
[stamp in orange ink] R
PAID
[unclear]
1846
[stamp in black ink]
L
MR 3
C
Per Steamer
Elisha H. Davis
London
March 27th 1846