Indian Mission
Harmony, Washington Co., Utah
May 19th, 1854
To the Editor of the News:
As Gov. Young and suite are now with us, I have an opportunity of writing on behalf of the missionaries to the South, and do so at the request of Prest. P.P. Pratt
Twelve of us arrived here. May 2d, enjoying good health, union and peace. We began to put in a little wheat, and are now cutting a ditch to bring down water for irrigation. Thus we shall be enabled to feed the Indians, keep them around us, learn their language, and do them good. We purpose establishing a school for the Indian youth, and while we teach them our language by degrees, we shall the more rapidly learn theirs.
On Sunday, 14th May, some ten Indians arrived, being a war party of the Paiedes going south to steal children from a part of the same nation, if they would give them up—if not, to fight and kill till they could take them by force. Br. Peter Shirts talked with them, thro; his sons, who are good interpreters, and we talked with them and told them the Great Spirit was not well pleased with men when they fought and killed. We said much to them, and soon their fiery, warlike spirit began to give way, and they listened attentively for hours. They left with milder and better feelings.
Last evening an Indian child, almost dead from diarrhea, at their request was administered to by a good brother here, and was almost instantly restored, and opened its sunken eyes, and was bro’t into the old fort and was fed, eating with a good relish.
This land is very good, and the grazing range the best I have seen. We are much in want of old clothing, especially shirts, to help cover the nakedness of the Indians, especially of the women. What will the Salt Lake Saints do about it?
T.D. Brown
[Deseret News, June 22, 1854]
[Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, May 19, 1854, 1]
[transcribed and proofread by David Grow, July 2006]