42 late
April 3d of

Prest Brigham Young

Dear Brother,

Your letters of Decr. 7^th and Jany 6^th were received on the 29^th March.

In yours of Oct 30^th you acknowledged the receipt of letters of as late a date as Augt. 5^th And in your Decr letter you acknowledged the receipt of mine of Septr 5^th.  I wrote you at considerable length on the 29^th Augt which it seems you have not received.

I also wrote you Sept 20, Oct 31. Novr 28 & Jany 30 in which I gave you full and detailed accounts of the state and condition of the Mission and the financial affairs of the office.  I trust you will have received several of those letters before this, in which case you will be fully advised of our [unreadable]  Situation.

In my January letter I acknowledged the receipt of Bro. Franklin’s from Florence and gave you a full Statement of the then present condition of the Offices.  Time has proven that the estimates of liabilities and abilities as stated in those letters were [page break] correct and that it would not have been safe to have taken any other course in relation to the drafts, than the one adopted by me.

I send duplicates of all my letters by way of California postage paid- and the 2 or 3 last letters I have duplicated by way of Chagrus and California direct, thereby avoiding the united   states & presenting the possibility of its accompanying the originals in the same bag across the plains.  I trust you will have received some of these letters or duplicates on this-

I learn that both the British & American Governments have made large appropriations for the submarine Telegraph across the Atlantic and that the work is to be prosecuted with energy and the intention is to complete the laying of the wires this season.  If this is accomplished it will bring the Great Salt Lake City & Liverpool offices one month nearer each other by having a trusty correspondent at some point on the Missouri River–

The ship “George Washington” saild on the 28th March from this port for Boston with 80/ saints some for Utah direct and some for the states.  I send you herewith a list of the names of those who intend to go through this year.

The Scandinavian saints owing to use in the Rivers cannot leave Denmark before the 15th or 20^th [page break] of April, consequently they may not reach the frontiers so as to start across the plains from Florence by the 1^st of July the time fixed upon in the 14^th General Epistle as the latest date that the the Saints will be permitted to commence the journey–but I have no doubt but that they will arrive so as to start within a few days after; at all events before the 1^st of August the time set in your letter of Oct. 30^th and to which we have heretofor been working for the Scandinavian Saints.  The arrangements are undoubtedly made on the Frontiers, wagons, carts &c. &c. porcured, and it would be very inconvenient for them to stop in the States through the winter, besides, when once they get scattered among the gentiles there, it will be difficult and perhaps impossible to get them all together again to prosecute the journey.  If there was a German & Danish Settlement some where on the Platte where the people from the North of Europe could winter on their way to the valley, it would not operate so much to their disadvantage.

Hereafter the Emigration from the north of Europe will cross the Atlantic in the Summer or Autumn and proceed on to or near the frontiers so as to be in readiness for an early [page break] The emigration from this country will leave after (unreadable) if possible on Feby. So as to arrive in Utah on June or July in time to assist in the harvest.

When I  arrived how I found that the orientation of tracts & pamphlets in this mission has measurably fallen into (unreadable) and believing that the work here would receive a new and healthful impulse by a general and extended circulation of a few well arranged tracts– I immediately wrote a series of 8 tracts on the plain & simple first principles of the gospels and put them into general circulation–from the reports of the Elders in the  various parts of the Country I learn that they are doing much good and that many of the rich & noble of the land and who could not be reached any other  way and reading them and investigating our doctrines–I called the attention of the people to the subject on one or two numbers of the Star about the (unreadable) I commense the (unreadable), since which I have said little or nothing on the Star on the subject – I shall not write any more at present nor unless they are specially called for.  I shall hereafter pay more attention to the Star and do all in my power to make it instruction and interesting.  Whatever my (unreadable) I may have been guilty of in that respect shall be avoided hereafter just as far as my other duties will permit—[page break]

As soon as the emigration is over I shall avail myself of the permission you so kindly gave me in your October – letter of visiting and preaching to the Saints, and shall for a time at least divide my time between preaching & writing for the Star.

Bro J. A. Ray is assisting in the Editorial department by selecting writing & arranging matters and will be in charge while I am traveling and preaching.  I shall endevour to carry out your word in everything pertaining to the work here to the best of my ability.

I have just succeeded in chartering a ship for the Scandinavian Saints that will take all those who intend to go direct through to Utah. It will sail on the 27^th next for Philadelphia, and I hope they will yet be in time to leave the frontiers by the 20^th of July—

I forwarded by the “George Washington” in care of Elder James P Park 2 boxes of Goods, for you, being the usual annual order – also a box of Books invoices of all which I have was forward to you.  The boxes are to be delivered to Elder S.A. Little as soon as he arrives on the frontiers I have forwarded to Br Little money to pay transportation across the plains as well as duties &c. &c. — with instructions to give them his special attention & care until they are delivered [page break] in G. S.L. City.  I have sent 97 of ninety pounds starting to pay duties freights transportation & with instructions to pay the surplus money if any to you —

I have not heard whether you have received the goods sent out last year by Bro Franklin or not and cannot tell whether they were satisfactory.  I should be glad to know whether I shall make any alterations in the bill next year.  I have made out a similar bill this year to that sent out last year

The reformation is moving on in these lands and will I think result in much good. Brother Benson is traveling and preaching constantly and doing all in his power to push in the work

James Marsden and Fnd Peercy have declined going to the valley and have been cut off from the Church —

Brothers Calken & Ray desire a Kind remembrance.

Your Brother in the Covenant

Orson Pratt

[page break]

Acknowledges receipt of letters.
Notification of letters sent.
[Unreadable] friction for telegraph across the Atlantic.
Geo Washington Ship sailed with Saints
Peercy and Marsden cut off    Rec 23 Mar 185[unreadable]

[Transcribed by Pete Pratt, Janean Hendrickson, Cheryl Brawn, Kristen Birkeland, Nora Fowers, Delma Saunders and Julia Winfield, Mar. 2010]

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