Letter from Thomas Burdick, 28 August 1840

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 174
image
Aug 28th 1840
We are in the dark concerning the mission and proceedings of , who recently passed through this place. He presents himself first by a letter dated Waterford, Washington Co. Ohio, Muskingham river directed to Hiram Kellogg of . Ohio. (in “haste”).
The following are some of the Items contained in the letter in his own words “Dear brother in the gospel and , I feel it a duty to inform you that I am on my way and mission to the State of , I have just returned from the ! by way of , &c. I started in company with three other Elders who have all got sick & I have been obliged to leave them, two of whom have gone back & the other I left in Covington K.Y. opposite . My mission is urgent indeed. I am now left alone” I and want you to select out if possible three or four preachers and have them ready when I arrive to go to Catteraugus Buffalo Tonawanda, Tuscaroras, Alleganys Onendagas and Oneidas:— I want the bretheren if possible to assist me in getting to the Onida Castle by water for I am in haste to return to at Oct. , & then to my station in the Territory of 9 miles from the Garrison (Levingworth), from whence I have just come. A new scene of things are about to transpire in the west, in fulfilment of prophecy, &c I want your prayers & also the prayers of the bretheren that I may have my health to accomplish my mission. I am not sent to the neither to the Cities of the Sameritans, but to the promised people of the house of Jacob, who if they go through &c”
To this letter he signs his name “ Lamanite” Hyrum Kellogg being absent, his son Henry Kellogg, a Universalist preacher takes the letter out of the Post Office and reads it & replies “the mormons ought to be seen to or words to that amount”; &c— soon afterwards arrives & confirms the letter by preaching much stronger meat than it contains, both in publick and in private: in publick he says “this nation is about to be destroyed” and suggests to the bretheren that there [p. 174]
Aug 28th 1840
We are in the dark concerning the mission and proceedings of , who recently passed through this place. He presents himself first by a letter dated Waterford, Washington Co. Ohio, Muskingham river directed to Hiram Kellogg of . Ohio. (in “haste”).
The following are some of the Items contained in the letter in his own words “Dear brother in the gospel and , I feel it a duty to inform you that I am on my way and mission to the State of , I have just returned from the ! by way of , &c. I started in company with three other Elders who have all got sick & I have been obliged to leave them, two of whom have gone back & the other I left in Covington K.Y. opposite . My mission is urgent indeed. I am now left alone” I want you to select out if possible three or four preachers and have them ready when I arrive to go to Catteraugus Buffalo Tonawanda, Tuscaroras, Alleganys Onendagas and Oneidas:— I want the bretheren if possible to assist me in getting to the Onida Castle by water for I am in haste to return to at Oct. , & then to my station in the Territory of 9 miles from the Garrison (Levingworth), from whence I have just come. A new scene of things are about to transpire in the west, in fulfilment of prophecy, &c I want your prayers & also the prayers of the bretheren that I may have my health to accomplish my mission. I am not sent to the neither to the Cities of the Sameritans, but to the promised people of the house of Jacob, who if they go through &c”
To this letter he signs his name “ Lamanite” Hyrum Kellogg being absent, his son Henry Kellogg, a Universalist preacher takes the letter out of the Post Office and reads it & replies “the mormons ought to be seen to or words to that amount”; &c— soon afterwards arrives & confirms the letter by preaching much stronger meat than it contains, both in publick and in private: in publick he says “this nation is about to be destroyed” and suggests to the bretheren that there [p. 174]
Page 174