The following is a transcription of Andrew Cunningham, letter to Brigham Young (April 19, 1857). Note the report that Thomas B. Marsh wished to be reinstated:
President Young Dear Brother
yours of the 3d of oct last just came to hand on the last day of nov. it which
I now will at tempt to answer in relation to the settlements west of this I
started on the 6th of nov. last with a small company to see where we could find
a place to make a settlement in consequence of the feelings of the people from
what Br Franklin Richards wrote me from [illegible] I thought best to locate on
the land that had been purchased of the Indians & we made our claims on the
other river it being the extreme west line of the purchase I have preached the
need activity and the importance of making the settlements & made arrangements
with Br Robert Stackleton to build a steammill there if he got business settled
& Started from here the day he was changing to sell may having some
business to settlement and I went to St Louis in [illegible] and made the
arrangements for the steammill we paid it and I expect it here by the first of
this week I expect to start on the 22d with some 4 or 5 men with horses and
seeds and tools to commence to settlement and there is others that start with
us as soon as gives as could be expected considering the timber that I have had
to work with there is some good saints and some sunshine I have taken a course
that I have them confiden and will indeavor to do them good by the help of the
Lord Thomas B Marsh is here and wishes to join the Church I told him that he
knew that had him placed in important place in the Church and how some he had
forfeited his unite to salvation I was not able to say but I would not Baptise
him in to the Church untill order from the prophet see he wished me to write
you on this Case I told him that some of the twelve would be here this season
and then we would talk the matter over he asked the liberty to make a
Confession before the Church I told him that he could have the Liberty some
time when was here but I did not want him to talk in the Church in publick
untell I was reassured further Case has bin here some two weeks he is well Br Henry
miller has gone to Illinois for having I am sick of this wicked world down here
and I long to see the time when the nerst in heart may be gathered out from
this wicked world I’m joy good health to write and give me your council in
relation to the move of things that you want me to attend to my the Lord bless
all that ble[s]s you
A Cunningham of the Lord. and
inasmuch as ye attend faithfully and diligently to these things iniquity shall
be rooted out of the Church, and thine enemies shall cease out of the land and
ye shall prosper and flourish and spread abroad and shall be the head and not the
foot; but if ye do not these things which I have commanded none of these
blessings shall be enjoyed by you but ye shall cease to be a people! Now
therefore see ye to it! that ye shew not this spirit to any untill ye return
with thy brother then ye shall read all of this to the assembled multitude and
let all the Church say Amen
PS I have just received a letter
from Br Snow dated the first of april he says that there will be from 50 to 60
men from there to make settlement west of this he says that Br [unclear] Smith
will be up with them which I shall be very glad for I feel as tho I need the
council and help of my Brethren to accomplish this great work
A C
Rec 23 may. 57
