Copy of September 12, 1857 letter from Brigham Young as Governor and ex-officio Superintendent of Indian Affairs to James W. Denver, Commissioner of Indian Affairs

Office Supt of Indn. Affairs G.S.L. City Sept. 12th 1857.

Hon James W. Denver Commissioner of Indn. Affairs Washington City D.C.

Sir:-

Enclosed please find Abstract account current and vouchers from 1 to 35 inclusive (also abstract of employees) for the current quarter up to this date, as owing to the stoppage of the mail I have deemed it best to avail myself of the opportunity of sending by private conveyance, not knowing when I may have another chance. The expenditure as you will observe by the papers amount to $6411.38/100 for which I have drawn my drafts on the department in favor of Hon. John M. Bernhisel delegate to Congress, from this Territory. You will also observe that a portion of those expenditures accrued prior to this quarter, which may need a word of explanation. Santa Clara is in Washington County the extreme southern County of this Territory and this labor was commenced and partly performed, Seeds, grain &c furnished prior to the time that Major Armstrong visited those parts of the Territory, hence failed to find its way into his reports and

failed being included in mine because the accounts & vouchers were not sooner brought in and hence not settled until recently; but little has been effected in that part of the Territory at the expense of the Government, although much has been done by the Citizens in aiding the Indians with tools, teams and instructions in cultivating the earth. The bands mentioned are parts of the Piede [Piute} tribe of Indians, who are very numerous, but only in part inhabit this Territory. These Indians are more easily induced to labor than any others in the Territory and many of them are now engaged in the common pursuits of civilized life. Their requirements are constant for wagons, ploughs, spades, hoes teams and harness &c, to enable them to work to advantage.

In like manner the Indians in Cache Valley have received but little at the expense of the Government although a sore tax upon the people; West and along the line of the California and Oregon travel they continue to make their contributions and I am sorry to add with considerable loss of life to the travellers. This is what I have always sought by all means in my power to avert, but I find it the most difficult of any portion to control I have for many years succeeded better than

this. I learn by report that many of the lives of the emigrants and considerable quantities of property has been taken. This is principally owing to a company of some three or four hundred returning Californians who travelled those roads last spring to the Eastern States shooting at every indian they could see, a practice utterly abhorent to all good people, yet I regret to say one which has been indulged in to a great extent by travellers to and from the Eastern States and California, hence the Indians regard all white men alike their enimies and kill and plunder wherever they can do so with impunity and often the innocent suffer for the deeds of the guilty. This has always been one of the greatest difficulties that I have had to contend with in the administration of Indian Affairs in this Territory. It is hard to make an Indian believe that the whites are their friends and the Great Father wishes, to do them good, when perhaps the very next party which crosses their path shoots them down like wolves. This trouble with the Indians only exists along the line of travel west and beyond the influence of our settlements. The Shoshones are not hostile to travellers as far as they inhabit in this Territory except perhaps a few called "Snake diggers" who inhabit as

before stated along the line of travel west of the settlements. There have however been more or less depredations the present season North, and more within the vicinity of the settlements owing to the causes above mentioned and I find it of the utmost difficulty to restrain them. The sound of war quickens the blood and nerves of an Indian. The reports that troops were wending their way to this Territory has also had its influence upon them. In one or two instances this was the reason assigned why they made the attacks which they did upon some herds of cattle, they seemed to think if it was to be war they might as well commence and begin to lay in a supply of food when they had a chance. If I am to have the directions of the Indian Affairs of this Territory and am expected to maintain friendly relations with the Indians, there are a few things that I would most respectfully suggest to be done. First. That travellers omit their infamous practice of shooting them down when they happen to see one.

Whenever the Citizens of this Territory travels the roads they are in the habit of giving the Indians food, tobacco and a few other presents, and the Indians expect some such trifling favor, and they are emboldened by this practice to come up to the

road with a view of receiving such presents. When therefore travellers from the States make their appearance they throw themselves in sight with the same view and when they are shot at, some of their numbers killed as has frequently been the case, we cannot but expect them to wreak their vengeance upon the next train.

Secondly. That the Government should make more liberal appropriations to be expended in presents I have proven that it is far cheaper to feed and clothe the Indians than to fight them. I find moreover that after all when the fighting is over it is always followed by extensive presents which if properly distributed in the first instance might have averted the fight. In this case then the expense of presents are the same and it is true in ninetenths of the cases that have happened.

Third=The troops must be kept away for it is a prevalent fact that wherever there are the most of these we may expect to find the greatest amount of hostile Indians and the least security to persons and property.

If these three items could be complied with I have no hesitation in saying that so far as Utah is concerned that travellers could go to and from, pass and repass and no Indian would disturb or molest