“Black River Falls Wisconsin Territory. Feby 15th. 1844. To Joseph Smith President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and to the twelve Apostles, Greeting

Believing a concert of action in all things in this church to be highly important, we deem it necessary under existing circumstances to make you acquainted with our views and feelings, temporal and spiritual prospects as they now exist— We wrote you last fall a full and complete discription of this country as high as the falls on Black river without exaggeration giving a slight description of the . With the exception of several renegadoes and false brethren, things passed smoothly on until some time in the month of January, when we were visited by three different tribes of Lamanites upon the most friendly terms, receiving us as their counselors both temporal and spiritual— The names of those tribes Menomanees Chippawa and Winnebagoes, they informed us that all the land above the falls belongs to the Menomanee tribe, and that the Agents and the Governor, the gen[HC 6:257]eral Agent in the North West of all the Indian affairs, had agreed with them to remove all the lumbermen from Black River, Chippewa and Lemanware rivers by their request, but after a lengthy conversation with them, they felt to treat us as their friends and not their enemies—

We dispatched two messengers (namely) and Cyrus Daniels to go immediately to , where they met with the Agent, who gave them to understand we could get the timber which is already cut at a reasonable rate, and for any future prospect, we will be under the necessity of entering into a contract. We calculate the present prospect for lumber betwixt this and the last of July next, will be from 8 to 12 hundred thousand feet, which we deem will be all sufficient to finish the two houses, which will accomplish the Mission on which we started to this country.

We therefore as a branch and a member of the body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints choose the following Committee (namely) , , , and [p. 1925]