A letter written May, 1849 by Thomas Winkless
Sent to Mrs. Elizabeth Winkless Goodwin
48 Campbell Road
Bilton Hill,
Rugby, England
St. Louis May 1848
Dear Father & Mother,
I received your kind letter & was very glad to hear from you that you was all well as it leaves us at the present time. I should have wrote to (you) sooner but I did not exactly know whether I should go this spring to the mountains or not, but I shall not go till next fall now or next spring.
There are a great many going off now, it is a very long journey to go by land, it is about 1,100 miles to the place where we are going to make a settlement, it will be called the Salt Lake City, named after a very large salt lake close by. It is a very healthy situation and the land is very rich soil, grass all the year round. There is mountains on three sides of it where snow lies all the year round, and beautiful clear cold water running from the mountains all the time. Excellent streams for mills, plenty of game & buffalo all the way so that we can't starve on the way if we take a good rifle or shot gun and plenty of ammunition. I have got a good rifle that I can shoot a deer about 200, yards, or a buffalo. I mean to take plenty of lead & powder as they are very cheap here.
Powder I can buy for 1/8 a pound, the very best lead for 2/01/2 a pound.
I am doing well here, wages are high, provisions cheap. I have eight shillings a day for every day I work. I can save a sovereign a week now so I can fit myself off with two good teams next fall. Now the Saints here are doing well, and the people of St. Louis have treated them well.
All is peace among us now. This nation has had something more to attend to since they have driven us from Nauvoo. They have been involved in war with Mexico & they have had not had time to meddle with us. I think you can see plain enough now the prophecies of Jesus and Joseph now fast approaching. Nation against Nation, Kingdom against Kingdom, and men’s hearts failing them for fear of things coming on the earth. Pestilence, famines in divers places. I read in one of our papers last week that 500,000 men, Chartists, was going to meet in Nottingham & going to march to London all armed & that they had broke the telegraph wires. See the disturbance in France, see the trouble in Germany about to take place, Italy, South America, Australia, Ireland is now in rebellion, Scotland and almost all Europe is in commotion, all going to show the end of the wicked draweth nigh, and that the Lord is about to execute righteousness and justice in the earth and every nation and kingdom that will not bow the knee and confess that Jesus is the Christ shall be cut off, for the time is near at hand when the meek will inherit the earth instead of wicked and instead of the laws and creeds of men, we will have the laws of God to govern the world for when the wicked reign the people mourn, and they have reigned long enough till the Lord cant bear it much longer and He is about to call them to give account of their stewardship. The time has come that the old prophet speaks of that the Saints shall go up to the mountain of the Lord’s House, and help to establish it on the tops of the mountains and the name of the Lord shall be there, and the exaltation of the Saints will be there and they will be held as in the hollow of Jehovah shall go through to depopulate the Earth and lay waste the nations because of their wickedness and oppresion and He will cleanse the land of their blood. I could fill the letter with prophecies that are now taking and about to take place but I have just painted at a little for you to look at and if you want to know more read them in your bible for there is plenty of them and prophecy must be fulfilled the Earth and Hell oppose.
There is a shipload of Saints coming up the river from England. We expect them in port today and we expect two shiploads more on directly. They are joining very fast in England but very little doing in this country. There is about a Thousand Saints here in St. Louis expecting to go up to the mountains next spring. We are all very anxious to get off out of the nations to the land of freedom and liberty where we can worship God as we please, none to molest or make afraid. There are hot springs and warm springs there and plenty of fishes in the river running from the mountains. I wish you was all here. You would all do well. Job might as well be here earning 8 shillings a day as staying there earning only half the money. My younger boy can just run around & wife’s arms are again at liberty for a while.
Charlotte don’t grow much, she is stout but very short. I have wrote two letters to Richard Ryton, Whitley Abbey but never got a answer. I wish you would enquire the reason they have not sent. A letter I sent to you cost me 5d 8e every one that you send to me cost me 61/2 D. I would pay the postage of the letters if I could but it isn’t like your sending them. You have to pay the postage overseas and no further as the letters are carried over the sea by the British mails over the sea and that is a different postage. I don’t know when I will get a chance to come and see you all. I want to take my family first & the first chance that offers I mean to take. You must write back to me as quick as possible that I may have a chance to write to you once more just before I start. Business is good here in this country. I expect to farm when I get thro. Let me know how you all are and how doing. Uncle Job’s wife I want to hear about all of you, Stephen and all. I like to hear of all Redheads folk how they come on and Letts and Rytons.
Don't be afraid to sent too much write small & thick & fill up your letter about them all. Send me the state of the country, the price of bread, flour and meat, and where Job is and all the rest of them and what you are doing. I am getting as grey as a badgar myself and I expect the old man is creeping on you fast, so no more this me from your affectionate son.
T. Winkless, St. Louis W.S. Mo.
Give my best respects to all my enquiring friends and receive the same yourself John
Sample Documents
Suntrails Menu Items
SherwoodOhana Website