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CORRESPONDENCE 405

an enterprise, yet I trust God is my helper, and only through his strength shall I prove a blessing to the cause of our precious Redeemer.

Yours E. F.

St. Joseph, 82 Missouri, on the East Bank of Missouri River,

May 14, 1845. Dear Br. Hill:

We left Rock Island on the 5th of April. Spent the Sabbath in Davenport, where I preached twice. Were affectionately received by the brethren, and on the 7th commenced our journey, after singing a missionary hymn and publicly com- mending ourselves, and the mission we anticipate to the care of Him who rules the hearts of men, being accompanied on our way two miles by three brethren and seven miles by another. Rested and preached [on Sabbaths] except the last, when we were obliged to pitch our tent, on the preceding evening, two miles from timber in the midst of a broad prairie. Our journey has been fatiguing, yet on the whole our health has improved. We have now 14 wagons in com- pany and suppose there are at least 50 behind; yet, lest we may be disappointed in failing to fall in with their company, we have judged it prudent to move over into the Indian Territory immediately. And now while I am writing in my tent some of the teams are crossing the Missouri river. We find our route will be something more than 100 miles nearer and at the same time impeded with less water courses than it would have been by Independence. Therefore I suppose I have failed of receiving an important letter from you. I trust, however, that you will forward me a letter to Oregon City, Oregon Territory, by ship, through the medium of the Methodist Mission Agency in your city, so that I may receive it on my arrival at that place.

82 St. Joseph and other points along the Missouri in this vicinity, such as Independence, Liberty and Westport, were frequent points of rendezvous, as they were convenient places from which to start up the Platte Valley, the emi- grant route. See also note 79.