Transcript

Transcript for "Josephite Train from Utah," Salt Lake Daily Reporter, 15 July 1868, 2

JOSEPHITE TRAIN FROM UTAH.—A train, consisting of twenty-three wagons of Josephite families, on their way from Utah and Idaho, to Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, arrived in this city last evening. We conversed with several of the members of the train and found them intelligent, well informed men, with a strong feeling against what they term the wrongs, abuses and injustices of the Mormon Church. The Josephites are anti-Polygamists, and claim to be the only true Mormons and faithful followers of the teachings and doctrines of Joseph Smith. They assert that the portion of those who acknowledge Brigham are not true Mormons, but Brighamites; and that he is not a true prophet, or the legitimate successor of the head of the Church; but an imposter who, in the name of the Church, make arbitrary laws for his own worldly advancement and gain.

The captain of the train furnished us the following particulars of their movements:

JOSEPHITE EMIGRANT TRAIN,
Cheyenne, July 8, 1868.

EDITOR LEADER: Be kind enough to say in our behalf that we arrived here safe this evening. Our company is from Malad Valley, Idaho, and Utah, having been on the road since the 23d of may. No stock lost, no Indian difficulties; our health is good at present; one child died at 1 p. m., to-day—the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Morgan, aged seven years.

We are often asked where we are from, and where we are going; in answer to which questions please say for us, we are from the land of Brigham's oppression, and that we are seeking homes where we may enjoy civil and religious liberty. We have long expended our time and labor, and exhausted our energies in enriching the so called President of the Mormon church, and have at length determined to leave that fountain head of falsehood, and endeavor to establish homes where our earnings may be applied to making ourselves and our families comfortable, and providing our children with liberal educations. Believing Brigham Young to be wrong, and having faith in the good results of our honest convictions and purposes, we left Deseret, and now find ourselves in a land of equal civil and religious liberty.

WM. WOODHEAD,
Capt. Of Train of Josephites.

P. S.—Deseret News and Salt Lake Telegraph please copy. W. W.