Polk County Oregon April 17-1854

Dear Children

I avail myself of the only means which I have of informing you that we
are still in the land of the living and have nothing more to complain of
than what is insident to persons of our age we are quite well, but are
still going down the steep of old age with as much speed as the wheels
of time can role us on we recieved your letters of the first and ninth of
Feb lost the former containing a draft for Isaac and the latter containing
a draft to me, Thomas H. Hutchinson Also recieved his draft; we was
much pleased to hear from you all once more in time but more
particularly to hear that you was enjoyin usual health with the exception
of coulds, You stated in your letter that you had sold Eighty acres of
timbered land for four thousand dollars, I am well satisfied with what
you have done, You Also wished to naw whither I wanted any more
timber sold, I think it might be best to sell no more at present, for it
may be that Thomas may never get back and if he don't I think that
Elizabeth will not be sathsfied to stay here and if she comes I will have
to come with her, but if he gets back I think that I had best have the
place put in as good repair as the rent of the farm will pay for this year
and then sell it and if the purchaser dont want all the timber it can be
sold in small lots and if I sell the old place for a good price I expect to
give each one of my children a part of the proceeds upon such terms as
I will make known to them at the proper time, an in that event you can
have the land that I got of Isaac at what ever any other person will give
and your part of the money for the old place will enable you to pay for it.
I had much rather you should hav it (if you want it) than any other person.
(that is a stranger) You stated in your letter that you was expecting
William every day William wrote to me that he had given out going to
Illinois and had rented a farm be he may have changed his mind. You
wanted me to tell you what arrangements I had made with Wm I believe
that all the arrangement I made with him was that I wrote to him that if he
went back to Ills that he could have the old place, but if I took a notion to
sell that I would assist him in some way. so if I sell I will give him some
money to assist him in buying an other home and as to the renting of the
old place to him I leave it intirely with you and what ever you do will be
sattisfactory to me. you stated in your letter that you would send a draft
in a letter directed to Isaac, if you have sent it at that time it failed to get
here, but probably you sent it subsiquently and it may come hereafter.
You Also said that you ha sent me the Monmouth Review, I have recieved
it and am very much pleased to get it if I still have any funds in Illinois
at your commant send the Review, to Lea, Elizah, Edward, and Isaac
Smith and pay for it with my money and send the receipts to me or them,
I have writen to you by mr Burbanks and if in case any thing should
happen that he never gets thare, I want you to send forty dollars to
Alexander Campbell and direct him to place it to the credit of Amos
Harvey of Plumb valey post office, Polk County Oregon and send me
his receipt Mr. Harvey pays me the money here we have not heard
anything from Thomas H Hutchinson since the 4th of March he was
in tolerable good health then but said he was not very strong for he
had been compelled to live on horse meat which was not the best thing
in the wourld to eat, I have just heard this morning that Capt. Emery of
Yamhill County was killed while out on a scout, though I have not heard
the particulars so I dont know whether they lost any more or not we shall
hear soon we have the most dreadful Indian war in Oregon that ever I
heard off in my life. the Indians are much better armed and mounted
than the whites, and they are eaqually as good marksmen, and from the
situation of the country and the superior knowlede the Indians have of it,
they have greatly the advantage of the whites I will give you a lttle idea of
the country thare is exceeding high mountains in many parts of the country
with what is called canyons between in some places just wide enough for
a stream of water many of which is very deep and runs with greate rapidity,
but in some places thare is narrow bottoms on either side and some times
only on one side and those bottoms are covered with underbrush so thick
that it is impossible for a man ride throug or indeed walk very fast and the
Indians conseals themselves in the bush, and in the white man is aware he
is shot down, and thare is not chance to get through the country except
through those canyons it is very hard matter for the volunteers to get the
Indians where they can get a shoot at them for if they think the whites
has any chance they will scamper off on their fat ponys while our men
are thrashing their poor broken down horses further and further in the
rear, the Indians have killed a greate many more whites than the whites
have killed of them, they cut off the pack reains and steal hundreds of
our mens horses. The whites will ultimalety whip the Indians, but they
will loose many noble fellows first I have writen to you that Isaac had
got home I believe he is not as anxious to go a second campaign as he
was the first, though he only got frost bitten a little and that was not quite
as bad as if he had been wounded or killed. I will write to James by the
next mail and if I find out that William is thare I will write to him, I want
you all to write as often as you can you can make arrangements so that
one can write every month, one write one month and another the next
so we can hear if anythin should happen to any of you, our friends are
all well as far as I know except Eljah he eas complaining some with his
side for the last two or three weeks though he is about and attending to
his busineys I must come to a close farwell for the present

Peter Butler