To my well beloved Brother and fellow prisoner <Prest> Joseph Smith president of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, Greetings,

We <I> take this opportunity of giving you an abridged history of my transactions together with Bro. H. C. Kimball my fellow traveller. We left Nauvoo the 21st day of May amidst the acclamations of three cheers from the shore [“]Joseph Smith the next President of the United States.[“] We passed smo[o]thly down the River[;] there being 165 Passengers on board the Boat “Osprey.” I was called upon to deliver a political address, and to show what right he [Joseph Smith] had to the Presidential Chair which I did to the [illegible] entire satisfaction of nearly all the passenge[r]s on board, not forgetting at the same time to show that the other candidates had disqualified themselves to all the right and title by acts of pure meanness: Whilst speaking of their <mean> acts of meaness I was frequently interrupted with loud laughing and clapping of hands, by way of approbation. A vote being taken on the Presidential question and Joseph Smith received a large majority over all the other candidates. We reached St Louis on the 22nd in the morning at 10 Oclock.