. . . the voice of the Spirit had said to me, "Go to America," and I felt that now was the time. (If I had stayed another year, I might have spent what little money I had, and would not have been able to go).

I wrote to my sister Harriet, who lived in the town of Birmingham, to write to Liverpool, and let me know when the next ship would sail with the Saints to America. I soon got an answer. The vessel was to sail in about two weeks. I went to work to get ready for that long journey. My sister helped me to get ready and prepared something nice to eat and drink while on board ship. I bad a good-bye to my [p.5] father, brothers, sisters, and friends, and on the 21st day of January, 1845, we left the docks of Liverpool and set sail for America.

In sending my baggage from Birmingham to Liverpool, being inexperienced and never having traveled before, I forgot to get my ticket to receive it at Liverpool. When I got there, I say my freight and was going to take it. They asked for my ticket and I told them I had none. My name was on my boxes. I did not know what to do; the vessel was going to sail next morning. I had no friends, nobody that knew me. They asked me if I had a letter in my pocket with my name on. I happened to have one which I showed to them. They were satisfied and let me take my baggage. I had felt that I would go if I had to leave it. I got it safe to the ship.

I did not know anything about taking a berth. They seemed to be all taken up, so I sat upon a box all night. The next day things were regulated. I shared a berth with another young man. I got along very well for sleeping after that. Brother Amos Fielding, was president over the Saints. There were about three hundred and fifty in number. I soon became acquainted with him and ever after he was a friend to me until the day of his death, which took place thirty-three years after. [HALF PAGE MISSING HERE]

. . .. of Babylon, that we be not partakers of her sins, and that we receive not of her plagues. Then I felt glad that I had left my native country, the place of my childhood, and all its surroundings.

We saw some curious sharks, porpoises, flying fish. They could get out of the water and fly over the ship.

After we had been sailing about five or six weeks, we fell in with a vessel that had been in a great storm. She had lost her masts, and was leaking badly. She had been floating for 21 days. The men had been at the pumps all the time and were tired out. If they had not fell in with us, they would have been lost. They were bound for St. Thomas Island of the West Indies. Our captain picked them up, and they came aboard our ship. There were eight in all, three white men and five blacks. They had a valuable cargo, but they could not save the vessel. They set fire to her and left. We watched her as long as we could see her. She was laden with silk. I thought it a great pity that so much valuable property should be destroyed. The sailors brought some silk shawls and sewing silk on to our vessel, all of which had to be smuggled on account of the insurance. I bought a few silk shawls, giving a few shillings each for them. The black sailors, although they were saved from a watery grave, felt very bad because they were to be landed at New Orleans, and they would have to go to [p.6] prison on account of slavery, as no free blacks were allowed to be there unless they could show their freedom.

Not many days after that occurrence, we came in sight of land. When we got the word, we all rushed on deck to behold land once more. We were very much pleased at the sight as we had not seen land for about six weeks. It was one of the West India Islands. We went through the passage called "The-Hole-In-The-Wall," and it was not long before we were sailing across the Gulf of Mexico. In ten days we got to the mouth of the Mississippi River. A pilot came to meet us and piloted us into the river. A tug boat then took us to New Orleans. I thought I never saw anything so beautiful as the sights going up the river. This was in the beginning of March. Everything looked fresh and green -- the oranges were hanging on the trees. I thought I would very much like to live there.

We arrived at Orleans in about three days. This was the first time I had set my foot on land for about seven or eight weeks. We stayed there one day. I sold some of my shawls and got a good price for them. We met some of our brethren from Nauvoo, who had come to work there through the winter. They did not give a very pleasing account of things at Nauvoo, which discouraged some few of the Saints, and they remained there.

President Fielding chartered a boat to take us to St. Louis, and in a little [SIC] than two weeks we arrived there. I found some few friends that I had known in the old country. They seemed to be doing very well, and wanted me to stay. I told them I did not come with the intention of staying at St. Louis, Nauvoo being my destination, and that I was going there by the help of God. They told me I could make a better living there than at Nauvoo, as it was a very poor place to make money. I told them I did not leave my home and friends with the expectation of making money, but that I had come for the purpose of gathering with the Saints, and was willing to share with them in their poverty. Quite a number of the weak-minded Saints remained there.

We bought some provisions and got on board of a smaller boat. President Amos Fielding and myself were mess-mates. In about four days we landed in Nauvoo, on the 27th day of March, 1845, at 11 o'clock at night. President Young and William Clayton met us at the landing. We got our baggage off the boat and placed it on the landing. President Young placed a guard over it until morning. I had friends in Nauvoo, but I did not know where to find them. Brother Fielding asked me to go with him to Sister Hyrum Smith's. We stayed there that night. . . . [p.7]

BIB: Whitaker, George. Autobiography (Ms 9300), pp. 5-7. (CHL)
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