May 8 - 11 o'clock, the ship B. S. Kimball was towed out from the harbor to Gluckstadt, where it cast anchor. The brethren and sisters amused themselves on deck with dance and games in the evening. The vessel lay at anchor while the captain was in Hamburg. I was chosen president of the 7th district. There were eight.

May 9 - The vessel lay at anchor.

May 10 - [-] o'clock the vessel went to sea, towed by a steamboat. Later the steamer released the vessel and it sailed with a rather good wind out in the North Sea.

May 11 - Johanna poorly; even I was not able to retain my coffee this morning. There was considerable motion of the vessel and most of the Saints were seasick. I did not experience any seasickness. I had a good appetite but Johanna could not eat anything - could not retain what she did eat.

May 12 - Moderately strong wind. Our health the same as before.

May 13 - The vessel traveled north of Scotland. A child died and was buried in the North Sea. Our health the same. A meeting below decks.

Sunday, May 14 - Johanna better. Each and every one on deck - Meeting. Six persons confirmed. Among the people some sickness such as constipation and vomiting. We had fair wind; the ship proceeded with good speed.

May 15 - The ship went in a northerly direction. It was cold. My health was good but Johanna was poor. Peace on board.

May 16 - The ship traveled westward -Strong wind, -Much movement, many sick. A child of the German families fell through the hatch two stories to the bottom and injured her face so that it bled. I carried her up and the [p.3] brothers and sisters washed her. I aired the bedclothes. Johanna quite ill. The vessel sailed in a southerly direction.

May 17 - Calm weather. The vessel sailed westward. Saints all on deck. The vessel reeked of tar and juniper berries. The Saints amused themselves with games and dancing. Johanna better. I well. Great happiness and peace among the Saints and the crew of the vessel.

May 18 - I stayed watch. It began to blow strongly. By ten a.m. there was a real storm. It was remarkable to see how the great ship was thrown about by the waves, sometimes high in the air and then diving to all appearances down to the depths. The waves were large as mountains and it was a solemn sight to see how the ocean was disturbed. There was literally music in the masts and rigging as a result of the strong wind. They cracked and screamed the whole time. A steady roar and creaking all over. I had wished many times to see this sight, now I was permitted to see it. I thought the vessel would capsize. While it lay nearly on it's side the water came up on the deck and at times no one could stand on the deck without holding to the handholes at the rails and no one could sleep. Below in the ship, the bottles and pots and pans fell over each other. The beds broke to pieces so the people could not lie in them. Johanna was anxious. I would not lie down but wished to see this and the other world's, namely the sea's, performance. I finally went at her wish and laid down but could not sleep.

May 19 - The storm continued with unabated strength. One could see now that nearly all the sails were furled. The vessel was driven northward and went slowly forward. Johanna was ill but I was well. The night came, the storm increased, the vessel was severely shaken and cast about like a ball. Only a few could sleep.

May 20 - The storm abated. Our health as before. This week a small child died and was buried. Today we saw a Norwegian ship on its way to Quebec.

May 21, (Sunday) - Beautiful weather. All on deck. Meeting for a while. Brothers [Anders W.] Winberg and [John Swenson] spoke encouragingly and comfortingly. It was [p.4] cold in the evening. Johanna was not well.

May 22 - Johanna was better; nice weather; dancing and music on the deck.

May 23 - Cloudy and windy with rain. Good wind in the evening. Johanna better.

May 24 - Nice weather, sunshine and rain. The ship sailed rapidly. Johanna better.

May 25 - Prayer meeting with the 2nd district. A child was buried. The ship sailed well.

May 26 - Excellent wind. A baby was born between the 25th and 26th to a sister from Dalarna. A child of two years died in our district; it was ill when it came aboard. This week an elderly lady in the German families died. Johanna was better.

May 27 - Northeasterly wind. We had a large ship in sight which sailed westward. Johanna was well, also I. At two a.m. I was head of the watch. At six o'clock each morning I went about and gave all the sick of our emigrants medications of syrup and sulfur, etc. Many were tormented with diarrhea. The ship had good speed.

May 28 - Sunday - On the watch four hours, lay awhile during the forenoon. Visited the meeting on deck afternoon; spoke awhile. Johanna and I were well. In the evening the ship which we had seen for a couple of days approached us. The captains talked to each other. The ship was from Bremen and was en route to New York with 500 emigrants. A child died and was buried. It belonged to the Saints from Dalarna. A council meeting in the evening.

May 29 - Good wind. I helped Brother M. [Marten] Olsson who had been sick for eight days. He was powerless in the arms and legs. Johanna well, also I. The ship sailed parallel to ours.

May 30 - Good wind. We saw an iceberg. One more since. Two Danish children died.

May 31 - Good wind. A sister 64 years old and a child died. They were from Denmark. Johanna and I were well. Two threatening hurricanes were [p.5] noticed. In the evening there was a fog so that it was necessary for the bell to ring and horn to blow to prevent our sailing into fishing boats off the Newfoundland banks. Two icebergs were seen. We saw and heard two large fishing boats.

June 1 - Good wind.

June 2 - Rather clear weather, strong wind. The waves washed over the deck. Some fishing vessels were seen. Two German children died. Johanna unwell.

June 3 - Good wind. A 29 year old sister and two children died; they were Danish. Johanna same as yesterday.

June 4 - I stood watch during the night between Saturday and Sunday. Went and distributed medicines to all the sick on both decks. A Swedish and a Danish child died. Johanna was better and was on deck. Two meetings were held, since the weather permitted it, on Pentecost Sunday.

June 5 - No wind during the morning; later in the day we met an American ship from New York, a boat was rowed out by four men, of which the first was the pilot, in order to obtain news of America from the captain of the other ship. He returned with some newspapers wherein one learned that the president of the Southern states, Jefferson Davis, was a prisoner, that the war had ceased and the Union was restored, etc. In the afternoon Brothers [Anders W.] Winberg and [John Swensson] Svenson spoke and called on the Saints to "hurrah" as follows: Winberg: for the American Constitution; Swensson: for the reunion in Utah, and Captain Dearborn; three hurrahs for each. Two children in Stockholm Conference died and were buried. Johanna and I well. Every day I had the occupation of giving soup to the sick. In the evening excellent wind.

June 6 - Good wind. 25 sails up. Johanna and I well. Most of the Saints on deck. We saw a multitude of "spring fish". Beautiful moonshine in the evening.

June 7 - Nice weather, poor wind. Prayer meeting in the evening. All well. A German child died. [p.6]

June 8 - Fog all day; signaling with bell and horn. I fairly well.

June 9 - Weather the same. A Danish and a Swedish child died. Also a wife from Dalarna, she who gave birth to the child. We observed an American fisher who gave recognition by blowing of horn. Nine large seabirds were seen, also another fisher out to which the pilot rode and talked with him, bought some large fish. The fog increased.

June 10 - Drizzle all day. Ringing [PROBABLY MEANING, Raining] and blowing. Johanna and I well.

June 11 - I stood watch from 2 to 6 a.m. The child born on board died, also two others, and a German child. Rain in the morning. Sunshine during the day.

June 12 - The ship sailed slowly westward.

June 13 - Likewise. We saw land. America a glorious land!

June 14 - Our German company disembarked from the B. S. Kimball. We were well. The captain and his company went ashore. New York was the most beautiful we have seen. A Danish child died.

June 15 - We prepared to go ashore. We had great work. Two children died; they were Swedish. We were all taken to Castle Garden where a Danish child died. Six p.m., we left for Albany to which place we came via railroad the following day at 6 a.m., June 16th - we crossed the river on a ferry and continued our journey via railroad to Rome and Syracuse. We slept in the cars at night.

June 17 - Passed Palmyra in the morning and several saw Cumorah. Arrived in Rochester. Several waterfalls and generally a pretty place. The whole time we passed large boats and a long canal. We came to the Suspension Bridge. At 2 p.m. we saw it and the Niagara waterfall, under which I, in company with a few brethren, went. Their paper money was valued at no more than half it's worth. One Danish and one German child died.

June 18 - We passed through several towns and arrived at Detroit. In Canada the railway cars were very bad, but now we were able to travel again in the United States remarkably beautiful and well-built cars. We saw uncountable [p.7] glowworms on fields and in trees.

June 19 - We arrived in New Buffalo in the morning and went through Michigan City. Arrived in Chicago at one p.m.

June 20 - We arrived in Quincy where we crossed the Mississippi River and lay there on a plain, where the first watch was organized and the first harbors built, where the Saints stayed. I was chief of the Fifth Company; there were nine altogether. We had fine weather all night and slept fairly well in the bowers. I on watch.

June 21 - During the morning it started to rain considerably so that the Saints were wetted; later in the day the weather became nice. I stood watch with eleven men for two hours, cut leaves, and repaired the bowery. During the night it began raining with terrible lightenings and steady peeling of thunder. We became very wet since the water came between the leaves. A man from Norway cried out from fright during the night. We slept fairly well.

June 22 - Beautiful weather. We traveled westward on a very bad railroad; I thought the cars would jump the rails. After a couple days travel we arrived at St. Joseph, where we, in company with a multitude of soldiers, were transported by steamboat on the Missouri River to Nebraska and Wyoming, where we arrived the afternoon of the 26th of June. It started to rain in the evening; we could not sleep as the water blew in through the bowers and we were quite cold.

June 27 - We dried our clothes by the fire, moved our huts in line, built "locomo" [UNCLEAR] etc.

June 28 - I was released from arranging the camp and was sent to weigh and portion out food stuffs from the church supply to the Scandinavian Saints.

June 29 - Weighed out provisions, etc.

June 30 - Moved our baggage to the dwelling house. I had occupation in the brethren's grocery for about fourteen days. Johanna stayed a few days with a Captain D. Anderson with whom a sister, Joanna Rundberg, served. At this time I received thirty dollars from a man which I was to give to N. [p.8] Boarkersson at Fort Ephraim, San Pete County, for a cow which the latter lost in Wyoming.

July 9-10 - Nearly all week Johanna was unwell, troubled with diarrhea.

July 13 - I went to Nebraska City and visited a Sister Catherine from Sweden.

July 14 - I saw several Indians who came to our camp. They begged for clothes, etc. They looked wild and wicked; they had ugly women.

July 15 - Wrote letters to Sweden to my brother Carl, etc. We waited for wagons which came the last of the month. I chose one which I helped put together. I, with my wife had half of it, and a Sister E. [-] the other half.

July 30 & 31 - Packed the wagons with our goods, etc.

Aug.1 - We started on our way...[p.9] [NO MENTION OF SALT LAKE CITY ARRIVAL DATE]

BIB: Holmgren, Per Olof. Diary, pp. 3-9. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)