. . . I remained in Warrington until September 5th, 1849 when I, together with my wife and my brother, John, emigrated to America, sailing from Liverpool on that date in the ship Berlin.

My wife at this time became very sick. The doctor gave very little hope of her recovery, giving her only 10 days to live. I assisted her every day to come up on deck for a time which did her much good.

During the voyage cholera broke out on board, forty three persons dying from its effects and were buried in the sea. I assisted a great deal to attend the sick and also to bury those that died. I did not myself feel any effects of it. Neither did my wife which was somewhat [p.3] remarkable owing to her delicate state of health, but my brother took it. However, with good attention and strong perseverance, with a vigorous application of cayenne pepper, both inside and out, of which I fortunately had some 4 pounds, I succeeded in arresting the disease and he ultimately recovered.

We experienced some rough weather at sea being also once becalmed, for three weeks, but on the whole our voyage was a fairly good one and after the expiration of forty five days from he date of sailing, we arrived safely in New Orleans on the 20th of October. My wife's health was much improved.

Soon after we landed I succeeded in obtaining work at a trade of carpenter, receiving three shillings per day cash. I could not help from comparing this with its equivalent with English shillings and I was struck with the comparison received at the rate of twelve instead of three shillings per day. I thought at this rate I should not be long in getting rich. Provisions also were very cheap.

A short time after this I, with a person named James Stevens, commenced to manufacture cisterns for rainwater tanks, it being used for culinary purposes, no other water being obtainable except the muddy water of the Mississippi River.

In April of 1850 I left New Orleans for St. Louis, journeying up the Mississippi River in a steamboat and arriving in a few days. Upon my arrival I rented a small store, corner of Sixth and Washington Avenue where my wife opened a notion and dry goods business and I obtained a good situation at Mr. Dowdell's Foundry as head pattern maker. [p.4]

On the 3rd of April, 1852 I was ordained to the office of elder by Thomas Rigley, president of the St. Louis Branch and in this same year my brother, William, in company with the Needham family, arrived in St. Louis. He afterwards married Miss Sofia Needham, and on April 8th of the following year 1853 my mother and stepfather, John Evans, arrived bringing with them my brother, James, who was then in his eighteenth year. They sailed from England February 14th.

Shortly after their arrival my brother, John, who had obtained a situation on board a steamboat running from St. Louis to New Orleans on one of her downward trips, accidentally fell overboard and was drowned. His body never was recovered.

Having in the spring of 1855 decided to leave St. Louis for Salt Lake City, I spoke to my employer, Mr. Dowdell, with reference to my giving up my situation with him for that purpose, but he used every inducement to persuade me not to do so and wished me to remain with him. He would sit for hours by my bench talking to me upon the subject, telling me he felt sure the Mormons were deluded and misguided in their beliefs. However, when he found my decision to go was firm, he said that should I ever repent my action and would like to return to let him know and he would send me the money to do so which was certainly a very kind act on his part and which I could fully appreciate.

. . . I started on my journey in May for Salt Lake City, Utah, taking a passage for myself and wife on board a steamboat to Atchison, landing there in a few days. This was one of the first boats that had landed there. I halted here for two or three weeks in order to purchase a wagon and cattle for the rest of my journey which I made in the Independent Company then starting under command of Captain [p.5] John Hindley . . . . . .

. . . After a journey of between four and five months, we arrived in Salt Lake City about the middle of September. . . . [p.6]

BIB: Dinwoodey, Henry. Autobiographical sketch (Ms 12094), pp. 3-6. (CHL)
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