. . . At noon April 6, 1862 Brother Pehr Nilsson came and told us that we were to be in Malmö the next morning at 7 to go on board a ship to Copenhagen and then continue to Zion. I had previously talked to a farmer to drive us to Malmö. He was a neighbor of Nils Anders, where we now lived. The short notice caused us to be very busy to lead our things we had and be on our way for we had no more time than we needed to go the 25 miles to Malmö.

At sunset we bid farewell to our brother-in-law Nils Andersson and Parnila with the thought never to see each other again, for their faith in Mormonism was very weak for they were more against than for it. Parnila judged us very hard for she said she was sure that our sick little daughter wouldn't reach our destination. But we went in the comfort and faith in the Lord who guides everything. And a few days after our farewell our daughter was well again.

In Malmö in time we went down to the bridge to wait for the ship which was out on a short testing run. During that time I went uptown fixing a few necessary things and many people gathered at the bridge for curiosity to look at these damned Mormons leaving their land of birth. Here my wife and children had to listen to the most rotten language that can be uttered by a person with her right mind. It did not take me long before I was back but then these people had quit their foul language for then there were many Mormon families down at the port. Some to go to Zion and some to help.

About 9 o'clock the ship was back and in a short while all those who would to Zion were on board. The whistle sounded and in the same moment the paddle started to move. Thus farewell to our native country and to our friends. About 3 o'clock we were on shore again in Copenhagen and here our company increased with Danish Mormons and we Swedes had to change ship to another large ship which would take us to Kiel. We were soon ready to continue our trip.

Towards evening my wife, with our 10 weeks old child on her lap, tired and sleepy of last night's journey from Billegerga to Malmö, wanted to go to sleep as soon as possible. This ship was not built for passengers and as such it had no accommodations for us emigrants. Some women and children were shown below deck and nothing else could be found than making their beds of barrels, which was not too pleasant for these women, most of whom I am sure were used to good beds.

This was not the only unpleasant thing, but our baby became sick and cried all night, so we lost that night's sleep and rest. I and my two eldest sons took our resting place on a big chain rolled together in circles. My two sons rested well on it while I had to share my wife's discomfort with our baby's cries. This was the second might we had no sleep or rest, but towards morning the child became quiet.

Soon we were in Kiel very thankful to the Lord for his protection during our journey on the narrow path we had started out on. The sea was calm as a crystal sea during our voyage from Malmö to Kiel. Here we took our things onshore and were soon loaded on a railway.

Here the Mormons increased again so we were 300 people. Soon we were ready to leave and the iron horse started to breathe heavily and we were on our way in a south westerly direction towards Hamburg. Thus we had reached Hamburg in two days. Here we were transported in some flat boats out to a sail ship that would take us to New York. It was late in the evening before we all were on board. We were 500 persons who emigrated to America, 200 non-Mormons. [p.39]

When all were on board we were shown our berths, we were to be two in each and as fast as we could we fixed them to get a nights good rest which we got, as the ship did not move during the night. The next morning we sailed down the river, put out the anchor, took in water for the voyage over the Atlantic. The next day, April 10, all sails were up and also the anchor and hurrah for New York with Humboldt. After one day we were told to fasten everything very well to walls, etc. We had hardly finished it when the ship started to roll quite hard and it was very difficult for most of our as we had never been on the sea before. We could hardly reach our beds to lie down in. The one who has never been on the sea can never imagine how it is in hard wind. They threw up till the stomach was empty and then it went the other way. After a couple of hours it was over but it took us a couple of days to get everything in shape again, and most of us very feeling fine. A Danish brother by the name of Hanssen, who had been on a mission in Denmark and now was released to go home to Zion again, which was located at "Plain City, Weber County, Utah" was our president or leader from Hamburg to Florence (which was located some way north from Omaha).

Now Hanssen split our company into four groups and put an elder in charge of each to see to it that no contention would arise and also to call the members together morning and evening to pray. The elder was also in charge of the sick to help them. A few were sick till death. It was a terrible thing for the parents to see their small children be lowered into the wet grave to be swallowed up be different animals. We had a satisfying voyage to New York despite these small things and others not worth mentioning.

We had good food and enough water even though it became stale before we reached shore. When winds and waves allowed, the young had their dances and games on the upper deck but sometimes a storm came very suddenly and the waves went over the boat. At one of these occasions my wife was on deck with our son Nils, 6, and washed him, when the wave went over them and tore Nils from his mother, but she grabbed something to hold on to at once and was not in the same danger as our son Nils to be thrown from one side to the other under danger of being crippled. But thanks be to the Lord for the good crew we had on board this ship, Alexander Humboldt. [COMPLETE NAME OF SHIP] When the mother cried for help a sailor came and saved him. From this time I was sick but not in bed.

When our own rye bread which we brought from our home was gone for we would supply our own food till we reached the ship Humboldt, then I could not eat the bread they offered us and therefore I was sick all the way, but my family could eat and drink everything and felt well. When we began to come close to New York our president pretended to be poor and asked the Saints (Mormons) for contributions, so he could buy clothing when we arrived in New York. I gave him 2 dollars.

The 2nd of June we landed in New York and felt very happy to feel land under our feet so we could walk around as sober people.

On the 4th we took the train and after many changes we arrived at St. Joseph. There we went on board a steamer and sailed for three days on Missouri River up to what was then called Florence.

On June 11 we landed at Florence where we stayed in six weeks waiting for the ox train that would come from Zion to take us to our destination Zion (Utah Territory).

While we were in Florence I realized that Brother Hanssen's character was different than on the ship. In our Sunday meetings they preached very strongly that we would pay what money we had to go with the Church train, if somebody kept more than was necessary to go over the [p.40] plains they would feel pain and ache in their legs. It was likened unto Ananias and his wife who kept part of the money when they wanted to join the Apostles of Jesus.

It was hard to listen to these sermons and our faith was tried in this and other things. Because of my faith in the gospel and our leader (Hanssen) I obeyed his and the other leader's admonitions and paid 50 dollars on my debt for the journey across the plains. This money I paid to Hanssen. While we camped at Florence some of the emigrants were making tents to be used by those emigrants that would go with the Church train and we worked hard to house all in the company, about 500.

While we worked on the tents Hanssen was very busy buying up cows, oxen and wagons to some well-to-do (even some of his own country men who did not pay one cent for their trip across the plains) families who should cross the plains on their own. That meant nothing but cows to his not-so-well-to-do countrymen in the Church train.

One day it happened that Hanssen and one of his fellow brethren in the gospel were looking in his accounting book about something. I happened to pass them and glance at the book where I saw the figure 37 at my name which caused me to stop and look at something else so I would not disturb them. When they were through I went over to Hanssen and asked him what was meant by 37 at my name. He could not answer to my satisfactions saying it was something that I had paid for my journey across the plains. After some unpleasant words between I showed him it should have been 50 instead of 37.

When I had showed he made his excuses saying he did not know how he made the mistake. Before we finished I asked him to go with me to Joseph Young, who was the emigration agent and who would receive the money that was collected for our journey. He would not. He promised to pay what was lacking and I received them before we left Florence.

These things were hard for us to understand and were a trial to see our leading men do that and I had given him 2 dollars, when we were on board Humboldt. The day we were ready to leave Florence, Hanssen had bought two pair of oxen and a wagon and paid with different merchandise. Now he was not poor anymore as he as when he left Humboldt.

We were from 12 to 14 persons in each wagon and thus we could not bring along much, no boxes or chests. We had to empty our bed pillows and mattresses and much of our clothing we had to leave there for we had only 2 sacks and pack all our things in. This was a trial too, to see these things left behind and hot get anything fro them. We understand that there were many things trying to stop us from walking on the narrow road.

On July 24 we started the long ox train over hundreds of miles of plains and dangers of being lost in the streams. . . [p.41]

. . . Saturday September 27 we landed in Salt Lake City. Al our things were unloaded and we tented and put our small belongings into the tent and pondered where we would find a home for the coming winter. Our food was gone, only a few pieces of bread left. Now we saw how our friends on the journey nearly all were taken care of by friends and relatives. Then farewell to us and off in different directions in "Teretoriet" to their destinations. . . [p.42]

BIB: Lofgreen, Anders Persson. Autobiography 1991. (Ms 12901), pp. 39-42; Acc. #202094. (CHL) (source abbreviations)