. . . no sooner closed than the workman who had been listening attentively gave a hearty three cheers for young Brigham and that was the name I went by till I left the shores of England; and took passage on the John J. Boyd (a sailing vessel) on my way to Utah April 30th 1863. The following ideas journal by inquiring was written on board the ship, and my first attempt at poetry.

The quiver played on the lip of pride
as we parted by the railway side.
Swiftly from your view we went
To cross the seas in our assent.
Then on the prairie pitched our tent
As through the wilderness we went
The Rocky canyons we passed through
Then Salt Lake City came in view
And joy from soul to soul did flow
As we viewed the landscape area
Here is light and here is love
Here is blessings from above
Here is peace and unity
The gospel in simplicity.

We had beautiful weather crossing the ocean. Sighted the "Great Eastern" and passed very close to an iceberg floating about six hundred feet above water. Mrs. Polks being seasick asked me to make rice pudding. I done yet being so it was like the widows [--]. [p.5]

Began to rise and after taking out more than I had in the [-] was this full. After 30 days voyage we were delighted with the beautiful scenery as we neared Castle Garden, New York. I was forcibly struck by the contrast between the English and American soldiers seeing many of the latter when passing through the States from New York to Omaha. Reaching Florence June 12 we left Florence with an ox train under Captain McCarter, and I walked all the way to Salt Lake City about one thousand miles driving a cow and carrying a gun most of the time. . . . [p.6]

. . . We arrived in Salt Lake Valley one beautiful evening Saturday Oct. 3 [1863.] . . . . [p.7]

BIB: Paxton, James Mill. Autobiography. (Special Collections & Manuscripts, Ms 949), pp. 5- 7 (Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)
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