Saints by Sea. . . 5 [Jan. 1852.] Left Newcastle for Liverpool on my journey home to the Salt Lake Valley. The distance is 180. The cost of the same is 13 shillings. Stay all night at a public house in Liverpool. Went to see Brother Richards. Seen many of the brethren.
6. Paid the balance of my passage money to New Orleans was which 3.5.0. Sent a letter to New Castle got William Patterson a berth on the ship. The ship still at a temperance hotel in Liverpool.
7. Got aboard of the Kennebec. Brother F. [Franklin] D. Richards appointed me to [-] [p. 9] take the presidency over the Saints to St. Louis. The number 333.
8. Preparing to start. The winds to tug.
9. Brother Smith's child died, was taken home.
10. The ship left the dock at 2 o'clock.
11. Weather. Brother Davis child died. [p. 10] Thrown in the sea about 12 o'clock. Head wind.
13. William Patterson & Susanna Hedley married.
14. One birth.
15. Captain Moss & my cousins married. Rough weather.
16. Hail & storm & tempest.
17. Birth, hurricane.
18. High winds, lost the topmast slit part the sails. [p. 11] Many sick.
19. Cookhouses washed down by the heavy seas.
20. Still windy & rather ahead.
21. More favorable.
22. The same.
23. More favorable.
24. Getting into a warmer climate.
25. Light breeze.
26. The same.
27. Calm.
28. The same.
29. The same.
30. The same, a child buried in the sea.
31. Moderate winds near the West India Islands. [p. 12]
February the 1. Passed St. Mary's Island, plain to be seen. Sunday had preaching aboard the ship with Captain Smith's permission. Good sailing breeze.
2. Showers, calm in morning.
3. Pleasant sailing, breeze. 2000 miles from Liverpool.
4. Good wind going very well, some sick yet a child scalded.
5. Fair wind, half way to New Orleans. Took dinner with the captain.
6. Good sailing breeze. [p. 13]
7. Fair wind, going from 8 to 10 knots per hour. Took dinner with the captain.
8. Sunday the same. Meeting at 2 o'clock Elder [William C.] Dunbar preached.
9. Moderate wind.
10. The same. Warm, the wind not so hard.
11. Light breeze, fair. Going at the rate of 4 miles per hour.
12. Good wind, took dinner with the Captain Smith. 2000 miles from New Orleans, 4000 from Liverpool.
13. Good wind, pleasant weather. Thermometer stands at 80. Took tea with the captain. [p. 14]
14. An Irishman emigrant fell overboard. They lowered the boat and saved him. Good wind there is about 85 Irish emigrants aboard, also 333 Saints.
15. Calm weather, light Breeze in the evening. Sunday, preaching in the afternoon, sacrament meeting at night.
16. Calm Brother Shives [John P. Scheib] child died. Took dinner with the captain, he gave me a bottle of port wine for Sister Granger [Jane Grainger]. [p. 15]
17. A gentle breeze, very warm. Thermometer 85 latitude 21. Not far to St. Domingo.
18. Fair wind.
19. The same.
20. The same came to St. Domingo. Can see the mountains very plain. One very high, one a burning going about 15 miles from shore.
21. Sailed in sight of the shore. In morning came in sight of Cuba. Lost sight of St. Domingo sailed from yesterday, made 200 miles today [p. 16] going about 10 knots per hour. Wind fair the mountains height on Cuba shore.
22. Catched [caught] a dolphin. Fair wind.
22. Sunday. Light breeze, had preaching on deck at 9. Sister Jane Granger [Grainger] died 10 o'clock at night. Buried at past 2 at night.
23. Calm, still in sight of Cuba & Jamaica.
24. Calm.
25. Light breeze, a child died. Took dinner with the captain. [p. 17]
26. Light breeze. Catches [caught] fish, called barracuda. Weighed 34 pounds.
27. Good wind from the southeast, going 6 miles per hour. Passed the Isle of Pines on Cuba.
28. Wind increasing going 10 miles per hour.
29. Light wind, took tea with the captain.
Mar. 1. Light wind.
2. The same. Took dinner with the [p. 18] captain [-]. Brother [Robert] McMichael's child died.
3. Near the Mississippi. Anchored about 7 o'clock to wait for the tow boat. After a journey of 6000 miles.
4. The steamer "Porpoise" towed [-] the bar. The "Hercules" fastened to her on one side. The [-] on the other. The [- -] 17 feet [-] only being 12 feet on the bar. [p. 19]
5. We stuck in the mud still fast on the bar. The steamers left us for the night.
6. Still foggy 12 feet water. The ship drawing 17 feet.
7. My birthday. The steamer tried us again but to no effect.
8. Tried again, left us. The captain said he could not go over soon. Still at anchor. Nothing but [p.20] oatmeal & rice to eat. Sister [Ann] Tate had a child born. Passed the custom house office, in count us complaining & say they are starving [-] on the bar.
10. The same. The captain proposed to get us taken to New Orleans on a tow boat if I would pay the half it cost which was 2.50 dollars. I refused & offered him 1.00. He did not take me up [p. 21] at my offer.
11. 2 steamers tried us again. Could not get off. Sister [-] had a child in the night.
12. The captain sent us up on the "Hercules." She towed a brig.
13. Arrived at New Orleans. We was put out on a whale boat. Met a Mr. Cook on [-] at the lower part of the city that assisted me in getting a steamboat to St. Louis and [p. 22] bought provisions for the company of 62 persons under my charge. Got a passage on "The Pride of the West" to St. Louis. She came down & took us aboard. Left on the [-].
14. Sunday. Few stayed at New Orleans. Brother Corbridge's girl [Ellen fell overboard and was drowned in New Orleans. [p. 23]
15. Joice [Joyce] Walter [Walton] died over 70 years of age.
16. She was buried on the banks of the Mississippi about 30 miles below Red River Louisiana, at a wood yard. Lay by part of the night for storm & drift wood.
17. Still rainy Sister Hodges [POSSIBLY Hodgett] had a son.
18. Sister Snowdens [Sneddon] boy fell overboard, & was drowned, age 16 years. Brother [p. 24] James child died in the night.
19. Going slowly, buried it at a woodyard about 20 above Lake Providence. Wilsons Woodyard, Louisiana. Brother Murdock's child died in the night.
20. Buried at a woodyard about 12 miles above Columbia, Arkansas State.
21. Sunday half way.
22. At Memphis.
23. Bought 3 barrels of crackers at 3 dollars. [p. 25] A number have the dysentery.
24. Passed [- - -].
25. Going in slowly.
26. Passed the Quarantine. Sister Harwood died. Arrived at St. Louis 13 days passage.
27. Got off the steamer. I stopped at [- -] St. Louis attended a council meeting at President [-]. Spoke in meeting give up my charge of emigrants to Brother Smoot. [p.26]
28. Sunday, sick.
29. Little better.
30. About 100 brethren went up to Kanesville up on the steamer "Saluda." Brother [-] went.
31. Sent a letter to New Orleans to Mr. [-].
April 1. 32 Bought a little wagon & chair the cost 30 dollars
April the 2. Preparing my wagon. [p. 27]
3. Sick Shopping with John [-] from North [-].
4. Buying such things as needful for the journey. Visiting my friend in St. Louis.
5. The same.
6. The same.
7. The same.
8. The same.
9. Intelligence came the steamer "Saluda" was blown [p. 28] up at Lexington Landing & most all killed aboard & the boat sunk. There was about 700 Saints on her at the time. Recieved 34 pounds from Sister [Jane] Yates to buy cattle. She & a number more [p. 29] started to go on to Kanesville on the Ben West. She was loaded very deep. She had chiefly gold hunting.
10, 11, 12. Preparing to go up the Missouri.
13. Got on the "Delaware" steamer. [p. 30]
14. Lay at the wharf.
15. Started in company with Brother [John] Pack & Spiers & about 30 more Saints & about 400 gold seekers with about 40 wagons & about the same number of horses & mules.
16. Turned into the Missouri River.
17. [p. 31] A horse got his leg broke they throwed him over board. A man fell off the boat and was drowned.
18. [p .32] Landed at St. Joseph bought 2 yoke of oxen at 95 dollars. Started on Sunday the 23 traveled to Halt County bought a yoke of oxen 65 dollars bought another yoke on the 4 of May at 42 dollars.
5. Stopped at [-]ville 20 miles from Kanesville.
6. Many bought 1 bushels meal.
7. Arrived at Kanesville. . . . [p. 33]
13. [AUGUST] 12 miles arrived in the city of the Great Salt Lake & embraced my family once more. . . . [p. 54]
BIB: Higbee, John Sommers. Reminiscences and diaries. (Ms 1742), vol. 5. Acc #25893, pp. 9-33, 54. (CHL)
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