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Crouch, Ebenezer

Male 1850 - 1942  (91 years)


 

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Ship Information



Mormon Migration Website http://lib.byu.edu/mormonmigration/person.php?id=13655&q=ebenezer%20crouch

Ebenezer CROUCH

Standardized: Ebenezer Crouch

Born: 1851

Origin: England

Occupation: Unknown

Voyage: Liverpool to Boston
25 May 1856 – 30 Jun 1856

Voyage Accounts: Accounts for this voyage

Ship: Horizon

Family Members

Notes: No notes.

Liverpool to Boston

Ship:

Horizon

Departure: 25 May 1856

Arrival: 30 Jun 1856

Church Leader: Edward Martin

# LDS Passengers: 946

Accounts: Jump to accounts

Source:  BMR, pp. 151-188 (FHL #025,691)

Accounts

A Compilation of General Voyage Notes

"DEPARTURES. -- The Ship Horizon, Captain Reed, sailed from Liverpool for Boston, May 25, 1856, with 856 souls of the Saints on board, under the presidency of Elders Edward Martin, Jesse Haven, and George P. Waugh. The following Elders who have held responsible positions in this country, also sailed on this ship -- Elders T. B. Broderick and John Toone from Utah -- the latter retires from his labors on account of ill health -- John Jaques, Robert Holt, Thomas Ord, James Stones, Henry Squires, and Robert Evans were presidents of conferences. . . ." "NINETY-SIXTH COMPANY. -- Horizon, 856 Saints. On the twenty-fifth of May 1856, the ship Horizon, Captain Reed, sailed from Liverpool for Boston, with 856 Saints on board, under the presidency of Elders Edward Martin, Jesse Haven and George P. Waugh. The following elders, who had held responsible positions in the British Mission also sailed in this ship: Thomas B. Broderick and John Toone (both from Utah), John Jaques , Robert Holt, Thomas Ord, James Stones, Henry Squires and Robert Evans. Of the emigrants six hundred and thirty-five were P. [Perpetual] E. [Emigration] Fund emigrants and two hundred and twenty-one ordinary, including seven cabin passengers. Among the number were Samuel Pucell and family who had given the first sixpence to the Mormon elders when they first went to England in 1837. On the thirtieth of June the steamer Huron towed the Horizon to Constitution wharf, at Boston, where the emigrants debarked. They then took cars for Iowa City, crossing the Hudson at Albany and passing through Buffalo on the fourth of July. The company arrived in Iowa City on the eighth of July. (Millennial Star, Vol. XVIII, pages 377, 542, 536, 554)" "Sun 25. [May 1856] -- The ship Horizon sailed from Liverpool with 856 Saints, under the direction of Edward Martin. The company arrived safely at Boston, and reached Iowa City by rail July 8th."

 

Autobiographical Sketch of Josiah Rogerson

. . . My mother, brother William, myself, brothers John Edward, and James, together with my sisters Bridgett and Sarah Anne left my father and our home in Queen Street on Sat. p.m. May 14th or 13th, 1856 and on Monday morning following took the cars for Liverpool arriving there the same day where we remained till the Saturday following when we went on board the ship Horizon, Captain Read. Sailed out to the river Sunday morning and on Monday morning the pilot or tug boat hitched to us leading the ship out to sea leaving us the same afternoon and returning to Liverpool. [p.21]

"Goodbye to England! Soon out upon the vast expanse. The vessel sped along. And many look a parting glance, And sooth their hearts with song."

The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean would admit of detailing many interesting and humorous incidents but I have not space here to write them. Suffice it to say that there were near 1,000 men, women, and children thereon belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, besides some 25 able-bodied seamen, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd mates, steward, etc.

We had a beautiful voyage, at times sailed very fast as our ship was nearly a full clipper and did some fast sailing when the wind was favorable. A few deaths occurred, mostly children. We had plenty of provisions, water, and firing. The captain was a fine man and a gentleman. We were treated well by him and the sailors, and on or about the 30th of June we landed at Morcambe Bay, Boston, Massachusetts, having been some five weeks on the sea and having had no bad weather or storms worth mentioning.

The next day or day following we took the cars for Albany, passing through Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Davenport, Rock Island to Iowa City where we arrived in the morning of July 6th, passing through Buffalo on the 4th. About three miles northwest of Iowa there was a large camp of our brethren and sisters, skirted on the west by the Iowa River and surrounded by hazel bush and young trees. Handcarts were being made here and fitted up as also wagons, tents, wagon covers, yokes, etc., steers and oxen being gentled and everything necessary for a journey of 1,300 miles over the plains being put in readiness. [p.22]

We remained here till the afternoon of the 26th July. Captain Willies Handcart Company, starting out about the 12th or 15th of the month, in advance of our company. . . . [p.23]

. . . From the South Pass, the teams commenced to travel in earnest—early and late making big drives to Big and Little Sandy, Blacks Fork, Hains Fork, Green River and to Bridger; where we must have reached about the 22nd or 23rd of November and Salt Lake City on Sunday morning the 30th 1856. . . . [p.26]

BIB: Rogerson, Josiah. Autobiographical sketch (Ms 3363, #4), pp. 21-23, 26. (CHL)

 

Autobiography of Aaron Jackson

. . . My mother afterward wrote an account of the trip and I will quote at length from her account:

We left Liverpool on the sailing ship Horizon, May 22, 1856. There were 700 persons on board. It took until June 30th, six weeks, to get to Boston. On the way across the Atlantic there was a near panic on board one day when the sailors were working on the sails and an officer gave the order, "hoist higher." An excitable passenger thought the man had yelled, 'fire' and the passengers got panicky.

We reached Iowa City by train, July 8th. We had expected to find our handcarts all ready for us but instead we had to delay two or three weeks to make them. Instead of iron axles they were poorly constructed of wood. The boxes were of leather.

There were two companies organized containing 556 persons, 146 handcarts, seven wagons, six mules and horses, fifty milch cows and beef animals. There was one wagon with goods for the Latter-day Saint church at Salt Lake City. To each of the two companies was apportioned a mule team and two wagons hauled by oxen to carry tents, stores, etc.

On July 15th the company left Iowa City for Florence, Neb., 277 miles away. At Florence the two companies were consolidated. Edward Martin was made captain and Daniel Tyler his aide. On August 25th we broke camp. . . [p. 2]

. . . We reached Salt Lake, Sunday, November 30th. . . . [p. 7]

BIB: Jackson, Aaron [Autobiography], Utah Pioneer Biographies, vol. 15, pp. 2, 7 (FHL)

 

Autobiography of Benjamin Platt

. . . In the latter part of the year 1855 President Brigham Young wrote to Franklin D. Richards then presiding over the British Mission that First [p.1] Presidency had decided to have company of handcarts organized to cross the plains the coming season and that he, Brigham Young, would sell a house and barn and stables if anyone in England would buy them and he would turn the proceeds into the Emigration fund for the benefit of the gathering Saints.

It was thought this would be a little cheaper way of gathering the Saints. I wrote to Brother Richards at Liverpool that I would like to go by this way by handcarts as my money was limited and there was two of us and I had £ 12.10 S or about $60, sixty dollars and if I could not go to Utah I would go to the states. [-] the cost by hand carts was £ 9 or, $45 dollars each so he arranged for us to go by hand carts that is me and my wife. (Written in margin: We were married on the 13th of April 1856 at Oldham church in Lancashire. My wife's name was Mary Craves.) We started on the ship Horizon and set sail on the 25th of May from Liverpool and arrived in Boston Harbor on the 28th of June.

On the 2nd of July we met Orson Pratt and Ezra T. Benson going to England. We took a train at Boston for Albany, New York, crossed the Hudson ,and took train and passed through Rochester and Utica, on to Cleveland and Toledo and Chicago, from there to Rock Island and crossed the Mississippi and on to Iowa City to the end of the track. We stopped here three weeks waiting for the handcarts that where being built here and our time was spent in herding cattle that were to haul our wagons and other stock that were being brought through. We traveled by handcart through Iowa, three hundred miles to the Missouri River, and crossed into Nebraska to old Winter Quarters, called Florence, on a high hill west of the river. (Written in margins: We traveled in Jessie Heaven's [Jesse Haven]. Company through Iowa and came in Edwards Martin's Company from Missouri River to to [SIC] Devils Gate) [p.2]

[In the] streets [were] waiting friends to take care of us and we were taken down to John Olgers, that is me and my wife and Thomas Socles and family and an old lady that came with us named Ann Wrigley. The next day me and my wife were taken down to Zera Pulsiphers, one of the presidents of the seventies. Next night we camped in the tithing yard and next morning the watchman told us that Jedadiah M. Grant died in the night, this was the 2nd of December 1856. . . .[p.5]

BIB: Platt, Benjamin. Reminiscences, (MS4447 item #1), pp. 1-2, 5. (CHL)

 

Autobiography of Ebenezer Crouch

. . . About the year 1854, my parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which, as might be expected, brought down upon their heads the ridicule and scorn of their very religious parents, and were looked upon as being a disgrace to their families.

At that time my father was engaged in the mercantile business for a livelihood and had been very successful, but as soon as it became known that he had joined that hated and despised people known as the Mormons, a great change was soon apparent. His old patrons [p.1] withdrew their patronage and did all they could to injure his business. As a result, he closed down at a great loss, which left him very much reduced in circumstances.

In the spring of 1856, we emigrated to America. We crossed the ocean in a sailing vessel named the Horizon. After about six weeks, we landed in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It had been the intention of my parents to go right through to Utah, but upon our arrival in Boston, their funds were exhausted and they could go no further. We moved into a large tenement house several stories in height right in the heart of the city. The house was occupied principally by families of Irish laborers and a rough set they were. Our family, I think, consisted of seven: mother, father, and five of us children and here we had troubles galore. It was in the heat of summer, we were in the depths of poverty and father out of employment. We were strangers in a strange land without the bare [p.2] necessities of life. Sickness came upon us and within the space of two months, the three youngest children had died. Father was unable to pay the expenses of burial and they were buried by the Municipality of Boston. Mother had the heart-rending experience of seeing strange men enter the house, take the bodies of her dear ones away to where, she never knew. That was the last she saw of them in this life. No funeral sermon, no sympathetic relatives or friends, no flowers, how different with you mothers of today.

In the fall of that year, father was offered employment in a small town called Ashland, twenty four miles from Boston. There we moved and there is where my first recollections commence. What I have written so far is what I learned from my parents. At that time my family consisted of father, mother, and my sister Elizabeth, three years older than myself, and myself.

Father worked in a paper mill and although we were Mormons we were well treated by [p.3] the people of Ashland and I shall always have a warm place in my heart for the Down East Yankees. . . .

. . . We lived in Ashland until the spring of 1859, when we made another start for Utah. We got as far as Florence, Nebraska. This was the place where all the emigrants for the west outfitted for crossing the plains. There could be seen the frontiersman of every type and the Pawnee Indian in all his native glory. It was there we began to get the scent of the wild and woolly west. The place was full of Indians, all armed with the tomahawk and bows and arrows. And they [p.4] surely could shoot true with the latter. I have seen the white man try the Indians skill by putting a dime in a split stick, sticking it in the ground and at a distance of twenty steps Mr. Indian would seldom fail to chip it off the end of the stick and of course the dime would be his reward for his skill.

Father obtained employment with Mr. William Piper, a merchant of that place, as salesman in his store.

In the latter part of the summer a way was opened for us to continue our journey to Utah. Ebenezer R. Young of Salt Lake City was loading and ox train of ten wagons with merchandise for Salt Lake and offered father and mother our passage across the plains . . .[p.5]

. . . After a long tedious journey of one thousand miles we reached Salt Lake City in the latter part of October [1859]. . . .[p.6]

BIB: Crouch, Ebenezer. Autobiography, typescript, pp.1-6. (CHL).

 

Autobiography of Elizabeth White Steward

. . . I was born February 22, 1838, in Bloomsbury Square, London, England.

I am the daughter of William and Mary Anne Syer White. My father died when I was about five years old. I was taught to pray when very young, also to be honest, truthful, and kind.

In 1854 we heard the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was then sixteen years old. My brother Barnard and myself were baptized on the 22nd day of May 1854; my mother, sister Eliza and brother a short time before. We were anxious to emigrate to where we could enjoy our religion more freely. As soon as our circumstances would permit my dear mother made all arrangements for the journey.

We left London on the 22nd of May 1856. Arriving in Liverpool that night and on the 24th day of May sailed on the good ship Horizon, bound for Boston Harbor under the presidency of Edward Martin and Jesse Haven. We had a pleasant voyage with the exception of one storm. We had three deaths and three weddings. We had 856 passengers on board, all of the Mormon faith. We had our meetings on Sundays and sometimes through the week also singing and dancing. Each passenger was allowed so much rations which consisted of hard sailor's biscuits made of very coarse flour, so hard we could scarcely break them, salt pork and beef, rice and split peas. We had a large cookhouse on deck and cooks. We had so much water allowed each person, but it was very poor.

When the sea was calm we could occupy our time in reading, sewing, and taking our walk on deck. Also listening to the sailors singing while they were pumping the water out from the bottom of the ship. They never worked without singing, so they could all pull together. Then it was a grand sight to see the sun go down. We were all thankful when the captain told us we would soon see land. We arrived in Boston Harbor June 20, being just five weeks on the sea. Some of the passengers had to stay to earn means to go the rest of the journey. We then had to travel by train 1500 miles from Boston to Iowa City which was a very unpleasant journey. We were put in cars that had no seats and we had to sit on our trunks and baggage with no room to lie down at night.

When we completed our journey to Iowa City, we were informed that we would have to walk four miles to our camping ground. All felt delighted to have the privilege of a pleasant walk. We all started, about 500 of us, with our bedding. We had not gone far before it began to thunder and lighten and the rain poured. The roads became very muddy and slippery. The day was far advanced and it was late in the evening before we arrived at the camp. We all got very wet. The boys soon got our tent up so we were fixed for the night, although very wet. We camped there until September.

The handcart company started ahead of us. We started on our journey across the plains on the 3rd of September . . . .[p.187]

. . . When we got to the top of the mountain the men took off their hats and we waved our handkerchiefs. They then pointed out Salt Lake City and I could not believe it was for it looked to me like a patch of sage brush covered with snow. I could not believe it until we got nearly to it. We arrived in Salt Lake City just at sundown on the 30th day of November 1856. The last handcart come in on the afternoon of that day. Bishop Hunter came to the wagon. "Well," he said, "Brother Brown, I thought you were to bring the sick and the old folks." He said, "I have." "Well it does not look like it when we look at those girls." He smiled and found the rest under the cover. . . . [p.189]

BIB: Steward, Elizabeth White, Autobiography, IN Barnard White Family Book, ed. By Ruth Johnson and Glen F. Harding (privately printed, 1967) p. 187,89. (CHL)

 

Autobiography of George Harrison

. . . Missionaries of the Mormon faith came to Manchester. Mother and father attended meetings they held in one of the halls. Afterwards they brought the gospel into our house and taught it to us and our neighbors. As a result my parents and a good many of their friends were converted. Finally they and all of us children who were over eight years old were baptized and made members of the new church. They became very unpopular with some of their friends, but were willing to stand the jibes and persecutions for the sake of what they felt was the truth.

The talk then was all about getting to Zion. Three times every Sunday we would go to church. I always knew when the missionaries would be at our home for dinner because mother would always set a large mince pie in the oven for when we arrived home. Oh, it was good after the walk and the long meeting. A great many people joined the church. The question was how to get them to Utah. There were hardly enough teams to carry all the emigrants. Finally, however, it was decided to form handcart companies to cross the plains from the end of the railroad in Iowa to the valleys of the mountains. The plan looked hard, but not impossible, and the people were so eager to get to Zion with the Saints that nothing seemed too difficult. Would not the Lord open the way?

We joined a company made up of 856 Saints, men, women, and children, on the good ship Horizon at the Liverpool Harbor and a Mr. Reed was captain of the vessel. We embarked on this sailing vessel May 25, 1856. For 35 days we were on the ocean having a pleasant trip. We had a meeting frequently and we would often join them in singing so that the time did not seem so long. It was while I was on board this ship that I got my first desire to be a cook. One day I stood watching the ship's cook, a big Mulatto, making pancakes. I became so interested watching him pour out the batter and flip the cakes that I asked him to let my try it. "Sure , enuf, boy!" he said, and I was given my first experience in cooking. At the end of the [p.106] voyage we landed in Boston. After a short stay there, we boarded the train for Iowa. We were on the train for a week and ten days. The cars were so crude and the railroad so rough we were all tired out when we arrived in Iowa City, Iowa. But our difficulties were not over when we reached the end of the railroad. They were only just begun. Thirteen hundred or more miles of journey over the plains and mountains lay before us. We must walk all of this weary way and push or pull our handcarts. Our thoughts were all centered on getting to Zion.

Our handcarts were not ready which caused a delay of three weeks. We were camped on the banks of the Iowa River. While there we had a terrible rain storm which nearly washed us away, the water poured into our tent until we were all drenched. Father and mother had to work hard to keep it from drowning my little baby sister. Finally the day came when we were ordered to pack our bedding and food onto the handcart and take up our march. Some of the leaders advised against our going, but their advice was not followed. Everybody wanted to get to the Valley and go they would at all costs; so off we started with our handcart train stringing along over the old rolling hills of the Iowa trail towards the Rocky Mountain valleys. They journeyed through Iowa to Florence, Nebraska.

In August (25) they made the start across the plains. When at the command of Captain Martin and Tyler our caravan started westward, this refrain of the "Handcart Song" was ringing all along the line: "Some must push and some must pull. As we go marching up the hill, as merrily on our way we go. Until we reach the valley , Oh".

Nearly two hundred carts filled high with food, clothing, bedding and utensils, and a number of ox drawn covered wagons too, were scattered along the caravan. . . . [p.107] [THE MARTIN COMPANY ARRIVED IN SALT LAKE CITY ON NOVEMBER 30, 1856 (CHURCH ALMANAC, 1997-98, p. 172)].

BIB: Harrison, George, [Autobiography], Treasures of Pioneer History, comp. by Kate B. Carter, vol. 2 (Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1953) pp. 106-07. (CHL)

Autobiography of Heber Robert McBride

. . . my father left England to come over to America as him and all the family belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the gathering place for the Saints, being in Utah, North America. Everything we had was sold at auction and it brought a good price. It seemed very hard for Mother to part with her brothers and mother who was getting very old. But as mother was all the one in the family that ever joined the Mormon Church. Well, all things being ready, we took the train and started away from Southport on the 10 day of May 1856 and arrived in Liverpool in a very short time, as it was only about 20 miles from Southport to Liverpool. Father was not long in finding the ship that we was to sail in and I was delighted at the idea of being on the water in such a big ship. It was all fun and [p.5] pleasure for me, but I was in and out and everywhere where I had not ought to be and kept my parents in hot water all the time till we got ready to sail on the 13th day of May. All things was ready and the ship pulled out into the River Mersey and just as we was leaving the harbor the sailors came on board, the officers already being on board.

As the 13th of May was my birthday, I was then 13 years old, and when we got out on the river and cast anchor, the government officers and doctor came on board and everything had to be inspected by the officers and the people by the doctors. And after all things had been restored to order and the officers left, then the sailors and the ship officers got into a quarrel and began to fight. This almost frightened some of the emigrants to death, but the first mate ran into the cabin and came out facing the men that was after him with a pistol in each hand caused them to stop very quick. He told them the first man that moved he would shoot him down. He stood there and kept them back till a signal of distress was sent up and it was hardly any time before boats came alongside with policeman and all the crew was put in irons and taken to shore. The first, second, and third mate and the ship carpenter were all that was left on board so we had to lay on the river 3 or 4 days till another lot of hands could be got.

The name of the ship was the Horizon, half clipper build. 900 tons burthen had on board 950 people. She was a 3 mast sailing vessel. I think on the day, all things being ready with a new set of hands and very jolly over. The steam tug came along with the pilot and we started again. I can't say how far the tugboat took us, nor how long the pilot stayed on board, but after we lost sight of land there came another steamboat alongside and brought the captain and took off the pilot.

I can hardly tell anything [p.6] about the trip as I was too young to keep a journal. I know we was 5 weeks on the sea and some of the time it was very rough. We had head winds nearly all the way. Our provisions was sea biscuits, salt pork, and beef with peas, rice, tea, sugar, and some dried fruit sometimes. The water we had to drink would stink so that we could hardly use it for 2 or 3 days then it would be good again. There was seasickness plenty. Some of the people being sick all the way, though I was in my element all the time and the harder the wind did blow the better I enjoyed myself. When the big waves made the ship toss about, I was not seasick any of the time and when land was sighted, I almost felt sorry. The first land we saw was Cape Cod and Boston was our landing place. It was a very beautiful evening when we sailed into the bay and cast anchor.

We could see Boston City in the distance so we had to stay a day or two and go through the same treatment as we did on the start, the doctors and customs house officers coming on board and examining everything. The doctors found no sickness, only seasickness, and the officers did not find any smuggled goods so we was allowed to land. I think we stayed out in the bay about 3 days. During that time there was a great many small boats loaded with people came out to see the Mormon emigrants as we was the first Mormons landed in Boston. But they was not allowed to come on board as there was a good many sharps among them and the ship officers did not want them swindled by them. All the emigrants landed at New York before that time, so when we landed it seems like everybody was crazy to get on the land and have a walk through the city, but Edward Martin having charge of the company and it being late in the day, he counseled the people not to go onshore till the next day. So guards was placed at the gangways and nobody was [p.7] allowed to pass off or on, so all things remained very quiet. There was a few men sent onshore to get something that the people wanted.

So the next day we had the privilege of going where we was a mind to. Then the ship began unloading and everything we kept in very good order. It took several days to get all things to the depot, so all the little boys had a good time running all over the town getting into all kinds of mischief, and I know our parents was very glad to leave the city and get us on the care where they could watch us a little better.

After all things was ready, we started on our journey by rail, but we got very tired of that way of traveling. We went from Boston to Chicago then to Rock Island, crossed the river on a steamboat, because the railway bridge was burned down. After we all got over, we took the train for Iowa City. When we got there and our baggage was unloaded, it was getting late in the day, and our camping ground was 3 miles from the city, as there was no place at the depot large enough to accommodate so many people. So a great many of the people started for camp on foot just about dark and I was one of them. But we had not gone very far when it began to rain and was so dark that you could not see anything and to make things worse I got lost from the rest of the company, but made out to keep the road by the help of the lightning, for Iowa can beat the world for thunder and lightning, but I never was afraid of lightning. After ascending a steep hill I could see a fire at the camp. They was keeping a big fire burning for to let the people know where the camp was for there was a great many people waiting there to get their teams and wagons ready to start across the plains.

When I saw the fire, I started in a straight line for it and that is where I missed it. Not knowing anything about the country, I thought that would be the best way. The rain had quit after it wet [p.8] me through, there not being a dry thread. After wading through numerous pools of water from ankle deep to knee deep and wallowing through grass as high as my head, I managed to reach camp pretty near give out. But after all my bad luck I was there before quite a number of the company. Father and mother and the children arrived after me. 2 of the children, being small, had to be carried most all the way. But when they got to camp, they found an old friend, James Fisher, from Scotland. Him and father was playmates together and had not seen each other for a number of years. He took us to his tent to stay all night. I don't know how long they sat up and talked, but after supper I soon fell asleep. This was my first night in a tent.

When I awoke in the morning, the sun was shining and I could hardly realize where I was, but boy, like it did not take me long to dress and get out. Then I saw a beautiful country, grass and farms as far as the eye could see, on one side and on the other side of camp was a strip of timber, not very wide but don't know how long it was. There was a stream of water running through it. I soon got acquainted with the country and swimming was the order of the day with all the small boys in the camp. We had to stay 6 weeks in the camp before all things was ready to start across the plains and it was a great sight to see about 6 or 8 hundred people starting for Utah with handcarts. Nothing of interest, only hard work. . . .[p.9]

. . . there was about 500 people in the camp when we started from Iowa but their was not that many arrived in Utah. With hunger and exposure many died and those that lived to get through was in a very pitiable condition, but when we got to Salt Lake City we was well cared for. Stayed one night at Mrs. Besses and was very kindly [p.15] treated as our destination was Ogden, we arrived there on the [-] of December 1856 they was sleigh ing and the snow was deep so we was 7 months on the road to Utah. . . .[p.16]

BIB: McBride, Heber Robert. Autobiography, pp. 5-9, 15-16. (CHL)

 

Autobiography of John William Southwell

. . . In the spring of 1855, the annual call was made for a number of the oldest members of the church to emigrate to the land of Zion. The call was responded to by Saints from all parts of the British Isles. Those who could pay their fare and those who needed help were instructed to forward their names with a recommend to the president of the European Mission in Liverpool. The presidents of the different branches of the church having this part of the business to attend to. The list of the passengers was soon made up and a vessel was chartered and a number of passengers it would accommodate. Then the number of Saints from each branch that were recommended by the president of that branch. I had applied for a passage, but being a new member and a young man, my application was not accepted. I was disappointed, but there was one who could and would see to it that I should be one of the many passengers on that ship that was to leave Liverpool on the 22nd day of May. She had helped me before, she would help me again. Seeing the president, he was informed that my passage money was ready and I must sail on the Horizon when the vessel left its morning place. He finally gave his consent and the name of J.[John] W.[William] Southwell was added to list of the eight hundred who would leave the shore of all of old England on the date mentioned.

The time was fast approaching when I would leave my dear old England. Sad were the scenes when parting arrived. My dear young brother whom I adored in my hard labors, had helped me in so many instances to raise him to his prosperous condition. The final separation, one could hardly expect to meet again in our old familiar hunts. My two oldest sisters, who with their families had many times added comfort to my aching heart and still clung to me, had in their parting called down a blessing of God upon the brother with whom they so reluctantly separated. Seeing between my dear old mother and myself, is heart rending in the extreme and as we passed over with a brief mention you will surely realize the agony of spirit we endure. We must pass on to other scenes on the program.

On the 22nd the Horizon was scheduled to sail, consequently the Saints must be in Liverpool the day previous. To accommodate all, rooms had to be engaged with bed and board. The Saints were so notified. The president had all the arrangements made in advance so no mistakes were expected. On the night of the [p. 5] 21st the Saints held a farewell meeting. This meeting was hugely enjoyed by all present. The program consisted of recitations, songs and speeches by elders of Zion who had gathered to speak especially on this occasion. It was a late hour when the loving and brilliant assemblage dispersed to their homes. As the train that was to transport us and luggage to Liverpool was due at the railway station at eleven o'clock, the Saints and a multitude of others were up early and the station was filled to overflowing. Arrangements being made with the conductor, time was given to sing a few lines of the hymn. It ran like this:

Farewell all earthly honors, we bid you all adieu. Farewell all sinful pleasures, we want no more of you. We want our union grounded on the eternal soil, Beyond the powers of Satan, Where sin can ne`er beguile.

At the end of this a tremendous cheer went up and a long blast of the engine whistle and we were on our way to the town of Liverpool, at that time the greatest shipping center in the world.

The 22nd, the last morning we were to see our native shores dawned upon us in all its grandeur. It was fair and fine, not a breeze to interrupt our successful boarding the grand old ship as she lay all ready underway out in the open waters, ready to receive her precious cargo. I will give you an idea by the few lines that Elder Silas H. Wheelock had hastily composed for the departing Saints to sing on leaving our land. It is but a few lines and ran as follows:

Our gallant ship is underway to bear me out to sea. And yonder floats the steamer gay that says she waits for me. The seamen dip their ready oars as ebbing waves oft tell, To bear me swiftly from the shore, my native land, farewell.

As the gay decorated steamer towed us to the Horizon, sound was heard above all other noise and din, "My Native Land, Farewell." The transfer from the steamer to the sailing vessel was done in wonderful short time. Captain Reed, President Edward Martin, Tyler and Toone, conducted the business. Captain Reed had a good manly lot of sailors to render assistance who were experts in that line of handling freight. It will be necessary to explain some here so the manner in which the business was handled will be better understood. In the first place the vessel had three decks which the Saints would occupy.

The officers mentioned had met on the vessel and made all those divisions. It was necessary for young men to have one division alone for the night and access to the wards of their families where they could take their meals together and be near the cooking galley where all the meals were issued by a head cook who had sole charge of that apartment. There was eight wards and a president over each ward. The food consisted of salt beef, salt pork, and vegetables with sea biscuits by way of bread. The cook would generally have some kind of pudding as a side dish. There were many of the passengers who had a goodly supply of their own which they had provided themselves and which was more palatable than the sea fare. I, myself, with those with whom I was traveling had a fine boiled ham, a fine cheddar cheese and several loaves of old English plum cake and a good size [of] plum pudding. So you can see we were independent of Mr. Sea Cook for a variety of good things. After all were on board, the captain ordered to weigh anchor. All hands were alert and the order obeyed. Soon the rattling of the huge anchor chains were heard and the beautiful Horizon floated away from its mooring place. The Saints were mostly on deck and above the [-] voices of the sailors the [p. 6] familiar sound of, "My Native Land Farewell" was heard. Many a silent prayer went up to heaven asking our Heavenly Father to protect us while on the raging sea.

It was a beautiful day, not a cloud to be seen. When we reached deep water the first deep water tribe made their appearance. The captain said they were a large school of dolphins. Their backs of gold showing above the surface of the sea green water. Other fine sights of the sea might be explained. The shad [MEANING: clupeid fishes] might be mentioned. This is by way of the first sunset on the sea. I cannot find language to explain its beauties, it was magnificent after sunset.

It is funny to relate one of the lady passengers asked the captain what place he would stay for the night. She explained that she had the children to attend to and have her work done before dark. He smiled and explained the gong would sound when the ship would stop but it failed to sound and the poor thing was compelled to put the children to bed without attending to their needs. She was heard to remark, "This is a hard way to serve the Lord, for is not cleanliness a part of godliness? John, I want to go back home." This for the present was destined to be our situation. It was our own choosing, let us enter no complaints.

The second day out we encountered a gale that came nearly capsizing our ship. Precautions had been taken to avoid such a disaster as this but it happened nevertheless. We had lashed our loose belongings and supposed we were safe but the storm was a hard one. It came near being fatal in some instances as not only goods turned topsy-turvy but some of our old and feeble people were felled to the deck with such violence that they were rendered helpless for a few days, and this proved to be our first taste of a much talked of seasickness which also proved very injurious to the greater number on board. There was scarcely a person on the ship but was so helpless he could not render any service to those afflicted, and what made the case


Linked toCrouch, Ebenezer

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