. . . R. Seasons arrived from Nauvoo bringing word that the Lord had accepted the labors of the Elders in this land and there was to be no more ordinations in this land and the Elders was now to set there [p.8] faces Zion-ward and save themselves from the untoward generation another circumstances was that Elder Snyder was deputed to come from America to England to the Saints for their assistance towards building of the temple and another was that they was entering into arrangements to gathering the Saints out of Liverpool, this land all of them next season. All of which news caused me to rejoice exceedingly. I now determined to do all that I could to enable myself to gather with his people. I attended the music hall on Sunday 22nd of May. Heard Brother Pratt speak upon the subject of revelation. Afternoon, I attended sacrament meeting. Night, Brother Pratt preached again. Next day I came to Hapody Wern. Next day to Lightwood Green. Next day I came to Oswestry. Went to Owens the matchmaker and got a job and began to work next morning being 26th of May. I continued there about six weeks. The Lord blessed my labors. From there I went to Poolquay and wrought there sometime. I then came back to Oswestry and labored there a few weeks. In the beginning of Nov. I went to see my mother. I with her a week and then left. I came back into Shropshire to prepare to emigrate to America. I then went to Liverpool in company with Brother Joseph Griffiths, paid my passage to America. I then came back into Shropshire to prepare to take my luggage to Liverpool.

On the 26 of Dec. I went to Ellesmere to help Sarah Price to prepare. I sent her passage money to Liverpool by post. That night we went to Lightwood Green in company with Elder James Marsden. On Friday we went to Ellesmere, again on Saturday to Lightwood Green the same went to Hindford, stopped all night. Sunday went to Oswestry in search of a cart to take our Luggage. We got a cart and came back to Hindford. We loaded and then started about ten o'clock at night. At 12 we reached Lightwood Green but the [p.9] Saints expecting we had [SIC] was not coming that night went home. We took our leave of Sister Martha Price. I had peculiar reflections in leaving this place. I was a member of the Church at this place, I loved the Saints here, and my prayers ascend to God in their behalf. I had first been baptized into this branch had met with the Saints many times in this place and had rejoiced in the truths we had received together. The same night we continued our journey to Wrexhan, breakfasted there the next morning and continued our journey to Liverpool. We got to Chester about 4 o'clock we-sent-goods-by-the-barge, [SIC]. We then went to the railway station paid our fare and went to Birkenhead. Went, then crossed the river to Liverpool. It was dark when we got there; we lost some of our things. We then hired a cart to take our luggage to the ship which was lying in Waterloo Deck. Some of us went to Brother Hillard [and] some other places.

On Tuesday evening Jan. 3rd, I was married to Sarah Price. Joseph Griffith was married the same time. On Thursday we went on board ship but having adverse winds we did not sail until the 16th. Many of the poor Saints suffered for want of provision. We then set sail, the wind was blowing pretty keen from the north. In about two hours I was taken sick; this is a very bad sickness but I did not have it so violent as some some [SIC] were very sick. All the way pretty much we had a pretty good passage. In four days we were clear of the Irish Channel which is very dangerous in stormy weather. [We] were becalmed several times which hindered us very much we had one pretty smart storm which last only a few hours, we soon got into the (p. 28) trade winds which are very favorable. About the West Indies we saw many flying fish and a small kind of whale called grampers playing about. We were in a storm in the Gulf of Mexico three days. It then settled down and we made the mouth of the river. We rather unfortunately, we struck on a sand bar and were detained there [p.10] until next day when we got a steamboat then (they) towed us up the river to New Orleans which was about 190 miles. We got there in the afternoon the next day, being the 15 of March after a passage of 8 weeks and three days. I seemed quite rejoicing to think that we were once more on land, although in two or three days we left Orleans for St. Louis. We were very much thronged besides over two hundred Saints there was a good many Germans and Negroes. The river was very low and we were very often stuck fast on the sand bars which are very numerous in this river. We were as long again as is usual in consequence of sticking fast. The weather was very cold and very uncomfortable. Our berth was very near the boilers and sometimes we were nearly suffocated with steam and would much the same as a person in a steam bath. In a few minutes the boat would take a turn and the wind would blow enough to freeze a person in. We were in this uncomfortable situation nearly two weeks which caused a great deal of sickness. After we arrived at Saint Louis a distance of twelve hundred miles, some left us at this place, but I felt determined to pursue my journey to Nauvoo. We were compelled to remain at St. Louis about ten days. The Saints that left England in the fall were compelled to remain here all winter the river was froze over above. We left Saint Louis on the "Amaranth" about the eight of April and arrived at Nauvoo on the 12th or 13th. The next day Brother Joseph Smith preached to us which comforted our hearts very much. We were glad to see some of our old friends rejoicing on the truth, but many of them had denied the faith and some were dead. . . .[p.11]

BIB: Smith, Charles. Reminiscences and diary, (Ms 1912), pp. 8-11. (CHL)
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