. . . 16th We took leave our friends, in hope to see them again in Zion and slept on board the same night. The next day got our luggage on board, spent the Tuesday with the Saints felt a little tempted to think they did not show me the respect they ought but I strove against it, Elder [Parley] P. Pratt preached in the morning on the subject of Zion &c. His discourse was full of light as was all his talk is I think some of the Church there are rather too high; most of the Saints who are now in the ship attended. In the morning at the Music Hall, we called on our old friend Mr. Amill, who took me and [p.79] my family down to the ship in a coach. The ship was dark, there being no light allowed in the dock so we had to find our way to bed & put the children to bed in the dark, but I felt glad to find myself on the way to Zion. Before lying us down I called upon the Lord and many responded, amen.
Monday 20th We left the dock and anchor in the river, accompanied by Elder Pratt and wife and Elder A. [Amos] Fielding who remained with us through the night, settling up their account with the Saints who mostly made presents to Elders [Parley P.] Pratt and [Amos] Fielding of 2 " [shillings] 6 [demies] each and this chiefly they have sent by me for the building of the temple in Nauvoo.
On Tuesday morning our beloved brethren took their leave of us while the company sung several farewell hymns and about 10 a.m. we set sail with a fine wind and in a [p.80] few hours lost sight of our old native land. I being appointed to superintend the company with Elder John Sanders to assist me. Called a council and those several of the brethren to unite with us in the management of the company but the departure of Elder [Parley P.] Pratt broke up our meeting, and before we could again get together. Some began to be sick and then increased for several days. The wind blew strong in short the sickness grew sever and heavy. The captain was kind to us and sent his men to empty our vessels &c and to see that our boxes were fast, but by Sunday came the weather, became so fine that we met on deck in the morning, and I and a portion of the ward of [-] and prayers on and in the afternoon we took the sacrament. I would have had the brethren speak, but they left it to [p.81] me and I spoke and was led to suit the occasion, and in the eve we had prayer in different parts of the ship, and felt that we had done as was pleasing to the Lord. The next day (27th) the wind began to blow till it became a storm and at night, the hatches were put down, only one was open and early on Tuesday morn the sea broke over and came into the steerage. The ship rolled to and fro very much, and we went from side to side on our floor. This alarmed some of the Saints, some thought it was all up with us, one brother ran on deck thinking the ship was going to [-] and thought he would get into the long boat. Our situation appeared gloomy, but in fact there was no danger, but I kneeled up in my berth and prayed that the Lord would be merciful to us and preserve us, and cause the [p.82] wind to abate and my prayer was in some measure answered, when we rose in the morning there was nothing serious wrong. The water which had rolled to and fro in the ship had found it's way out, I suppose in to the hole, through the [-] hole. Some of our boxes and tins &c had broke loose and were rolling about. My shoes and other things were lost but I found them under the berth. The wind blew hard all the next day, properly a storm, but on Wednesday we had become pretty steady, and in the eve I called the company together as well as I could and spoke to them about 3/4 of an hour on the importance of making a proper use of their time for I saw that some of them were vain a trifling. I told them that they would wish they had made a better use of their &c. I also saw some who were selfish, and covetous. I told them this was no celestial spirit and they must [p.83] strive to get rid of it, I also exhorted them to be careful of their food as we knew not how long we might be on the water. The captain and mates have been very kind and friendly, they often came down to see how we got on and to see that our boxes &c were fast, and would send down the sailors to empty our pans when were too sick to help ourselves, in fact they have so far treated us with great kindness, and we have had peace in our company, in a few days after we sailed our number was increased, by Sister Littlewood giving birth to a fine daughter about three o'clock on Friday morning the 24th, she and her child are doing well, we have had some calm which was a comfort to us in our sickness. Continued the 3 of October. The weather was too rough to be on deck, and we met in two separate places of the ship, Brother Sanders led one and I led the other and spoke on the subject of Zion and the [p.84] gathering and afternoon we took the sacrament, carrying it round to the Saints at their berths. The evening was wet, and we could not enjoy any meeting particularly, but we had prayer and singing.
6th. Today the wind is blowing about as it did on Sunday eve and has been ever since taking us from 7 to 9 knots for hours about overnight course. [UNCLEAR] Monday night was very wet and the water came in upon our beds but we got them dry again by taking them on deck. We have seen many and spoke several ships since we came out, one was near running [-] of us, but we have had no accident as yet, the Lord has so kind too, and there has been so little discord that it is not worth [-] only 2 or 3 [-] about the fire or the cooking, many are recovered from their sickness &c. By faith and prayer and administering of oil in the name of the Lord. [p.85]
Saturday [Oct.]
Since my last we have generally had good sailing in one course. The sails have [-] been changed as to their course since last Sunday till yesterday when the yards were squared and we have often sailed 10 or 11 knots per hour, but since the wind came oft we have not gone so fast. We have not had anything to trouble us in particular, we have some few who are sick but not dangerously we have also a few who are only Saints in name and 2 or 3 that would quarrel if anyone would quarrel with them, but the general desire is to maintain peace.
10 This was a fine day, the morning was rather too hot, but as the sun got round to the head of the ship the sails shaded us from the sun. We met on the deck at past 10 to worship God, Elder Sanders spoke a while and Elder Mitchell. [p.86]
[There is a two year, two month time gap in this journal in which he did not write in his journal. In volume 5 which now follows, Fielding provides the rest of his journey account to Nauvoo.]
Nauvoo Dec.[-] 1843 It is now over two years since I came to this place and since I wrote any by way of journal. The reasons for this neglect are my being so [-] in providing for my family and the inconvenience under which I have labored and as to myself I have had but little to write. I landed in New Orleans early in November at the head of about 200 Saints having had peace and a good passage, but at this place I had a fall from a bridge on [a] wharf near 10 feet onto the land ground [p. 1] which broke one or two of my ribs and hurt my knee very much. I had just been to charter a steam boat and was returning to the ship. This fall was the severest hurt I had ever sustained. I felt determined to make but little of it, but it was long, before I could rise from my bed of myself, but the master of the boat was very kind letting me occupy one of the staterooms for myself and my family. We reached St. Louis in eight days. Here we saw some poor, faithless Saints something like spiders webs [p. 2] set to catch flies. They came to us with fair words as our best friends, but their counsel was that of enemies, but did not prevail to stay any of our company except two. Most of them had been to Nauvoo but had not faith enough to live there. We took a boat to Warsaw, the water being too low to admit the boat further, on our way there. On Sunday, at Brother G. Millans, request, I again spoke to the people, till we landed them (at Warsaw). The weather was fine but while we waited the coming of some of the 12, the weather [p. 3] broke and the winter set in with a snow storm, so that in 2 or 3 days we came to Nauvoo in a sleigh. Some of our company came in feeling anxious to see this place and the prophet, the council of our Brethren of the 12, Brother Willard Richards and others was that some of us should stop at Warsaw thinking at that time of forming a branch there. Accordingly, some remained there, but afterwards that place was given up on account of the unfriendly disposition of the people there. [p. 4] We paid Lorenzo Young for 4 dollars brought us to Nauvoo. The day was very cold as we rode over the prairie. We were compelled at times to get out and walk to warm ourselves, but it was with great pain that I got off and on the sleigh on account of my hurt. Brother L. [Lorenzo] Young had kindly took me and my family to his house. . . . [p. 5]
BIB: Fielding, Joseph. Journals (Ms 1567), vol. 4, pp. 79-86 and vol. 5, pp. 1-5. (CHL)
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