. . . I left for Liverpool with the Saints from my district who were going with the first ship & while there met Sister [Lya] Hazell who was also to go in the first ship. While I was to go on the third so I had no expectation of seeing her again after the first ship sailed till I would meet her again in Utah. But when I called at the office next morning Brother Cannon asked me if I knew any sister among the emigrants who would be willing to stay over a week or two & help [p.40] Sister Cannon with the things she had to get ready for Brothers Lyman & Rich but she must be a good seamstress. I told him that I knew one who would just fit if her & him could agree. So I brought up Sister Hazell & she stayed & helped Sister Cannon till the third vessel & crossed with me in the ship William Tapscott. That is how she happened to cross the sea with me at the same time. I was very glad it happened so as I esteemed her very much.May 14 [1862]

Sailed the ship William Tapscott & good ship & a kind captain, but owing to head winds we had a long passage of six weeks from Liverpool to New York. I had a cabin passage because of being president of the company of Saints. The first half of the passage my two counselors were very sick so that the whole of the labor devolved on me & as a great many of the Saints, especially the sisters, were sick also & as we had 800 Saints on board I scarcely a night in bed but was roused a number of times to attend the sick. We had very few deaths but it preyed on my own health & during the last half of the passage I was pretty sick myself & was made more so by the foolish treatment of the ship's doctor who, because my nervous system was unstrung from over-exertion & want of rest would order me stimulants such as brandy & to rouse my nerves & the next day or so he would give me laudenum to sooth them & kept me in a kind of stupor most of the time. I told the captain & he sent for him & told him that he was a damned fool & was trying his best to kill me, & said he ... "You will never sail as doctor with me again in any ship that I have command of". He said to me, "Mr. Gibson, take no more from him. I will attend to you." He did so & I soon began to get better although it was some time before I got over the effects of the doctor's treatment. The stewardess, a married lady, whose home was at New York & who expected to be confined shortly after her arrival there & whose preparations for that event were considerably behind, she had been introduced by another sister to Sister [Lya] Hazell as a good seamstress & wished her to sew for her but as she wished her to do the work in the cabin and not in the steerage [p.41] where Sister Hazell's berth was she asked me if I would give up my stateroom at nights for Sister Hazell & another sister to sleep in as all the staterooms were occupied & she would make up a bed for me on the sofa in the saloon & it would be a great favor to her. I could use my stateroom through the day. I said, certainly I would, & this is how she came to the cabin. On reaching New York after staying a day or two, the company went on to Florence where the teams and wagons were to start from to cross the plains. Here I parted from Sister Hazell who crossed in Captain Duncan's Company. While I after a day or two started in the company of Captain John Murdock, now bishop of Beaver. He was very kind to me on the journey & we had a very pleasant time in crossing the plains & got to Salt Lake City about the middle of September 1862. . . . [p.42]

. . . 1862 May 13 received an appointment to preside over the Saints going to New York on board the ship William Tapscott. This appointment is on the 277 page of this book.

14 Left Liverpool with the Saints on the ship William Tapscott & arrived at New York July 5 & reached Salt Lake City the middle of Sep. 1862. . . . [p.196]

42 Islington, Liverpool,May 13th, 1862.

To the Latter-day Saints on board the ship William Tapscott for New York.Beloved brethren and sisters:

This certifies that Elder William Gibson has been appointed to preside over you during your passage to New York, and Elders John Clark and F. [Francis] M. Lyman has been appointed his counselors to assist him in all the duties of the presidency.

You are exhorted, beloved Saints, to receive the brethren in the capacity to which they [-] and receive their counsels with joy and gladness that you may have peace and blessings during your passage over the ocean, and continue to grow in all the exalts the righteous in the estimation of our God, and secures to them his constant favour and protection.

One and all of the Saints are particularly requested to aid in preserving cleanliness and [p.277] good order that health and happiness may reign predominant among you; remember your prayers at the appointed times that the Lord may not forget you when you most need his arm outstretched for your protection.

We are, your brethren,
Amasa M. Lyman
Charles C. Rich
George Q. Cannon
Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Great Britain and adjacent countries.

BIB: Gibson, William. Journals (Ms 901), vol.2, pp.40-42 and vol.3, pp.196, 277. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)