. . . B. A. J. Harper lent me £ 100.0.0 with which to emigrate and bring my wife's mother and sister, and my own grandfather. At my instigation B. Harper assisted about 30 persons [p.152] to emigrate through the P. E. [Perpetual Emigration] Fund. My grandfather took his journey to see his son William in Birmingham, and remained there until we started for Liverpool.
Thursday January 19th 1854. My wife brought forth a fine daughter. We name it Adelaide Ann.
Wednesday Feb. 8th. We started to Bedford by rail, on our way to Liverpool. I went on to Birmingham, leaving my wife with other Saints to meet me at Liverpool. My grandfather, William Smith, found his health too poor to undertake the journey, and so remained with his son in Birmingham. I gave him a suit of clothing and some other assistance and proceeded to Liverpool. Our passage had been engaged in the ship Windermere, Captain Fairfield, under the arrangements of our emigration agency. There were 482 souls ready to embark.
Tuesday 14th went on board, and on the 22nd got out to sea. Elder Daniel Carn [Garn] was chosen president of the company, and myself and and [SIC] several others appointed to the watchcare of different wards (for thus was the company divided,) of the vessel. [p.153] My family circle now consisted of 6 persons namely myself, wife, two children, wife's mother Ann Fowles, and sister Ann Fowles and A. J. Harper. We had a place in the second cabin.
March 6th. Adelaide Ann died of cold and exposure. The weather being very cold, and our berth being next to the door the child took cold and shortly died. She was put into the sea in Latitude 46 degrees, 1 minute; Longitude 31 degrees, 35 minutes. About this time the smallpox broke out on board, and as we neared the tropics spread rapidly until 37 persons were afflicted by it and 7 died. It was a most solemn time when we were in a dead calm, with the small pox raging below and two corpses on deck ready to be deposited in the deep, the bell tolling solemnly. During the forepart of the voyage we encountered exceedingly rough weather. The ship's officers were astonished to see the Saints so cheerful during times of severe weather and sickness, as they said the classes of people would have been crying and screaming while we were singing and praying.
April 23rd. Arrived at New Orleans. The sick were sent to the hospital. [p.154]
26th. Ann Fowles my wife's sister married to William E. Boyd of Boston, Massachusetts, first mate of the vessel.
27th. Started on steamboat "Grand Tower" for St. Louis. I could not get any place for my family below as the berths were all filled while I was away on business for the company, so I took cabin passage to St. Louis, $13.00 per head; my family were nearly all very sick too.
May 4th. Cyrus Franklin my son, died of spasms. He was 16 months old. Buried him in Illinois opposite Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
5th. Arrived in St. Louis. Being cabin passenger were permitted to land in St. Louis, although the poor Saints in the steerage were compelled to land on Quarantine Island some miles below, where they were attacked with cholera and many died. We soon found my sister, who was married to Reuben Waters; staid with them two weeks. I persuaded them to go on with me to the Valley, which they made up their minds to do. They afterwards got a passage with Brother James Brown.
My wife's sister Jane left her husband in Tennessee to come to meet her mother in St. Louis, and with [p.155] the intention of accompanying her to the Valley, and her husband was not in the church and treated her very ill, sometimes beating and abusing her very cruelly. She had a little daughter named Susannah Adelaide now 1 year and 10 months old. By the solicitation of my wife I agreed to take her across the plains to the Valley; she gave me $20.00 to pay for her provisions.
20th. Took passage on steamboat "Sonora" for Kansas, Kansas Territory.
24. Arrived at Kansas. Camped at the waters edge.
25. Removed our luggage up to the Saints camping ground 2 miles, where we remained several weeks waiting for our wagons and oxen and making preparations to cross the plains. During this time or previous to my arrival the cholera broke out among the Saints, and a great many died. Some whole families were swept off.
June 1st. I was appointed by Elder William Empey to take the charge of a company which was to start soon and who were getting their cattle and wagons ready.
7th. Having obtained our cattle &c we moved out upon the prairie 5 miles. . . . [p.156]
. . . Sept. 23rd. Arrived with half of the company in Great Salt lake City. The other half under J. E. Angus arrived on the 25th. . . . [p.160]
BIB: Smith, Job. Diary and Autobiography (1849-1877) (Special Collections & Manuscripts, Mss. 881) pp.152-56,160. (Harold B. Lee Library
, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)
(source abbreviations)