From the secretary of the company of emigrating Saints we have received the following, written on board the S.S. Wisconsin, Sunday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.:
"We have just effected an organization as follows: president, John Pickett; secretary, J. [Joseph] W. McMurrin; chaplain, J. [James] D. Hirst; captain of the guard, James Meikle. Brother P. [Peter] L. Sherner will act as chaplain for the Scandinavian Saints, and Brother C. [Christian] Poulson as captain of the guard. The Saints as a rule seem to be in good spirits. A portion of the time last evening was spent in singing praises to the Lord for his kindness in delivering us from Babylon.
Sister Mary Ann Ward, of Yorkshire, is numbered with the present company. Her husband is now in Utah, and no doubt is anticipating an early and joyful reunion with his spouse. Sister Ward, however, did not like to travel so far alone, and to make things interesting, she gave birth to a fine son at 9 a.m. yesterday; mother and child are doing well. [p.714]
A good number of Saints have been suffering from seasickness this morning, and the indications at present are, that we will have any amount of book keepers, who will cast up their accounts regularly. Some of the Saints are looking very white, but so far there has been no disposition shown to return." [p.715]
BIB: McMurrin, Joseph W. [Letter], Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 45:45, (Nov 5, 1883) pp. 714-15. (CHL)
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