Soon after my baptism I felt a great desire to emigrate to Zion and told my parents so. But having a very hard contract that year and not making much money, my father said we could not go. But I told him I was going and that I would ask Elder John S. Gleason, who was then president of the conference, when he visit us again. He said that was for my parents to say but if they would get someone to take care of me on the way over he would see that I got a good home when I got to Utah. It was then decided that I could go. My parents began making preparations for my emigration and a Brother and Sister Edward Morris who were emigrating that year agreed to take care of me during the journey. In the meantime we had moved to a place called Wingate, same County.
I left my parents on the 29th of May, 1863 for Liverpool and there met my father's cousin, Mary Ann Knighton, who was residing there at that time. She took me out and got me some little things that I needed. We went on board of the sailing vessel called Cynosure and set sail on the 30th of May, 1863 with 754 Saints on board under the presidency [p .3] of David M. Stewart.
We arrived at New York Harbor on the 19th of July, 1863 being on the sea 52 days. I had a very rough voyage, I was seasick one half day but was glad to get on land again. Saw several buried at sea, dropped into the ocean with a sack of coal tied to their feet to sink the bodies below the fish, and the ship went on. So with life we come into being and sailed on and sail on, and they are sunk into obscurity for the time being and forgotten by all but a few but just for a short time when Michael will blow his trumpet and we will be delivered from the captivity of the evil one, and be brought forth from the grave to receive our reward for our works while in this probation. Thus the grave loses it's victory and death loses it's sting to those who have loved the Lord and sought to do good.
From New York we traveled by canal, railroad, and by steamboat from St. Joe, Missouri to Florence, Nebraska. In our journey we saw many U.S. troops in training for that was the time of the Civil War. We left Florence on the 15th of August in Captain Samuel D. White's ox train, it being the last company of Latter-day Saint emigrants of the season. . . . [p. 4]. . . we arrived in Salt Lake City...as it was then known, on Thanksgiving Oct. 15th 1863 being just two months crossing the plains and four months and eighteen days from [-] to Salt Lake City. . . .[p. 5]
BIB: Hayes, John Henry. Reminiscences and diary (Ms 4743), pp. 3-5. (CHL)
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