Jan. 1st 1851. We left old England to come to America in the ship Ellen. There were 475 passengers, about 25 crew and the captain making in all about 500 souls. We left River Mersey, Liverpool, about the 8th of January. A cloudy day raining and blowing in the evening very dark. About 12 o'clock at night a schooner crossed our track and we collided with her. She caught in our jib boom, broke it, swung around to the side of the vessel and broke the main yardarm and foreyard.
We had to put into Cardigan Bay, North Wales for repairs. We stayed until 23rd of January, (adverse winds the cause) and then set sail again. One week in the Irish Channel, head wind all the time. The morning of the 31st when we got up we had fair wind all sails reefed, waves running mountain high going about 9 miles an hour. Had very good weather then until we got to the West India Islands, then we were becalmed two or three days. We sailed between Jamaica and San Domingo Islands. March 13th came in sight of the Mississippi; could see the line of the river water a long time. [p.3]
March sixteenth a tugboat took two more vessels besides our up to New Orleans. March 18th started up the river for St. Louis; we paid $2.50 per person, baggage free. 25th landed in St. Louis. It was very cold. Snow on the ground, while there, stayed until April 13th. Then started for Kanesville or Council Bluffs City. Fare five dollars per person. Twenty days on the road, on sandbar three days, very cold, river very low. Had to back down many times. Great amount of snags to be seen. Landed all safe May 2nd. The Saints were fittings to start for Salt Lake Valley or Utah. . . . [p.4]
. . . Elder Cunningham from Salt Lake City had charge of the church affairs, so the Giles folks and myself, some 4 wagons of them, gathered in Hang Hollow and prepared for our journey. About the 1st of June 1856 we left Hang Hollow for Florence, Nebraska. We were to gather at Bluff City about 6 miles across the Missouri River. We crossed the river on the ferry boat the 2 day of June. The first company of Saints to cross the plains was organized about the 4 of June under direction of Phils Merril. The [p.8] company consisted 50 wagons divided into 10 companies. E. B. Tripp was the sub captain over the Giles and myself company. . . . [p.9]
. . . About noon on the 15 of August we rolled into Salt Lake City and camped on Emigration Square. . . . [p.10]
BIB: Crook, John Autobiography (Ms 8795 reel 12 #6), pp. 3-4, 8-10. (CHL)
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