January the 6th. We all went to testimony meeting in the evening. I was going on the 7 o'clock train in the morning. After the close of the meeting, our president came to us and said he had concluded as there was a young Brother that had backed out going in this first vessel with us. He said my young man could go if he could get ready. So we stayed one day longer and started and my companion was glad when we arrived in Liverpool as she could not think what was the matter. We were [-] green young horns as they would call us in this country. But we was full of faith and did not realize the trials we were going to pass through before we reached our journey's end. Samuel Richards was then presiding in Liverpool.

We stayed there [Liverpool] a few days buying our tinware and going down and getting our berths fixed up on board our ship. Also attended meeting on the Sabbath and heard some missionaries preach that had just arrived. While there we applied to be married but Brother [Samuel] Richards thought we had better wait until we got out to sea. He thought it would be the wisest plan. When we got started I was very seasick and our president Moses Clawson was very seasick, so we were not married until January 30th 1853. It was on Sunday afternoon after the close of meeting up on deck. Another couple was also married same time. Ellen Maria was the name of the ship [p.13] we sailed in. Our captain's name, Whitmore. We was seven weeks on the sea. We had a rough voyage. Come near being shipwrecked but the Lord preserved us.

March 14th, 1886. [APPARENTLY, THIS IS THE DATE THE AUTHOR IS WRITING HER REMINISCENCES] We landed in New Orleans the 7th day of March, the day my husband was 18 years of age. We stayed there one day, wrote our letters home, looked around the city, then went on the steamer at night to go up the river to St. Louis. That night I had a narrow escape from being drowned. I was within one step of stepping off the boat into the water but it appeared like my guardiag angel held me back. We was 11 days traveling up the river in the midst of fog and a dirty boat. Arriving in St. Louis, we stayed there one month. We then traveled up the river to Keokuk where several of the Saints were camped already as this was the general camping ground and there the brethren learned to yoke up oxen and cows and used them a little in readiness to cross the plain we were on the bank of the river. From there we could see Nauvoo and the ruins of the temple. Some of the Saints went over and saw Mother Smith and Emma Smith, wife of the prophet. On the first day of June we made a start to travel [p.14] for Kanesville. We traveled over 3 weeks through plenty of mud holes and it was quite a time with unbroken cattle and green teamsters. 12 persons to a wagon and tent. Cyrus H. Whelock was the captain of the company. I week to recruit our cattle and wash up and get ready to start to travel over the plains to the city of the Great Salt Lake, while camping there I had a vision which comforted me very much. I had troubled a great deal about my parents since I had left them never realizing how dear they were to me until I was so far away from them. One night it appeared as though I was awake laying in ed with my sister beside me locked arms and my brother laying at the foot of the bed. The room appeared with a heavenly light and tow angels in the room. They laid their hands upon our heads and blessed us and told me not to grieve about my parents. Said that both my father and mother should be eternally saved. I heard my sister's blessing also my brothers. I inquired about the two that were dead. I felt the pressure of my hand when the wished me good bye. This heavenly feeling lasted with me for a long while and gave me great joy but I could not finish this page realize how my [p.15] [May 18th 1886 IS WRITTEN AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.] father could even be converted to the truth but I never ceased to pray for them in my prayers and in 27 years my prayers was answered in their behalf. I think it was about the 10th of July. . . .

. . . We arrived in Salt Lake City Oct. 11th 1853, . . . [p.16]

BIB: Sparks, Jane Ann Fowler. Reminiscences and diary (Ms 8890), pp. 13-16; [Acc. 36209] (CHL)
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