Sunday, January 16, 1853. We sailed form Liverpool under favorable circumstances, the wind being in our favor. After 16 days voyage, we encountered the trade winds and after that made better progress, the wind blowing from east to north. Brother Anders Ipsen lost a little child who was buried in the sea.

Sunday, February 13. During the night between the 13th and 14th of February, a little child was born on board.

Tuesday, Feb 15. Another child was born on the ship. On this day we obtained our first glimpse of the West Indies. Brother Anders Poulsen lost a little child who was lowered into a watery grave. A baby girl was born while we laid at anchor.

Saturday, Feb. 19. We enjoyed our first view of San Domingo, [Hispaniola] which island we passed on our right, but it was far away.

Sunday, Feb. 20. We first saw a great country with high mountains which proved to be the kingdom of San Domingo. [Hispaniola]

Tuesday, Feb. 22. Anders Ipsen lost a baby girl, who was buried at sea. [p.4]

Thursday, Feb. 24. We obtained our first glimpse of another mountainous land (Jamaica) and also saw land (Cuba) looking towards the north. Jamaica was on the south.

Sunday, Feb. 27. On the night between Feb. 27th and 28th we saw a beacon light on the island of Cuba.

Monday, Feb. 28. Brother Christensen lost a child 15 days old.

Monday, March 7. We had our first glimpse of the American continent early in the morning, but in the afternoon at 4 o'clock, anchor was cast in the roads. On the same day we lost an aged sister from the island of Fyen, Denmark. She was buried on a small island a short distance from the main land.

Friday, March 8. Hans Petersen lost a year old baby girl, who was buried on the same island.

Saturday, March 12. In the evening, the wife of Christian Christiansen of Copenhagen, died. [HER NAME WAS KAREN OR CAROLINE.]

Sunday, March 13. Anders Ipsen, a much beloved brother died; he was a first elder who labored as L.[Latter] D. [Day] S.[Saints] Missionary on the island of Bornholm. He also was buried on the little island.

Monday, March 14. [-] Christian Jensen lost a little boy who was buried at sea. Brother Christiansen from Copenhagen lost his wife who was buried on the little island previously mentioned. On this day anchor was weighed about noon and we were hauled in by two steamboats, but the water was so shallow at the mouth of the Mississippi that the keel of our vessel scraped the ground. We dropped anchor in the evening.

Tuesday, March 15. Anchor was weighed and we were hauled in by the same steamboats which served us the previous day. We again dropped anchor about noon some distance up the river, here we saw large and small islets covered with luxuriant verdure.

Wednesday, March 16. We had our first real view of the American mainland; as far as the eye could reach it was covered with forests. We also saw many dwellings and animals, such as horses, mules, cattle, sheep, geese and hogs. Most of the houses which we saw were built of lumber. The land on which they were built was low and exposed to inundations from the river. [p.5] We saw considerable fieldwork being done such as plowing, planting and sowing. We remained at anchor during the night, which was very dark.

Thursday, March 17. Anchor was weighed and we were tugged by a steamer into New Orleans. A little girl who had been sick for sometime died; she was buried at New Orleans. Christian Munk also lost a child.

Friday, March 18. Brother Larsen lost a child which was buried at New Orleans. During the night between the 18th and 19th of March, Sister Dinesen [Dinnesen] gave birth to a child.

Saturday, March 19. We landed from the ship Forest Monarch and boarded a river steamer which took us a short distance up the river, where we left it and boarded a larger steamer and commenced our real river journey. Brother Andersen and his wife were left in New Orleans. Our little son Peter became very sick, but was better a week later.

Tuesday, March 29. We arrived at St. Louis.

Wednesday, March, 30. We landed from the steamer "Grantover" and secured lodging in the north part of the town in a four-story house.

(Four couples of our Saints were united in marriage in the beginning of January while we stood by off Liverpool, namely: Nielsen, Mikkel, Skousen, Christian Berentsen and Brother Hansen.)

Sunday, April 3. Brother Dinisen [Dinnesen] lost his mother who was buried in St. Louis. She was born on the island of Sjalland, [Sjaelland] not far from Copenhagen. On the same day three couples of Saints entered the state of matrimony, namely: Sören Ramelhöi, Gerhard Jensen and Frederik Jensen. On the same day a little child died and soon afterwards the father passed away and was buried in St. Louis. Paul C. Larsen lost his wife who was buried in St. Louis. Brother Peter [-] lost a little child who was buried in St. Louis. Also a Swedish man not a member of the church, died and was buried in St. Louis. His name was Beckström.

While we stopped in St. Louis some of us obtained employment in the town and earned a little money.

Thursday, April 21. The first part of the Forsgren company, consisting of about 120 persons, boarded the river steamer "Di Vernon" and sailed up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to Keokuk, Iowa. This river trip lasted abut 24 hours. We landed at Keokuk and made our temporary quarters in a warehouse during the night, but the following day which was Saturday, April 23rd, we pitched our tents a short distance up the hill from the town of Keokuk by the side of a camp of English Saints.

Friday, April 29. Sister C. Christiansen gave birth to two still born children. [p.6]

Saturday, April 30. The rest of the emigrants who had crossed the Atlantic ocean on the Forest Monarch left St. Louis and arrived at the camp near Keokuk May 2nd.

Sunday, May 8. Two of our company were united in marriage, namely: Peter A. Forsgren and sister Knudsen, Elder John E. Forsgren officiating.

Wednesday, May 11. A meeting was held and after counseling together it was decided that active preparations should commence for the journey across the plains. Elder John E. Forsgren was chosen as captain of the whole company, while Christian Christiansen was chosen as captain of the first fifty and Herman J. Christensen captain of the second fifty. Next, Father Christiansen was chosen as captain of the first ten, Brother Justensen as captain of the 2nd ten; made Chr. Jensen captain of the 3rd ten and Hans Dinesen as captain of the 4th ten. . . . [p.7]

. . . Friday, Sept. 30. We arrived in Great Salt lake City and camped in the central part of the town. . . . [p.9]

BIB: Munk, Christian Nielsen. Journal (Ms 1535), pp. 4-7, 9; Acc. #18953.
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