. . . On the 21st of May 1864 I left England with my little brother and sister on the good ship [General] McClellan bound for Zion. We had a very pleasant voyage until the 10th of June when the ship encountered a heavy storm. It was so rough that the ship nearly went down and the captain said we barely escaped with our lives. We landed safely in New York Harbor with eight hundred three souls, one more than when we started. In due time we came to Nebraska where we met the Mormon boys from Utah who were helping the Saints to gather to Zion. In the month of July, under the leadership of Captain Joseph Rawlins of Draper, we started on our journey of one thousand miles. I remember that I walked all the way excepting a few miles I rode one stormy afternoon. Every step was a pleasure for me as I felt that I was realizing my fondest hopes of getting to Zion. After a long days march we were never too tired to meet in devotional services and later join in the dance and other amusements.

Most of the time the younger people would start early in the morning and go on foot ahead of the ox teams but one day the captain said that the Indians were on the war path and ordered us to keep close by or we might all be killed. The captain and his men made a ford across the Platte River. We all crossed safely after experiencing some difficulties. One old lady had to be rescued or she would have drowned.

When we arrived at Green River, Wyoming, two of the boys were ill, and were sent on ahead. Joseph Greenwood died and was buried at Coalville, and George Stringfellow recovered. We reached Salt Lake City Sept. 29, 1864 and were met by kind and sympathetic friends. . . . [p. 88]

BIB: Featherstone, Martha Richards. Autobiography (Special Collections & Manuscripts, Film 920 #51 vol. 2) p. 88. (Typescript) ( Harold B
. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah )
(source abbreviations)