. . . On August 13, 1856 some elders were baptizing some persons in our mill pond and I was also baptized, being then between 18 and 19 years of age. Before this time I had been going to places of worship at different churches and sometimes met at the Latter-day Saints meetings and I felt there was a power that I felt in those meetings that I did not feel in the other churches. I had talks with missionaries of the Mormon church and was asked by them to be baptized but I told them that I wished to see some pleasure in my life, time to get religion when I was old. As when I went to some meetings I saw religious people professedly who did a lot of weeping at their places of worship and I told them for me to be in that state it would be time enough when I was old. But they told me if I would join the church it would not decrease my pleasure in life but would increase it. And this statement I have found verily true.

In Spring of 1857 with my help, my mother sold the stock and furniture and rented the place and we left for Utah in March 28, on ship George Washington at Liverpool, there being on the ship 817 persons. In three weeks, we arrived at Boston. Some persons died crossing the sea. They sewed them up in canvas with a weight at their feet, then just put them on a board, then put it on the ship rail and slid them, feet foremost, into the sea.

We traveled from Boston to Iowa City, crossing big rivers in boats and the land in cars, part of the way in box-cars, comfort stations being by the side of the cars when the train would stop.

Iowa City being a small place at that day, the company went from the cars a distance to a place to camp. It rained that night and not having our bedding, we got wet. We camped a while, bought a wagon, four oxen and cow and left there in Jesse B. Martin's company.

In coming in cars to Iowa City Mother lost a little boy who died on the train. She had to leave it for strangers to bury and pay them for it. [p.1]

We had nearly 300 miles to travel to Florence on the Missouri River, which we crossed on a ferry boat, and while crossing we heard of P. [Parley] P. Pratt being killed near Saint Louis. The government was fitting up the Johnson's Army, so called to come to Utah to kill the Mormons so the people said. . . .

. . . In our travels we crossed many streams of water. From loss of cattle the ladies had to walk and to save them wading streams I carried many of them over. Places selected for our camping, feed for cattle and water and wood or buffalo chips to cook with. There was a handcart company caught up with us. Sometimes it was ahead and sometimes behind us till we got into Salt Lake City, the same day September 12, 1857. [p.2]

BIB: Pingree, Job. Life history (formerly in Msd 2050), pp. 1-2. (A)
(source abbreviations)