Monday, March 23 - This morning I got up at three o'clock, got my breakfast, and went to the station with the rest of the Saints that was going to America and started on the cars at five o'clock for Liverpool. We had a long tiresome ride of one hundred sixty two miles. Wearied in Liverpool at five o'clock. P.M., went to Mr. Jones, Number Eleven, Hunters Street, where we got lodgings for all the company.

Tuesday, March 24 - Stayed in Liverpool all day. Went and saw the fine ship George Washington that the Saints are going to sail on. The 16th of this month met with the brethren of the priesthood at Brattes Chapmans. Elder Benson preached. I was called on to assist to reconfirm some of the brethren that had been rebaptized and then had some supper with Sister Rogers. Then went home to my lodgings. [p.53]

Wednesday March 25th I stayed in Liverpool all day doing some business and getting tickets for some of the passengers. Went to the Temperance Hall to attend the Saints meeting. Had a good meeting. Several of the elders, in connection with Elder Benson, addressed the Saints. After meeting a collection was taken up to pay for the use of the Hall and to help some of the poor Saints.

Thursday March 26th Today we went on board the ship George Washington. I worked very hard all day and most of the night getting the Saints on the ship. At eleven o'clock at night, John G. Smith came with a company of German Saints and I assisted to get them on board. After we had got them all safe on ship, Brother Smith and myself sat down [p.54] and had a pig's foot and some bread at 2 o'clock in the morning. I then laid down on some boxes to rest. The ship went out of the docks into the river.

Friday March 27th The ship lay in the River Mersey all day. Elder Benson with several of the brethren from the office came on board and organized the company. Elder James Park was appointed president of the company and I his first counselor, C. [Charles] R. Dana his second counselor. We had a good time.

Saturday March 28th This morning the anchor was weighed and the ship started at 5 o'clock a.m. The steam tug took us out into the Channel and then returned to Liverpool. We had a good wind all day and many songs of Zion was sung by the merry [p.55] hearted Saints.

Sunday March 29th This day we had a good breeze that caused our hearts to rejoice greatly. Some little seasickness but the old ship was moving along briskly which caused every heart on board to feel well.

Monday March 30 This day there was much seasickness. The passengers were throwing up on all parts of the ship. [-] well [-] enough to wait on the sick and everyone on the ship, looked sick and felt sick.

Tuesday March 31st This morning the winds began to blow to gale and the sea began to roll and the waves ran high and seasickness was very bad. The winds continued to blow hard all day also all night, and the boxes and tins were rolling about the ship all night [p.56] and we were all very sick and felt that dry land was the best place for us.

Wednesday April 1st This morning the wind still blew hard and most of the Saints was sick. I was sick and it was truly a bad sensation. Not fair winds today.

Thursday April 2nd The sea was made calm, and the sickness began to abate and the most of the Saints felt better.

Friday April 3rd The sea was quite calm and we began to feel quite well and the merry voices again was heard singing the songs of Zion.

Saturday April 4th But little wind this morning but after prayers a fresh breeze came which filled the sails [p.57] and we moved along at the rate of 7 miles per hour and continued so all day.

Sunday April 5th We had a nice breeze all day and the seasickness had most all left the ship for there was but few that was sick. We meeting between decks in the forenoon and afternoon and evening and many good things were spoken by the elders and the hearts of the Saints were made glad.

Monday April 6th The morning was fine and at half past 2 o'clock p.m. the Saints was called together by President Park to hold a conference. I gave out the hymn on page 302, "When Earth in Bondage Long had Laid." &c. Prayer by Elder [Charles R.] Dana. Singing again. President Park addressed [p.58] the conference for a short time, then presented the authorities of the church. After they had been laid before the conference and had been unanimously sustained, Elder Evans was call upon to speak. After he got through, Elder Park called upon me to speak. I spoke for a short time, then Elder Dana spoke for a short time. My heart was made glad at having the privilege of holding a conference on board the fine ship George Washington on the 6th day of April, 1857, 27 years since the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. The day was fine and the winds favorable, and everything even the elements appeared to smile upon us and unto God and the Lamb be all the glory forever and ever, amen. [p.59]

Tuesday April 7th This morning the winds blew fair and the ship was going about 12 miles an hour the sea was quite rough. I do not feel so well as I did the day before, but I was glad that I was going so fast for the land of America.

Wednesday April 8th A wind this morning and I felt much better in health and most of the Saints was over their seasickness. Some few still are sick, but are recovering very fast.

Thursday April 9th The weather was fine, and a fair wind which caused our hearts to rejoice. The sick are fast recovering and are able to eat hearty. This night at 12 o'clock a.m. Brother John Shuttleworth died. He was sick when he came on [p.60] board at Liverpool, he had the as my age.

Friday April 10th A gentle breeze was blowing and the sails of the George Washington was spread to receive the breeze and we was wafted along at the speed of 9 miles per hour and the hearts of the Saints were filled with joy, but all at once a gloom was seen on every face at the appearance of the body of Brother Shuttleworth. He died the night before. He was put upon a board and a prayer was offered up and then his body was consigned to the great deep and his spirit we trust has gone to rest to await the resurrection of the just. This is a day long to be remembered by the Saints on this ship. The body was buried in the deep at 25 minutes to 9 o'clock a.m. [p.61]

Saturday April 11th The wind was still blowing fair and we was sailing fast. This day is my birthday, 32 years old today. Sister Elizabeth Walker made a pudding for me. Sisters Annis Bedford and Priscilla Noble and Israel Evan and Benjamin Ashby help to eat it.

Sunday April 12th Still good winds this morning. A child by the name of Sarah Anne Coggle was buried in the sea at 25 minutes to nine o'clock a.m. I offered up a prayer before it was put into the sea.

Monday April 13th Still fair winds, we had good until we arrived in harbor at Boston Sunday the 19th. I was called [p.62] upon to cast a devil out of a young woman but he would not go until I commanded him to tell his name. When I commanded him in the name of Jesus to tell his name he yelled out Hecrael. I then commanded Hecrael to leave and he left, but he did not like to go. The girl was very weak after he left her body. My heart was full of gratitude to my God for his blessings unto me and my brethren and sisters.

Tuesday April 21st The winds blew to gale and the captain was obliged to drop two anchors to hold our ship from being driven onto the rocks. Very cold winds and we could not get onshore.

Wednesday April 22nd The ship arrived in the docks of [p.63] Boston at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon & remained on board all night. Sister Sarah Smith came to see me and brought me a present of apples and pound cake.

Thursday April 23rd All the passengers bound for Iowa left the ship & started on the train about four o'clock in p.m. We traveled all night in the cattle cars.

Friday April 24th We arrived in Albany at about 10 o'clock this day. There our luggage was taken out of the vans & removed across the River Hudson to another station. It was safely put into other vans & this time we traveled in 2nd class carriages for Buffalo. We passed Schenectady & Utica on the Mohawk River. [p.64]

Saturday April 25th We arrived at Buffalo at about eleven o'clock in the morning. We passed through the city of Rochester & saw the falls of the river Gennessee. In the evening of this day we left Buffalo at about 7 o'clock. Part of the Saints traveled in 1st & the rest in 2nd class carriages. We traveled all night & were very comfortable.

Sunday April 26th We came into Cleveland at about 7 a.m. & camped under a wood shed, & built [- -] to cook our victuals. Brothers Israel Evans, Albert Tylor & myself with several of the sisters took a walk along the lake shore. Their names as follows: Annis Bedford, [p.65] Priscilla Noble, Martha Frost, Mary Scobern [Scottorn], Elizabeth Walker, Elizabeth Trip [Tripp], Elizabeth Bennett, and Elizabeth Tully. We enjoyed ourselves very much [-] the lakes & watching steamboats & sailing vessels, passing to and fro on Lake Erie. About 12 o'clock we were called upon by President Park to remove from our camp to the railway cars. We were all removed & comfortably settled at about 3 o'clock. One of the sisters named Lewis was taken sick and was put to bed in one of the luggage vans. Many of the citizens of this place felt rather concerned about us saying we were all going to the Valley to be shot down and told some of the sisters to stop & marry with them [p.66] in the place of going up to [marry] that damned Brigham Young. Witness [-] Annis Bedford, Priscilla Noble. They stood around our carriages as though we were some strange beings from some other planet. We had been traveling on the Buffalo, Erie & Cleveland Railway.

Monday April 27th After having a comfortable nights rest we arose from our beds which were made up of blankets &c on the floor of the railway cars. We left this place at about 7 a.m. and arrived in Toledo at about past 12 p.m. where we remained until nine in the evening. At this place we occupied the cars destined for Chicago. We traveled safely all night in first class carriage [p.67] which were very comfortable. We retired to our beds (which were made in the seats of the cars) at about 10 o'clock and after turning and changing about time after time we at last got to sleep and rested considerably well this night.

Tuesday 28th April All this day we were traveling on the same line being detained a many hours by waiting for a luggage train which was ahead of us. We passed LaPorte at about 10 o'clock p.m. which is a small state town in the north of the state of Indiana. This night I stood guard in the cars for about 2 hours to keep out some ruffians who were traveling in the same train.

Wednesday April 29th [p.68] We arrived at Chicago at about 8 o'clock being about 8 hours behind the proper time. We were too late for the morning train & had to wait until four o'clock in the afternoon. In the morning I went out with some of the Saints to look at the city & came back at past 11 and got Sister Annis Bedford to write up my journal.

Thursday, April 30 - We arrived at Iowa City at 11 o'clock a.m. Met Elder [James A.] Little at the depot and he hired teams and took all our luggage to the campground 3 miles west of the city. [p.69] In the evening Elder Little bought ten tents on the ground for the handcart company and a few wagon covers which we used to shield us from the rain...[THIS JOURNAL ENDS WITHOUT ANY ENTRY INTO THE SALT LAKE VALLEY.]

BIB: Martin, Jesse Bigler. Journals, fd. 3, pp. 54-69. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)