Steamboat "Uncle Sam," Mississippi River, 400 miles above New Orleans, June 17, 1854.

Dear Brother Richards--I embrace this opportunity of letting you know of our welfare and whereabouts.

I posted a letter for you at the island of Tortugas, at which place we arrived May 30, and left June 4, which letter I hope you have received.

We arrived at New Orleans on the 12th, about twelve o'clock. Elder Brown had left for St. Louis, on account of his ill health. He left letters for me in the hands of one Mr. Cook, which I received.

Within two hours after landing, I had made an engagement with Captain Levensworth, of the steamboat, "Uncle Sam," to take us to St. Louis, at three-and-a-half dollars per head, luggage free; under fourteen years of age half the above. Between eleven and twelve o'clock the next day we left, having been ten weeks from Liverpool.

There were not any provisions left of your ship stores, so I had to purchase, for the P. [Perpetual] E. [Emigration] F. [Fund] passengers, provisions for nine days, which I did as follows -- 400 pounds of biscuits, two barrels of flour, 100 pounds of sugar, and 130 pounds of pork.

We have had two deaths--Sister Mary [p.462] Warren died May 21, and was buried at Georgetown, on the island of Grand Cayman, on the 22nd; June 21, an infant of brother Richard Major's died about ten o'clock, and was buried the same day, on the island of Tortugas. With the exceptions, we have had very little sickness, and are all well at the present time.

I have been requested by the passengers to say--that they express their satisfaction with the quantity and quality of the provisions you furnished, and also with the excellent ship which you provided. And if the good feelings and sincere prayers of a grateful people can in any way facilitate you, be assured that a sense of obligation will ever draw from our hearts the best feelings and most fervent prayers for your prosperity and salvation in time and all eternity.

Previous to our arrival at New Orleans, we had our canvas for tents and wagon covers all made up, so that the Custom House Officers gave us no trouble or delay through that or anything else.

With two or three exceptions this company of Saints have conducted themselves with such propriety as to gain the admiration of Captain Fales, and others that have traveled with us; and if not to convince them of the truth, at least to make favorable impressions upon their minds towards us as a people. You will no doubt wish to know who those exceptions are. We had not been more than two or three days on the ship, when two sisters began to make acquaintance with the officers of the ship, which soon became conspicuous. Some of our good sisters tried to make acquaintance with these two, and lead them otherwise. Myself also, with Brothers Hart and Armstrong, talked with them of their improper conduct; but all our entreaties were in vain. Captain Fales and others expressed their disgust with them. They stayed at New Orleans, and I expect one or both of them are married before this. The men that they kept company with stuffed them up with the promise that they would go to the Valley next season.

Alfred Lardent also stayed at New Orleans; he was met by some relation that persuaded him to stay. I talked with him, and tired to show him the danger and folly of staying at such a place. He said he had paid £10, and was willing to give up any further claim on the company.

It was no sooner known amongst the other passengers that these parties had stayed at New Orleans, than I had a dozen applications from parties to take their places, and who expressed their willingness to pay when they got to the Valley whatever might be required, but I said that could not be decided until we saw Brother Empey at Saint Louis.

I have just been looking over our journal, kept by Brother Armstrong, from which I see that we were in an almost dead calm for twenty days, under a blazing sun, the thermometer standing at 120 on deck in the shade, between decks 110. When I think how little sickness we have had, and the extreme heat to which we have been exposed, and that we are, as a company, in good health, my heart is filled with gratitude to God.

The people around us say that we are too late to get to Salt Lake City this season. They say that we shall be frozen to death in the mountains. Our answer is, the God that has brought us safe through the hot climate, can take us equally as safe through the cold one. We are all in good faith and spirits, with the hope of seeing Salt Lake City sometime in October next.

Brothers Hart and Armstrong join me in love to yourself and father Spencer.

With feelings of esteem, I am your fellow-servant in the gospel,

Richard Cook [p.463]

BIB: Cook, Richard. [Letter], Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star. 16:29 (July 22, 1854) pp. 462-63. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)