"DEPARTURES. . . . Elders Jacob Gates, C. V. Spencer, A. M. Harmon, R. Rostron, W. Speakman, John Carmichael, with a company of 321 souls, under the presidency of Elder Gates, sailed out, on board the Golconda, on one of the most favorable days which has appeared for several months. These seven pastors and presidents of conferences, after laboring with success, most of them for many years, in this land, have now the privilege of gathering to the land of Zion, to refresh their spirits and recruit their energies, that they may be enabled to assist still more extensively in building up the Kingdom of God in the future. That they, with the Saints accompanying them, may be prospered on their homeward journey, is our earnest prayer, and we doubt not, is the earnest prayer of thousands of British Saints."
MS, 15:7 (Feb12, 1853), pp.105-06
"SIXTY-SECOND COMPANY. -- Golconda, 321 Saints. Under the presidency of Elder Jacob Gates, three hundred and twenty-one Saints sailed from Liverpool, on board the ship Golconda, January 23, 1853. Among other prominent elders on board there were Claudius V. Spencer, A. M. Harmon, R. Rostron, W. Speakman and John Carmichael, who had acted as pastors and presidents of conferences; some of them had been in the missionary fields for many years. Among those who emigrated in the Golconda, were the late Thomas King and his wife, Hannah Tapsfield King, who assisted quite a number of poor Saints in emigrating to Zion.
After a prosperous voyage of forty-four days, the Golconda arrived at the Balize, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, where they waited twelve days for a steam tug to take them up to New Orleans. During the voyage, half an hour's storm despoiled the gallant vessel of her three top masts. Four births, two marriages, and two deaths occurred on board; the health of the Saints was very good generally during the entire passage. On the twentieth of March, Elder Spencer baptized Erik M. Caste, a Swedish sailor, who accompanied the Saints to the Valley. The conduct of Captain Kerr gave great satisfaction to all the company, and before the parting a vote of thanks, with three cheers, was tendered him.
On the twenty-sixth of March the vessel arrived safely in New Orleans, where the emigrants boarded the steam packet Illionois, on which they continued the journey to St
. Louis, Missouri, and thence, soon afterwards, to Keokuk, Iowa. (Millennial Star, Vol. XV, pp.105, 282, 288, 392.)"
Cont., 13:10 (Aug. 1892), p.460
"Sun. 23. [Jan 1853] -- The ship Golconda sailed from Liverpool, England, with 321 Saints, under the direction of Jacob Gates; it arrived at New Orleans, March 26th."
CC, p.47
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