. . . Continued preaching among the Saints. Presided over the Mottram Branch about 12 months, then came back to Stalybridge and acted as first counselor to President S. Connell for about 12 months. I was also president of the No. 1 Ward of the same branch, president of the Sunday school, and leader of the choir until the 25th of May 1856 when I sailed from Liverpool for Boston on board the packet ship Horizon with 864 Saints on board, Edward Martin, president.

We anchored in the Bay of Massachusetts on the 28th of June after a very favorable passage. We had 5 deaths and 5 births.

We took the cars at Boston for Iowa City on the 2nd of July and got there in the 8th, the distance of 1700 miles. We had 2 deaths on the way. We passed through Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Rock Island, &c. Camped at Iowa 2 weeks then started with our handcarts to Florence. We got there in 24 days, a distance of 300 miles.[p.14]

Met James Bradshaw there, captain of the steam ferryboat across the Missouri River. Took us in and treated us like his own, wanted me to stay with him through the winter and he would fit me up with a team in the spring to cross the plains with. He said it was too late to cross the plains that season. Stayed with him 1 week. His wife also was very kind to us.

We left Florence on the 23rd of August 1856, arrived in Salt Lake City on Sunday, November 30th, about 1 o'clock at noon. . . . [p.15]

BIB: Durham, Thomas. Journal, typescript, (Special Collections & Manuscripts, Mss 517) pp. 14-15. (Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young
University, Provo, Utah).
(source abbreviations)