. . . On May 22, 1856 she started on an oceanic and overland voyage for Utah with her mother and four children, Matilda, Jane, Samuel, Josephine, and Farewell; the other three children died before they left England.

They sailed from Liverpool on board the sailing ship Horizon. There were about seven hundred passengers on board. They had a pretty good passage over the sea. When hoisting sail in a storm once, the word was given to "hoist higher". One of the passengers mistook the word for "fire", and happily the error was discovered in time to prevent a panic on board. They landed at Boston, Massachusetts, June 30th in good health.

After a short stay at Boston, they proceeded to Iowa City which place they reached on July 8. At this place they commenced to make preparations for their terrible overland journey across the vast plains to Utah. The mechanics were very busy manufacturing handcarts with which to haul their provisions and small children. Many of the handcarts were built with wooden axles instead of iron and with leather boxes. They expected to find these vehicles already at hand on their arrival at Iowa City, but this work consumed between two and three weeks of their time in which they should have been wending their way to Salt Lake City.

There were two companies which contained about 556 persons, 146 handcarts, 7 wagons, 6 mules and horses, 50 milch cows and beef animals. There was one wagon loaded with goods for the church. To each of these two companies were apportioned a mule team, and two wagons pulled by oxen. These were to carry the commissary, stores, tents, etc.

On July 15, the company left Iowa City under the captaincy of Elder James G. Willy [Willie] for Florence, a distance of 277 miles. At Florence the two handcart companies were consolidated. Edward Martin was appointed captain and Daniel Tyler was his assistant.

After traveling two miles they often broke camp. On August 27th they made a start for Cutter's Fork on their long tedious journey across the vast plains of 1,000 miles to their future home. . . . [p.1]

. . . They came by easy stage the remainder of the journey and finally reached Salt Lake City at midday on Sunday, November 30. Thus ended the ever-memorable overland voyage from the Missouri River to the capital of Utah in the eventful year of 1856. . . .[p.4]

BIB: Leaves from the life of Sarah Wells Hartley Curtis (Ms 2827), pp.1,4. (CHL)
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