. . . My mother, brother William, myself, brothers John Edward, and James, together with my sisters Bridgett and Sarah Anne left my father and our home in Queen Street on Sat. p.m. May 14th or 13th, 1856 and on Monday morning following took the cars for Liverpool arriving there the same day where we remained till the Saturday following when we went on board the ship Horizon, Captain Read. Sailed out to the river Sunday morning and on Monday morning the pilot or tug boat hitched to us leading the ship out to sea leaving us the same afternoon and returning to Liverpool. [p.21]

"Goodbye to England!
Soon out upon the vast expanse.
The vessel sped along.
And many look a parting glance,
And sooth their hearts with song."

The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean would admit of detailing many interesting and humorous incidents but I have not space here to write them. Suffice it to say that there were near 1,000 men, women, and children thereon belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, besides some 25 able-bodied seamen, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd mates, steward, etc.

We had a beautiful voyage, at times sailed very fast as our ship was nearly a full clipper and did some fast sailing when the wind was favorable. A few deaths occurred, mostly children. We had plenty of provisions, water, and firing. The captain was a fine man and a gentleman. We were treated well by him and the sailors, and on or about the 30th of June we landed at Morcambe Bay, Boston, Massachusetts, having been some five weeks on the sea and having had no bad weather or storms worth mentioning.

The next day or day following we took the cars for Albany, passing through Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Davenport, Rock Island to Iowa City where we arrived in the morning of July 6th, passing through Buffalo on the 4th. About three miles northwest of Iowa there was a large camp of our brethren and sisters, skirted on the west by the Iowa River and surrounded by hazel bush and young trees. Handcarts were being made here and fitted up as also wagons, tents, wagon covers, yokes, etc., steers and oxen being gentled and everything necessary for a journey of 1,300 miles over the plains being put in readiness. [p.22]

We remained here till the afternoon of the 26th July. Captain Willies Handcart Company, starting out about the 12th or 15th of the month, in advance of our company. . . . [p.23]

. . . From the South Pass, the teams commenced to travel in earnest—early and late making big drives to Big and Little Sandy, Blacks Fork, Hains Fork, Green River and to Bridger; where we must have reached about the 22nd or 23rd of November and Salt Lake City on Sunday morning the 30th 1856. . . . [p.26]

BIB: Rogerson, Josiah. Autobiographical sketch (Ms 3363, #4), pp. 21-23, 26. (CHL)
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