May 1864- On the 21st, a ship left Liverpool for New York with 1,005 souls of the Latter- day Saints on board. On the 30th, I left Birmingham Conference and began my trip to Zion. I went to London and on the same day boarded an emigrant ship Hudson but we lay in the port until the 3rd of June.

June 1864 - On Friday the 3rd at one o'clock in the afternoon we left London, a steamship tugged us out.

On the 4th many were seasick.

The 5th, was a Sunday and the weather was beautiful. We had a meeting on the deck.

On the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th we were in a storm and many were sick.

On Sunday the 12th we had beautiful weather and had a meeting on the deck. All were on deck and the ship was fumigated in the lower decks.

Nothing special happened the 13th 14th and 15th. On the 16th an old man from Ireland died. He was not one of the Latter-day Saints.

On the 17th and 18th, all went well.

On the 19th, we had a meeting. A few of those who did not belong to our church were gathered to hear the Mormons preach. Brother McCune took all the time himself. In preaching, he gave testimony of the first principles and then mentioned polygamy in the gathering. No one contradicted him.

On the 20th 21st and 22nd all went well. On Thursday the 23rd the first of the Latter-day Saints died. It was a child from Switzerland, fourteen months old.[p.27]

On the 24th and 25th all was well. On Sunday the 26th at eleven o'clock we had a meeting in English and at two thirty one in German and French. On the 27th a sister from Switzerland died, age 42. She was sick before she boarded the ship. Her husband was there, but they had no children.

The 28th 29th and 30th all well.

July 1864 - Friday, the 1st and the 2nd, all went well.

On Sunday the 3rd at eleven o'clock we had an English meeting; at three o'clock a German: and at six o'clock a Dutch. During the afternoon a child died, age one and one half years from Switzerland.

The 4th 6th 7th 8th 9th all well.

Sunday the 10th, we did not have any meeting inasmuch as it was very cold.

On the 11th, nothing unusual happened.

On the 12th, two small children died, one from England and one from Switzerland.

On the 13th a little boy from Holland died, age three years. In the afternoon, we had a dance on the deck.

On the 14th, we danced again a little on the deck. In the evening, I talked for about an hour with one of the ship's sailors concerning the Latter-day Saint faith and doctrine. He said that he could understand. It would be good if he could follow with us but he said he lacked money and clothes. He was from Sjaelland in Denmark.

15th and 16th, all was well.

On Sunday, the 17th, I slept an hour until noon. I dreamt that I lost one of my molars. In the afternoon, we had a meeting on the deck.

On the morning of the 18th at four o'clock an official from New York came on board. On the same day, we saw the land of America.

On the 19th, at 6:30 a steamship came and tugged us into New York Harbor. There were 863 on board the Hudson.

On the 20th, another steamship came and took both us and our baggage to New York and in the afternoon, we boarded another steamship which left the same evening for Albany. We arrived on the morning of the 21st at four o'clock and at twelve o'clock, we left on a train which was the beginning of our overland trip to America.

On the 22nd, we came on a ferry which took us across a small river, about a half-mile wide, and again we boarded a train.[p.28]

On the morning of the 23rd, I met a Danish brother on the train, Peder Westenskov, [Westonskow] who had deserted from the war in Denmark. We both became extremely happy. On the same day, we came again to a small river, crossed it and again boarded a train.

On the 24th at six o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived in Chicago. We stayed there for the night and slept in the train cars.

On the morning of the 25th, at 9:30 we started again on our journey.

On the 26th we were not far from the place where the Prophet, Joseph Smith, was martyred. In the evening we were taken across the Mississippi River. When we were across, it was necessary for us to stay there two nights and a day because of the war. The soldiers had burned a bridge. A child was born the first night that we were there.

At seven o'clock in the morning of the 28th, we left on the train and after forty miles we came to the burnt bridge. There it was necessary for us to carry all of our baggage a half mile. Boards were laid across the canal to walk on. We stayed there until all the supplies and baggage were brought across. There stood the soldiers from the North and awaited any minute those from the South.

On the 29th Sister Fanny Poulten's child died and another one also and they were buried there. In the afternoon, we took with train in three companies and came to St. Joseph. We arrived there the 30th and were taken to a large house. There, two children and a boy, age fourteen, died. We stayed at this place until the 31st, on which day at twelve o'clock, a ship sailed with half of us to Wyoming [Nebraska] and in the evening the last of us came on board but the ship did not sail until the 1st of August at three o'clock in the morning.

August 1864 - On the first we sailed up the Missouri River. On the 2nd at six o'clock we came to Wyoming [Nebraska]. On the 3rd I received a letter from Carolyn Lamp and from my brother Pf. Rasmussen. On the same day we brought up our baggage. On the 4th nothing happened. On the 5th I wrote a letter to Pfalster. On the 6th and 7th nothing unusual happened. On the 8th I wrote to Carolyn Lamp. On the 9th and 10th nothing recorded. On the 11th I had to try to drive the oxen which we were to use over the prairies. We stayed over in Wyoming on the 12th and 13th. On the 14th we [left Wyoming]. . .[p.29]

November 1864- . . . On the 2nd . . . at eight o'clock the company arrived at Salt Lake City. On the 3rd I left in the morning at four o'clock and arrived in Salt Lake City. There (I) met P. Westenskow. We were that day at Sister Kay's house and took all of her baggage off the wagon. We stayed there. . . .[p. 30]

BIB: Nielsen, Peder Christian. Journal (Ms 1799), pp. 27-30. (CHL)
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