My parents left England in the early part of February, 1853, headed for Zion. At that time I was in my seventh year. We crossed the Ocean in a sailing vessel called the International. This boat was antedated and its propelling powers were governed or controlled entirely by the wind. Notwithstanding the fact that her cargo consisted chiefly of Saints who were praying and pleading to their Creator for a safe and speedy voyage, it was ten weeks from the time we left Liverpool until we arrived at New Orleans our ocean destination. Those in charge of this company were very zealous in regard to their religion, holding deck meetings when weather conditions would permit.

They explained the principles of the Mormon faith to the captain, also to the sailors, and by the time the boat arrived they had converted and baptized the whole crew. I learned from hearsay as I grew up that the whole bunch returned to their usual habits when arriving at a seaport, and soon forgot and lost sight of their former pledges. Consequently the Saints soon lost sight of them. I think the majority of them were converted to the gospel about like the old time winter Mormons, although they did not stay with it quite so long.

These winter Mormons would become stranded in Salt Lake City in the days of the gold excitement of California. They would leave their homes in the east late in the season for California and by the time they arrived in Salt Lake City early winter was upon them. They and their teams were fagged out. They depended largely upon feed or grass along the road to sustain their animals. This made it impossible to continue their [p.2] journey until the following spring. The Mormons being largely in the majority in those days I take it that those "ducks" concluded they would have a better stand in by joining the majority, so that many of them joined the church. Some went so far as to marry Mormon girls which were left in a delicate condition when their husbands resumed their journey in the spring. About the only thing these "ducks" left for the support of their wives was good promises which they seldom or ever kept.

That was the character of a good average winter Mormon. After laying around New Orleans for a day or two we were shoved onto a steamboat manned by niggers, in fact I was quite taken up with this nigger business as they were largely in the majority. I had never seen a darkey until this time and concluded they were just dirty and needed washing. I asked father why they did not wash their faces and hands. He smiled, so did the darkies. The trip from New Orleans to St. Louis up the Mississippi was without event further than to say that the Saints sang, the niggers also sang and the latter kept the furnace red hot night and day.

I have since wondered how it was that those meager frail boats did not all blow up with their heavy freight and volcanic structure. We changed boats at St. Louis and finally arrived at Keokuk. The Saints generally thought the way to Zion was a hard road to travel but found out later that they were not up against the real thing until they began to outfit for the plains and come in contact with a herd of wild Texas cattle with horns like a rainbow. [p.3]

. . . We finally arrived at our destination. This was on the thirtieth day of September, 1853, so that we were nearly eight months from the time we started until we arrived at our destination notwithstanding the fact that we were on the move during this time, but not so fast as they move now. I shall never forget our first evening on the old Union Square between sundown and dark. We came with what was then known or called the Ten Pound Company, so that we only had the use of the oxen and wagon but did not own them.

Our junk or personal property was dumped on the ground and the team taken away. Our duds consisted in a worn out cooking outfit, a couple of rolls of bedding, two or three old battered trunks and an ax. Father sat on one trunk with the rim of a hat on his head, crown long since gone. Mother sat on another trunk. My sister Mary Ann stood by Mother's side. I was laying on the bedding for various reasons, we were all in a reflective mood consequently we were quiet but not for long.

Mother broke out into tears at the same time saying, "And this is Zion for which we have sacrificed so much and traveled so far to reach." Father said, "Cheer up, Kittie, I believe all will be well with us. There is one consolation left for we shall not have to travel any further." While in this mood a man came up to us and said, "Did you come in with the company that pulled in this evening?" [p.4]

"Yes sir," Father replied, "Have you any relatives or acquaintances here in Salt Lake City." Dad said, "There may be people here that I have met before but there are no relatives of ours in this place." "What do you intend to do for tonight?" Dad said, "That is what we have been trying to figure out." This man took a good long silent look at us and then said, "Say, if you can't beat it and are willing to accept, I have an empty unfinished room you are welcome to use for tonight. There is a carpenter bench and tools with lumber and shavings on the floor, no windows or door, but I think you could make it better than lying outside on the ground." Father replied, "We will except it with thanks." "Alright then, let us gather up your duds and follow me." He led the way with the big end of our luggage and soon landed us in our new home. As he was about to leave he asked weather we had anything to ear. "No, we ate the last that we had for breakfast." He left in silence, but soon returned with a big, round loaf of white bread and a pan of milk with cream. It was dark by this time but we managed to get some of this down our necks, roll out the bedding and crawl in. This was our first night in Zion. . . . [p.5]

BIB: Squires, John Fell. Autobiographical sketch, pp. 2-5. (CHL)
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