My mother and father were baptized by C.C.A. Christensen and myself by Carl Fjeld, fall of 1855. We left Norway, Oct. 15, 1855. We arrived in Utah in 1856. We left Norway, with the S.S. Nordkapp to Copenhagen, stopped there 2 weeks, waiting for the Danish immigrants. Crossed the Batlie to Kiel, Germany, from Kiel to Hamburg on R. R. from Hamburg across the north sea to Hull, England, then to Liverpool where we stayed about 8 days, waiting for the old "Bark" John J. Boyd to get ready to take us across the Atlantic Ocean to America. We encountered some fearful storms. In mid-ocean we hailed a wreck that had been lying for 8 days in a fearful situation. The rudder masts, and railings were gone. The man at the helm and the cook with all his utensils were washed overboard. The balance of the crew and the captain, 21 persons were saved on board our ship.

We were 11 weeks on the ocean before we landed in New York. We stayed 3 days in New York, left by rail for St. Louis where we stayed about one month. My father and I worked in a brick yard while in St. Louis. Not being used to such hard labor, nor the climate, my father became ill and was confined all the way to Winter Quarters or (Florence). This was the place the Saints gathered to prepare for the journey across the plains. This place was reached by steam ship up the Mississippi (Missouri) river. When reaching Florence, my father got worse instead of better and laid about 14 days very low, and at last slept the sleep of the faithful in full belief of the truth awaiting a glorious resurrection. He was buried on the road leading across the plains, with his feet to the East. I was then 14 years old. After my father's burial, [p. 1] I had to go to the neighboring place to seek work. This was "Omaha". I got work at digging trenches around the farms, and earned some money to buy some necessary things for the journey across the plains.

In the opening of 1866 we started, 70 wagons for the West. Knud Peterson, who had been on a mission to Europe, was our leader, especially in Norway. It took us 3 months to come across the plains. . . . [p. 2]

BIB: Peterson, John Peter. Autobiography, pp.[1-2], IN Maxine L. Breinholt, Biographies (Ms 8691), reel 4. pp. 1-2. (CHL)
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