"THE LAST SHIP OF THE SEASON. -- The packet ship Monarch of the Sea, Captain William R. Gardner, sailed from this port for New York on the morning of the 10th instant, having on board about 960 of the Saints, being, we believe, the largest number of Saints that have ever been shipped upon one vessel. The company was composed of various nationalities -- people form Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland, &c., &c.; those from the Scandinavian nations being the most numerous. Elder Jabes Woodard was appointed president of the company, and Elders Hans O. Hansen and Niels Wilhelmsen were appointed his counselors.
Elder Woodard was called on a mission to Europe at a general conference of the Church held at Great Salt Lake City, April 6th, 1857. Since his arrival in Europe he has been laboring in the Swiss and Italian Mission, having had the presidency of that mission a greater portion of the time. The Lord has been with him in his ministrations, and his efforts have been crowned with much success; and though he has had much to contend with in that country, in consequence of the little liberty and toleration existing in matters of religion, yet he has been kept out of the power and hands of his enemies, and free from the effects of their wicked machinations.
Elder Hans O. Hansen left the Valley in the spring of 1860, to attend to business in Norway. While there, he labored faithfully in the ministry. Elder Niels Wilhelmsen has been actively engaged in the Scandinavian Mission, visiting the various branches and conferences, and doing all in his power to build up the Saints. Recently he has been acting as president of the Copenhagen Conference.
There are a number of elders from Scandinavia who have been engaged in the ministry as presidents of conferences, travelling elders, &c., on board the Monarh of the Sea
, on their way to Zion; also several who have been engaged in the ministry in Great Britain. Among the former are Elders Jens Neilsen, Gustavas Ohlson, and Saamund Gudmundsen. Among the latter are Elders Samuel Francis, William H. Kelsey, E. L. T. Harrrison, Edward Reid, and Thomas Smith. These brethren have hailed the day of their deliverance -- long looked for by them -- with much gladness.
Early on the morning of the 16th, before the ship sailed, the presidency of the mission, with others of the priesthood, met with the Saints, and gave them such items of counsel and instruction as were adapted to their circumstances, Elders John Van Cott, Jabes Woodard, and John L. Smith interpreting in Danish, German, and French. An excellent spirit prevailed, and all felt to rejoice. It was a truly interesting spectacle to witness the assembling together of so many members of different families of nations on one ship -- no less than ten nationalities being represented -- all actuated by one motive, all possessed of one faith, filled with the sprit of love and union
, going to Zion in fulfilment of words spoken by inspiration of the Almighty many centuries ago. If signs and wonders would convince this generation of the truth, there would be no room for doubt after witnessing the oneness of faith, the unanimity of feeling, and the singleness of purpose that pervaded the minds of men and women in this company of Saints. Brought together from various nations, educated in different beliefs, with different views and prejudices, they were nevertheless, through obedience to the truth, able to see alike, to rejoice in the one hope, and to move forward, actuated by one impulse, for the accomplishment of the same object; all able to bear the same testimony in their various languages that God had revealed his gospel in purity and power from the heavens, and had, through his servant Joseph Smith, re-established his church on the earth in these days. And this has been accomplished through the blessing of the Lord upon the labors of poor, unlearned; but yet heaven authorized and richly endowed men! Men seek for signs, asking the servants of the Lord to show them, that they may believe; yet this is a sign which is comparatively unnoticed, but which ought to be patens to the world, and sufficient to cause them to acknowledge that it must be the truth -- the pure gospel of Jesus -- which brings forth such fruits. "
MS. 23:21 (May 25, 1861), pp.328-29
"Thurs. 16 [May 1861] -- The packet ship Monarch of the Sea sailed from Liverpool, with 955 Saints of various nationalities, under the direction of Jabez Woodard, H. O. Hansen and Niels Wilhelmsen. The company arrived in New York June 19th."
CC, p.65
". . . On Thursday, May 9, 1861, a company of 565 Scandinavian Saints (373 Danish, 128 Swedish, and 64 Norwegian) sailed from Copenhagen by steamer 'Waldemar.' President John Van Cott, who accompanied them to England, joined the emigrants at Kiel. Elders Hans Olin Hansen, Niels Wilhelmsen, Jens Nielsen, Gustaf A. Ohlson, Saamund Gudmundsen, Carl W. J. Hecker, Anders Frantzen and others returned home or emigrated with this company, after having labored faithfully as missionaries in the Scandinavian Mission. After a successful voyage the company arrived at Kiel in the morning of May 10th, and were at once forwarded by special train to Altona, where they arrived about noon. In Altona the company was divided into two parts, of which one (about 200 Saints) immediately boarded the steamer 'Brittania' and departed for Hull, England, about 3 p.m. the same day. They arrived at Hull May 12th. The second division (169 souls), having been quartered in a large hall overnight, left Hamburg May 11, 1861, at about 3 p.m. by steamer 'Eugenia,' which, after a pleasant voyage, arrived at Grimsby, England, on the morning of May 13th. The captain of this vessel treated the emigrants with all due respect and kindness, while the opposite was the case on the steamer 'Brittania.' The two companies joined together again at Grimsby, where they were comfortably cared for until the morning of May 14th, when they proceeded by special train to Liverpool, arriving in that city about 2 p.m. Two hours later they were placed on board the ship 'The Monarch of the Sea,' the largest vessel that had carried Latter-day Saint emigrants across the Atlantic up to that date. This company of Saints was also until then the largest to cross the Ocean on one ship. On May 16, the company was organized by Presidents Amasa M. Lyman, Charles C. Rich and George Q. Cannon, who appointed Elder Jabez Woodard from Switzerland, president, with Hans Olin Hansen and Niels Wilhelmsen as his counselors. At 11 a.m. the great vessel lifted anchor, and, amid great cheers of parting friends, the ship left the wharf and began its long voyage. Later the large company was divided into districts, the Scandinavians in seven and the English and Germans into three or four, each under a president. The names of these presidents were: Edward Read, John J. P. Wallace, Horace Pegg, Peter Nielson, Saamund Gudmundsen, Gustaf A. Ohlson, Aaron G. Oman, Lars C. Geertsen, Johan Fagerberg and Rasmus Nielsen; the latter also acted as marshal for the Scandinavians. Elias L. T. Harrison was appointed chief secretary, while Lars C. Geertsen was chosen to act as clerk for the Scandinavians. The emigrants were kindly treated by both officers and crew on shipboard and the provisions were good and sufficient. Some inconvenience was experienced in getting the food cooked on the ranges, on account of the great number of pots and kettles to be served in the kitchen, and on this account each family could only cook five times each week. The sick were treated to wine and beer; the adults received boiled sago and the children had milk. On the voyage from Copenhagen to New York nine persons, most of whom were children, died; 14 couples were married and four births took place on board. Of the marriages 11 couples were Scandinavians. Among them were Anders Frantzen of the Aarhus Conference and Maren Motensen of the Copenhagen Conference. Saamund Gudmundsen and Ellen Maria Mork of the Brevig Conference, and Carl W. J. Hecker and Karen Marie Madsen of the Vendsyssel Conference. The weather was favorable most of the time during the voyage; the ship, however, had to battle against the wind a couple of days. Large icebergs were passed among which was one judged to tower 200 feet high above water. On June 19th the 'Monarch of the Sea' arrived in New York, where the company was met by Elder Jones and Williams and lodged at Castle Garden. Apostle Erastus Snow, who also happened to be in New York at the time, spoke to the Scandinavains in the Danish language.
From New York the company traveled by rail and steamboat (part of the way in two divisions) to Florence, Nebraska, the first division arriving at Florence July 1st, and the second July 2nd. The route taken was about the same as the year before (via Dunkirk, Cleveland, Chicago, Quincy, St. Joseph, etc.).
Preparations for the journey across the plains were at once made and all who had not the means to fit themselves out for the long journey were assisted by teams from Utah, which this year for the first time were sent in large companies by the Church to the Missouri River to assist the poor Saints in gathering to Zion. Most of the Scandinavians grant[ed] assist[ance] in this manner crossed the plains in Captain John R. Murdock's company, which left Florence in the begging of July and arrived in Salt Lake City, Sept. 12th. The rest of the emigrants -- those who possessed sufficient means to help themselves -- left Florence a few days later under the leadership of Captain Samuel A. Woolley with about 60 ox teams. After traveling for some distance, the company was divided into two sections, and Elder Porter was appointed captain of the second division. On Sunday, Sept. 22nd, this company arrived safely in Salt Lake City. . . . "
HSM, pp.154-56
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