Dear Husband:--Now that I have the opportunity to write to you. I will try to tell you more about my journey and how I have been. I am well and happy. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father and lucky for being able to come this far on our journey. On April 28, 1864 we left Grimsby by train. It is a beautiful country and very prosperous. Part of the time we rode underground. It was dark, we went through tunnels nine times, the 6th and 9th times were the longest. We went over many mountains, there were trains passing us in the opposite direction many times. We arrived at Liverpool at 2:9 p.m. the same day we went aboard ship. We were assigned to our quarters and we also received our rations which consisted of bacon, meat, peas, potatoes, flour, cereal, pepper, mustard, sugar, and vinegar.
There were over a thousand emigrants aboard the ship, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and English. We were in Liverpool eight days before we sailed.
Many good talks were given us by Brothers Smith and Johansen [Johanssen] from Norway, Brother Cannon and Brother Taylor. We were given many instructions. There was peace and happiness with us. There were many times we sang, played and danced. We had prayer both morning and evening.
We sailed aboard the large ship thirty-one days. I was only sick eight days. It wasn't seasickness, but it was climate fever. I was very sick, and missed you. I needed you here to take care of me. Some of the brothers did the best they could for me. They waited on us as if we were small children.
The worst is past and I must not grumble against the Lord, he has given me much and I must be thankful for the many blessings I have, but I can't hold my feelings back and I am homesick for you. I can say with truthfulness that the Lord has heard all my prayers and he has blessed me with many blessings, that has been for my own good therefore dear husband, I will live the best I can for my Heavenly Father, so that the best blessings will be for me, that I will be faithful in every task that is asked of me. I hope that I will be among the worthy to reach the mountains.
My heart is filled with pain when I think of those that are left in Babylon, and also that there are my relatives, I will stop with them. And now I will tell you about my journey.
We were five weeks on the water and we landed in New York the third of June. It was a big event that we have all been waiting for. To see the trees and all the beautiful things, the tallest building on earth. Dear husband, what great happiness there is to set foot upon the beautiful American land. Not alone that it is a beautiful place, but the fact that Joseph blessed this land to be set aside for someday to be for all the Lord's people. To each person who will worship God and love his neighbor as his self. Dear husband be faithful so that each of us will be able to receive the blessings our Heavenly Father has for us that we are in need of. I don't mean to preach to you, but I have learned so many things since I have started my journey. There are many weaknesses, therefore be patient it is a good trait to develop and if we have it we will be able to pass through many trying things. The Lord's hand will follow us and his blessings will follow us.
When we arrived at New York, there were several people we knew. I was most welcomed by Brother Mortensen, Brother Christensen of Grenaa. Haurback Knudsen, Staffer and Frederiksen. There were also many whose name I do not remember. They had all had a good trip. I will tell you how many ships we have been on, there were quite a few because the Saints hadn't gone the way they had planned to go. Because of trouble with the ships.
We rode on the train for eight meters a day and there was stoves and restrooms on each car. We have arrived here in Wyoming the 13, June, 1864. When we shall travel from here I didn't know, but don't think it will be too long before we shall start on our journey again. I can let you know that I am not with Krones anymore. I am with Christensen and Sister Hold and also Frederiksen. Brother Niels Jorgensen hasn't arrived and Jensine hasn't heard from him. I hope he will soon come, if not now next year. But he will probably come before we will leave here. We have it comfortable here in our little leaf hut that Brother Christensen and Frederiksen has built for us. There are about 11 hundred here in Leiren with the English. We have a flag on our house so that we can see where to come back to whenever we go visiting. At this time we haven't made any plans all we have done is eat, drink and we have gone into the woods to pick grapes and strawberries. We have music and song and everything to entertain us. We have the best food here at the church wagon that [p. 1] anyone could wish for. Pork and the finest four to bake bread with, the best sugar that we were never able to buy in Denmark. We have delicious dried apples for sweet soup and many other things, so we enjoy eating.
We have it good here, we live in a leaf hut it is named the Bag Bystedt. I can't remember the street where we live at. I can tell you my dear husband, that here are many things that would interest you. There is a man here that came with the church wagon that is going to Denmark. He has promised to take my letter with him. He has hundreds of letters to take with him. I have to hurry and get this finished so he can have it, or I would tell you more about the trip. You don't know their names. When I come home to Zion I will write you more. It is time-I almost forgot to tell you how many have gotten married on the trip. You don't know their names so I won't tell you who they are. There has been 40 children and 4 adults die so far on the journey. I guess that isn't too many among so many of us.
Dear husband I have heard here in America that there is a war in Denmark, that all of Europe is unrest, but that is not new for as God's children know that God's prophets have said in the last days, there should be wars and rumors of wars and that all the earth shall profess that God lives and that he has the only true church. You can believe dear husband it hurts me that we drove against our dear Brother Joseph Fodely and it reminds me of what he has done for his religion and that he does his Father's will. Dear husband even though we don't know too much about the gospel, let us learn and make a practice to learn more about it each day.
We have come through America where the Saints have been driven from. It is a beautiful and fruitful country. Here are masses of Negroes. They are a good and friendly people. There is talk around that we shall start to travel Thursday. But it isn't definite now. If it is so we will start our journey from Wyoming [Nebraska] the 30th of June. Remember and celebrate my birthday on the 1st of July. Dear husband if only you were with me, it probably will be a long time for me to wait. Be sure that you do all for to come over here. I fear that they will take you in the army. Be sure and do all you can to be free from being called in the army. It would be awful if you should leave me for such a case. Be sure that you do all for your self and for me. I will try and earn some money over here. If you can't come over here it would be the greatest test for me. Anything else I could take. Dear husband the happiest days we have lived together, if only these days would come again so we can be together in Zion. I pray to our Heavenly Father that the way will be opened. Dear husband I won't forget to pray to my Heavenly Father to help you and give you health and strength to save money for your trip. Dear husband I miss you so much, if only I could hear from you and find out how things are with you. What you have done with our home and furnishings. Who lives in our apartment and all about what has happened. How is my family and the old folks at Asentoft? I have wished a thousand times that I could of said goodbye to all of them. Be sure and tell my brother and wife hello from me. Be sure and tell your mother and the family hello from he too. Be sure and get as much of my genealogy with you as you can when you come, you know how important that is. Tell Sister Outzen and her husband hello for me. I think and talk about them a lot. Tell the children that I will have apples and cake for them when they come to Zion, if they are good children. Tell Petersen from Arvoy, Sister Fruls, Sister Tegen and he children that I will see Brikke when I come home. Tell Michael, Hans Hansen, Boberg, Christen Mikkelsen, Soren Thomsen, Jens Peter Nielsen, Peter Laursen, it is my plan to visit their daughter when I come home. Tell them all hello. Greet Brother Jensen in Aalborg if you write to him. I talked to him in Copenhagen. Greet shoemaker Morch & his wife for me. I pray that the Lord will bless them so that they will understand the gospel and accept it. Thank them for all the things they have done for both of us. Be sure and tell Madam Henriksen and her husband and children that I miss them , but I hope that some day they will visit with us Zion.
Dear husband I miss you very much. I will say now live well, live well dear husband we will soon meet again. May God bless you, that you will have everything necessary so that you will soon come to Zion. I am sending you all my love.
Caroline Martine Hansen.These letters were translated from Danish language to the English by Edith Melgaard Cox of Fairview, Utah. [p. 2]
BIB: History of Caroline Martine Anderson, first wife of Charles Keilgaard Hansen [letter, Caroline Martine Hansen to Charles K. Hansen, June 17, 1864, Wyoming, Nebraska] (Ms 8889). pp.1-2 (CHL)
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