Written by Caroline Hopkins Clark
(1831 - 1900)

Submitted by Cheryl LeBaron

Gathering to Zion

 Monday, April 30 – Set sail [on the John Bright, 1866] at four o’clock with a fine breeze.

May 1 – Very cold and snow. Martha is seasick. Harriet, Jack and I very good.

May 2 – Very wet and cold. Martha continues seasick. We went upon deck. It is a grand sight to see the waves roll mountains high. Herbert seasick; Roland very poorly. Sister Staples is very kind in helping with the children. John is very busy attending to the cooking, but all together very comfortable.

May 4 – Very cold, and our seasickness still continues. The ship rolls very much. Martha and I went upon deck, a wave dashed over and gave us a ducking. We saw five large fish. The heads resemble those of horses.

May 6 – Sunday – We are all feeling a little better. Martha said she dare say you would be wondering what we were having for dinner. We had a Yorkshire pudding. Just as it was done, the Captain ordered us upon deck, so we had boiled potatoes and peas. They had to stand in the water about one hour after they were done, before we could get into the vessel to eat them.

Evening – We are upon top deck, and the winds are very high. Little Frank is afraid he will fall over. We wish you were all with us. Particularly, Tom Green. He would make a little fun of it, to see us tossing to and fro.

May 8 – We remain very sick. Martha hasn’t been able to eat anything since she came. The sea is very rough. John has to work very hard in the cooking department.

May 9 – All of us are a little better.

May 10 – The sea is very rough. None of us are able to stand on our legs. I fell down and hurt my leg badly. John has had many falls. In fact, all of us, more or less. The things are rolling about. The victuals are tossing about, but we cannot help laughing.

May 11 – Dare say you have heard people say they could go to sleep without rocking, but we cannot go to sleep with rocking. We had plenty last night. Talk about a swinging boat, why bless your life it is nothing compared to being rocked at sea. We can hardly keep in bed. We had to get up and turn our heads where our feet should be or we could not stay in bed at all. The tins and boxes were rolling about. The slop buckets upset. The sailor said it was as rough a night as they have ever seen, and it continued so all day.

May 15 – A beautiful fine day. We had a concert and dancing on deck. At night we went up on top deck to see the sun sinking in the west. It is the grandest sight we have ever witnessed. It is impossible to describe, but if you would like to see it, you will have to do as we have done. It is my birthday today.

May 16 – Very wet again. There was a gale come along and tore the sails down. It is very rough.

May 18 – A very rough day, and we were driven back some distance. We have had to keep our bed, because could not stand up. Sometimes we were almost upright in bed. There was such confusion with the boxes and tins, many smashed all to pieces. John has had several falls, but the rest of us are well now.

May 20 – Sunday – We have had two good meetings during the day. It is very foggy. We just went on top deck. John is boiling potatoes for our supper.

May 23 – Every few days they stove the vessel out, so we have to go upon deck. We had our dinner on top deck; we had meat pies, and jam tarts. We had three births but no deaths.

May 24 – Very foggy. We cannot see very far. We dread the banks of Newfoundland. There were whales seen this morning. Martha and I went to see them but were too late. At night there was a thunderstorm.

May 25 – Had some rain, but not surprised. We wonder if our company general went to have his bread and cheese. We would like to have some. We have to drink water and vinegar with a little sugar in it for our drink.

May 28 – Raining very heavily. The vessel is at a standstill.

June 1 – Much warmer. Many fishing smacks about, so expect we are nearing land. The second mate and two more men went out in a boat and brought a turtle which caused a great deal of fun on deck. Little Frank seized with measles.

June 5 – A beautiful fine day. The tug has just come to take us into New York. It is the grandest sight I ever witnessed to see the things as we go up the river. We have gone upon deck to pass the doctor. He never took any notice of any of us, so we passed first rate. Frank and the baby are a little better.

June 6 – We are still upon the ship in much confusion. They have taken our berths down. We expect to go into Castle Garden today. It is a grand sight to see the things. Baby is better.

June 7 – We were taken into Castle Gardens today about twelve o’clock. We had to stay there until twelve o’clock at night. During this time we went into New York. We went and found some bread and cheese, and a little something else. The things are very dear. We had to pay at the rate of a pence for a small loaf. Martha and I bought a hat for traveling, they are one yard and three quarters around. If you get a piece of string and measure with, you can see how far it is around our hats. At ten o’clock we had to walk about two miles to a steamboat.

June 8 – We rode all night. At break of day we were hurried out to go to the train. We rode all day. It is a pleasing country. It is impossible to describe the acres of land that lays uncultivated. Riding in the train is very tiresome. It shakes very much. It is something like a galvanic battery. We go along fast. Much faster than we do in England. Baby is still very low.

June 9 – We still are riding by rail. We went through British Canada. We also went through Toronto, and Montreal. The houses are mostly built of wood. They look well. The people dress fine about here.

June 10 – Still continue on by rail. We got some new suits, which were quite neat. Things are very cheap in Canada. Meat is one half a pound and everything else according. The eggs are now five pence a dozen. Things have raised on account of the war. Soldiers are stationed every short distance along the road. We are riding day and night.

June 13 – Still going by rail. Sorry to say baby keeps very ill. It puts me about very much. Little Frank has the bowel complaint, but hope he will soon be better.

June 14 – Today’s journey is a sad one to us, on account of the death of our dear baby. It grieved us much. She died at the place called Michigan. John stayed behind to bury her.

June 16 – We took a boat and went down the Missouri River. The water is very dirty with undercurrents. We saw Indians on the bank. Little Frank is some better.

June 19 – Arrived in Wyoming (Nebraska) very early in the morning. The heat is very oppressive. You should see the children, they are blistered with the sun. Little Frank’s arm is very bad. We can see something like sparks of fire; they are small insects. There are not many houses. The teams came to the river for our luggage and took it on to the grove.

June 20 – We pitched our tent at night, then a heavy thunder storm came up, and we all got wet through. You would be surprised at the lightning, it is quite different than it is in the old country.

June 21 – It was very hot. Another thunder storm came on that was much worse than before. It wet everything through. We had to take the children naked into a shed, and keep them there until we dried their clothes.

June 22 – Another lot of teams have joined us. We do not know how long we will stay here.

June 24 – We do not expect to leave for four or five weeks, then will start with the Birmingham Saints.

June 29 – We went over to Nebraska today. It is very rough riding. Sometimes we went up, down and sideways with our ox team. The teamsters said that was nothing to what we had to go through before we got to Utah.

July 25 – Yesterday was the anniversary of our people that entered the valley. We traveled about half the day, then we had singing and dancing and all enjoyed ourselves. We are journeying by the Platte River. A young deaf and dumb girl died in our camp.

Aug. 1 – Today we crossed the Platte River. It was very deep. In places it took the wagons up to the covers. We all got over safe, but wet our clothes.

Aug. 6 – Today we left the South Platte and crossed over to the North Platte, a distance of fifteen miles. You should have seen the mountains we went down. It looked impossible for any persons to go down them, alone the wagons and oxen. We are among Indians.

Aug. 10 – Today we passed Chimney Rock. It is a rock that can be seen for many miles off and forms a chimney. We passed many high rocks. All things are going well for us.

Aug. 14 – Today we passed Laramie, Wyoming; the soldiers stopped our train to see what firearms we had. They told us the Indians had killed a hundred or more, and robbed them. I guess you would like to know how we lived on the Plains. We do not get any fresh meat or potatoes, but we get plenty of flour and bacon. We have some sugar, and little tea, molasses, soap, carbonate of soda, and a few dried apples. We brought some peas, oatmeal, rice, tea, and sugar, which we had left from the vessel. These came in very useful. We bought a skillet to bake our bread in. Sometimes we make pancakes for a change. We also make cakes in the pan, and often bran dumplings with baking powder. We use cream of tartar and soda to make our bread. Sometimes sour dough. It makes very good bread. At times Roland shoots birds. We get wild currants and gooseberries to make puddings. So altogether we get along very well.

Aug. 18 – Today we had trouble with the Indians. We suppose they followed us. We had just corralled, and began to cook our dinners, when the alarm came that the Indians were driving away our cattle. The boys followed them. They got the Indians away with ninety-one head and wounded three. Two of them have died, and we are afraid it will cause us to be delayed.

Aug. 20 – Today we passed Deer Creek. A telegraph message has come to tell us Brigham Young is sending us some mule teams and provisions to help us on account of our cattle.

Aug. 29 – Today we saw the first mountains with snow on them. It is very cold. We can scarcely keep ourselves warm. There has been three births in our train, and expect another any day.

Sept. 1 – Today we passed South Pass. The cold has been very severe. We dined on the leg of an antelope. It sure was a treat.

Sept. 3 – The mule teams have met us and brought provisions. They have gone on to meet the ones that waited back.

Sept. 6 – We crossed Green River and Hams Fork River. We had a hare and a half, so we are not starving. Little Frank keeps very thin, but seems pretty well in health. The other children are fat.

Sept. 12 – Today we reached Coalville. John and Bill went on early in the morning and found Tom and Frank. They brought a team and took us from the train to their house where they made us very comfortable. I would liked to have gone on to the valley, but I began to feel very unwell and thought it best to stop. Little Frank was worse as well.

Sept. 23 – Today we had more trouble on account of the death of our dear little Frank. He got worse every day after we got to Frank’s and died September 23. He suffered alot with pain. He has never been well since he had the measles. His little body just wasted away. He was very merry on the journey and was often singing until the last two days. He had plenty to have done him good. Some people brought me eggs, new milk, a fowl for him, plenty of fresh butter, biscuits, and plenty of milk for getting. So we are not starving.

LETTER FOLLOWING ARRIVAL IN “ZION”

Dear John and Hannah:

      I have sent Sarah a list of our journeying from the time we started from England until we arrived at Wyoming.

      I think we shall build us a house of our own, that will do well until we can have one built according to the custom of the country.

      I have no doubt that when my sisters know that I have lost the baby, they will say, that it would not have died if I had stayed home. There is the same good here as there. She died with the same complaint as the other children. She was so well the beginning of the journey, but we know she is safe and that if we prove true to the gospel that we have embraced, that we shall have her again with the other at the resurrection…

      I dare say you would like to know if we have regretted our journeying. As yet we do not regret the time we left England. If we had the privilege to come back we would not accept it. When I see the privileges of American’s life I feel as though I would like all of you here. Every man is his own master after they have been here a short time. He has his own cows, oxen teams, house, grows his own provisions. That makes him independent. The houses are built of wood. It is the custom of the country. Every man farms for himself.

      In a few weeks we will have enough flour and potatoes to last us all winter. John will work at his trade (shoemaker) in the winter which will get us meat and the necessary things.  So you see we won’t starve.