Scandinavian Voyage Narratives for the Forsgren Emigration Company Aboard the Forest Monarch (1853), Mostly From First Hand Accounts

Forest Monarch

Ship: 977 tons: 149’ x 31’ x 23’
Built: 1851 by Pierre Valin at Quebec, Canada

Mormon emigrants from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway-the first large Scandinavian company-assembled at Liverpool and on New Year’s Day 1853 boarded the Canadian-built packet ship Forest Monarch. However, storms and contrary winds kept the vessel anchored in the River Mersey for more than two weeks. During that time three children died, two babies were born, three passengers were converted and baptized, and some emigrants were injured when a nearby craft broke loose from her moorings and drifted into the Forest Monarch. Finally on 16 January 1853 the Scandinavians sailed out of the estuary and were on their way to America. There were now 297 Saints among the passengers. Elder John Erik Forsgren presided over the company. Two years earlier he had opened the Scandinavian Mission with Apostle Erastus Snow. Forsgren’s shipboard counselors were Elders Christian Christiansen and J. H. Christensen. During the voyage the weather was generally pleasant, although the ship was becalmed for several days. Provisions were poor, and fresh water was exhausted before reaching port. Four deaths were recorded, and three children were born during the crossing. After a fifty-nine day passage the ship arrived at New Orleans on 16 March, but several days earlier at the mouth of the Mississippi five more emigrants died.

This British square-rigger was skippered by Captain Edmund Brewer and hailed out of Liverpool. The Forest Monarch was carver-built with three masts, one deck, a round stern, a standing bowsprit, and a figurehead of a man. Her owners had been Pierre Valin of Québec, her builder, and De Novo at Liverpool. The vessel was not listed in Lloyd’s Register after 1854.

Pictured on the left below is a fine 19^th century sailing ship. Technically the only sailing vessel entitled to be called a ship is square rigged on all (three or more) masts plus has a gaff sail on the mizzen mast. Often this is called a “full rigged ship”.

Ship Barque

The illustration to the right above is a barque or bark – a ship that has three masts but is square rigged on only the fore and main mast. The mizzen mast has fore and aft or gaff sails. This sail is sometimes referred to as a “spanker”. One generally does not refer to a “three masted barque” since by definition a barque has three masts. The barque was a popular rig, and more of this type of sailing ship were built than all other square rigs combined. A “bark” rigged vessel, could sail with fewer crew members than the “ship” rigged. However, it wasn’t unusual for barques to be re-rigged as ships or vice-versa. The barque pictured does not have royal sails (the highest) so is “bald headed” to further reduce the number of crew needed.

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Hansen Family History
Hansen, Joseph. Hansen Family History (Ms 4519), pp. 7-9, 12 Acc. #26144.
LDS Church Historical Department Archives

 . . . On the 20th of December 1852 the company comprising 297 souls left the Port of Copenhagen and sailed northward on the Baltic Sea. The sea was very rough through Ostegat and Skagrack Channels, but far worse upon the North Sea they being tossed back and forth by the wind and waves, requiring two weeks to reach Hull, England. Many times they thought they would surely “go down, but he who controls the winds and the waves did not forsake them. Disembarking at Hull they crossed England on the Railroad to Liverpool. This was the first and only time that my father rode in a railroad train. A ship, the Forest Monarch had been chartered. Captain Brown in command. This was what would now be called a very small ship, a three mast schooner which had carried other Latter-day Saints across the Atlantic, and I might say ship owners were very pleased to carry Latter-day Saints immigrants or elders. Some saying it was the best [p. 7] assurance of a safe trip that was known, as it was a well known fact that for many years no ship had been lost between European parts and America carrying Mormons. On Jan. 8, 1853 as nearly as we can determine, the Forest Monarch with 297 Danish immigrants, with a few others from the British Isles left Liverpool for New Orleans, U.S.A. Among the luggage of my parents was two wooden boxes in which they had packed clothing. These boxes were three feet six inches long by two feet six inches wide. One was twenty-six inches high, the other thirty inches high. I give the dimensions in detail, because my mother’s bed was made upon these boxes, and since one was four inches higher than the other, it would be a rather uncomfortable bedstead. A rope was fastened at a convenient height lengthwise of the bed to which she could hold when the ship rocked too heavily. On the 14th of February my mother presented her husband a daughter as a birthday remembrance, that being his thirty-first birthday. She was given the name of Geraldine. This was indeed a severe experience when we contemplate the above described bed, the meager means of sanitation, inadequate food and general discomfort. We can only roughly calculate where this birth occurred, but probably near mid Atlantic. Another babe was born about the same time to Sister Hannah Dennison, wife of Hans Dennison who was named for my father and the name of the ship. Viz: Jens Monarch Dennison. I have heard my mother tell of friends washing baby things as best they could and she and Sister Dennison would finish drying them by the heat of their bodies.

After a long tedious voyage they landed at New Orleans sometime near the latter part of March, having been on the ship eleven weeks. Spring had come and the orange trees were in bloom and all nature was clothed in resplendent beauty in contrast to the dreary surroundings they had so recently left. They remained in New Orleans a short time waiting for a river boat sufficiently large enough to carry the company up the Mississippi River. When the boat [p. 8] was secured they again set sail up the Mighty Father of Waters. This was a real pleasure trip where they could be on dock [deck] and enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides. Reaching St. Louis they landed and remained there a month when they again embarked on a steamer which carried them up the Mississippi to Keokuk, Iowa, where they landed and from this point they were to start across the plains. . . . [p. 9]

. . . they reached Salt Lake City on September 29, 1853. . . . [p. 12]

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Autobiography of Peter Madsen

“The Mormon Danish Emigration in the Forsgren Company to Utah in 1852-1853” excerpts taken from Peter Madsen: An Autobiography [Transcribed by Max G. Madsen in 1989 from the handwritten original. Edited by Ronald N. Madsen in 1989, and by R. John Madsen in 2003. Spellings and punctuation are mostly those of the author, but some have been corrected for clarity]. See also Madsen, Peter. “Autobiography” (Ms 8214), pp. 18-22. LDS Church Historical Department Archives.

...It was now 1851 I had a friend and brother who wrote a letter to me about a new sect there was commeth to Copenhagen, from America, and they learned something about a new Propheter and revelation, and that they was the only one there had the authority and right to preach and baptise, now I got some more new thing to think and study about not long after I got this information I went the forty two miles to Copenhagen for to hear and learn more of this new religion here I now was and for the first time heard the pure and everlasting gospel it was plain so I could understand it, but I thought I would investigate the principles, and prove all thing and keep the best, I got some new tracts to read which explained something of the gospel, and I also got this year the Book of Mormon, which I read all through in the time of summer, and I did so as it is written in the last chapter, to ask the Lord God, that I might know whether this book was true or false, and I got a testimony that it was true, now I had learned a little more about everlasting gospel, and that the almighty God was the author thereof, and not man made work for speculation, but that there was good and excellant thing to live for.

…Now by and by I got ready and satisfied to be baptized of those I believed now to have the right authority to do it, so I went again to Copenhagen in the latter part of December and was baptised in the evening of December 29th 1851, and soon after I was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I been now ordained a Teacher, now came 1852 after a few days I came again home and began to teach some others of this new religion, and some did believe and now came some missionaries out to us and baptised some more, and organized a branch of the Church in that town where I was born.

Now in this year 1852 many things did come to pass, now I began to feel some little persecution, but not so very serious, but it has to come. Now I rejoiced in the truth, and thought that all others could rejoice also if they only knew the truth, and it was my duty now to tell the truth to others, for that reason I went many places both with my acquaintances and some strangers, and some of them came to Zion.

I did not work much in my trade this year, but went round to teach the few saints, and bear testimony to others, by and by we learned that some of us might rise to Zion next year I was called to go, so now I had to prepare for that long way, I had saved some money so we could go, and also I payed some for another family, I had sometime before loaned some money to Apostle Erastus Snow for travel from Denmark to Utah. It was about $200 or $300 he got which was promised to me again when I should emigrate. I had to leave mother, two brothers, three sisters, my wife had also to leave mother, brother, sisters and some good old friends. Some feel sorry for us to leave them, but we was glad in the hope of the future. We went from home in peace, and came to Copenhagen, where we had to be a few days until every thing got ready for sailing. We started 20 December from [p. 18] Copenhagen, and came to Kiel that evening now on railroad to Altona. We sailed from Hamburg the 24th and came to Hull in England, the 28th. But on those four days we had the hardest and most dangerous time of the whole long way we came. It looks like we should have been swallow up of the water, but the hand of God was over us. Not a life was lost, but some part of the ship was broken. I was much sick and fasted three days.

...[T]he next day [the 29th] we came on rails to Liverpool. On the 31st we came on a big sailing ship which brought us to America. January 1st 1853 we pulled a little way out from the City. Here we lay still to the 16th. Here in this time we had singing and prayers and meetings and dancing, births, deaths and marriages. On the 16th we started for America. I was much seasick the first days [p. 19] but when I got more used to circumstances I got well again. John E. Forsgren was our President and Leader on the whole journey. On the Ship we had many different things to meet, some pleasant and some not too very pleasant. Our food was not of the best kind, the water was so little and simple. Also, on 17 March we came to the City New Orleans. We stay here only a short time, then we came on a Steamship that should take us to St. Louis. Here we came on the 29th, here we had to stay for a month, now some of us went to work. I work on the grading of a new railroad a few days.

Now it came to pass on the 19th of April 1853 that my first child was born, a daughter. We names her Josephine Ephramine, but she died on the 30th and was buried same day. Now on May 1st we started for Keokuk, the day after all our things was hauled about a mile [p. 20] from the city, where we now had to be until our Oxen and Wagons, and provisions was gathered. Now some got ready and started on the 18th others the 21st of May, I had got two yoke Oxen and a wagon, but I had to take five more persons, so we was seven persons and our goods and proviant to my wagon, some had more some less to a wagon, our travel was slow some days it rained too we lay still, and most of the Sundays we lay still so we had public meetings, we came to Kanesville June 25th it was three hundred mile we had traveled in five weeks, here we stayed six days, we got more provisions, which was now calculated to last us to the end, or Salt Lake City, we had some big rivers to cross and many small streams of water some other dangerous places to pass, some accident happened though not very serious, on August 9th the first Indians came to us but they came peaceable but begged for bread and sugar. Indians came to us many days in that manner. [p. 21]

August 20th we crossed the Platte river, September 13th I had an accident, I had some kind of harness on one pair of oxen, and that broke and while I was mending it, an ox got scared and some rope came around my one foot, the ox run and dragged me for some time. I was hurt so much so I had to be in the wagon ten days after that time I could walk again. The road got more dangerous and in the last days before we reached Salt Lake City here we came to September 30th we camped only till October 4th when I with about half of the company moved out to Sanpete valley.....[p. 22]

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Journal of Christian Nielsen Munk
Munk, Christian Nielsen. Journal (Ms 1535), pp. 4-7, 9; Acc. #18953.

Sunday, January 16, 1853. We sailed form Liverpool under favorable circumstances, the wind being in our favor. After 16 days voyage, we encountered the trade winds and after that made better progress, the wind blowing from east to north. Brother Anders Ipsen lost a little child who was buried in the sea.

Sunday, February 13. During the night between the 13th and 14th of February, a little child was born on board.

Tuesday, Feb 15. Another child was born on the ship. On this day we obtained our first glimpse of the West Indies. Brother Anders Poulsen lost a little child who was lowered into a watery grave. A baby girl was born while we laid at anchor.

Saturday, Feb. 19. We enjoyed our first view of San Domingo, [Hispaniola] which island we passed on our right, but it was far away.

Sunday, Feb. 20. We first saw a great country with high mountains which proved to be the kingdom of San Domingo. [Hispaniola]

Tuesday, Feb. 22. Anders Ipsen lost a baby girl, who was buried at sea. [p. 4]

Thursday, Feb. 24. We obtained our first glimpse of another mountainous land (Jamaica) and also saw land (Cuba) looking towards the north. Jamaica was on the south.

Sunday, Feb. 27. On the night between Feb. 27th and 28th we saw a beacon light on the island of Cuba.

Monday, Feb. 28. Brother Christensen lost a child 15 days old.

Monday, March 7. We had our first glimpse of the American continent early in the morning, but in the afternoon at 4 o’clock, anchor was cast in the roads. On the same day we lost an aged sister from the island of Fyen, Denmark. She was buried on a small island a short distance from the main land.

Friday, March 8. Hans Petersen lost a year old baby girl, who was buried on the same island.

Saturday, March 12. In the evening, the wife of Christian Christiansen of Copenhagen, died. [HER NAME WAS KAREN OR CAROLINE.]

Sunday, March 13. Anders Ipsen, a much beloved brother died; he was a first elder who labored as L.[Latter] D. [Day] S.[Saints] Missionary on the island of Bornholm. He also was buried on the little island.

Monday, March 14. [-] Christian Jensen lost a little boy who was buried at sea. Brother Christiansen from Copenhagen lost his wife who was buried on the little island previously mentioned. On this day anchor was weighed about noon and we were hauled in by two steamboats, but the water was so shallow at the mouth of the Mississippi that the keel of our vessel scraped the ground. We dropped anchor in the evening.

Tuesday, March 15. Anchor was weighed and we were hauled in by the same steamboats which served us the previous day. We again dropped anchor about noon some distance up the river, here we saw large and small islets covered with luxuriant verdure.

Wednesday, March 16. We had our first real view of the American mainland; as far as the eye could reach it was covered with forests. We also saw many dwellings and animals, such as horses, mules, cattle, sheep, geese and hogs. Most of the houses which we saw were built of lumber. The land on which they were built was low and exposed to inundations from the river. [p. 5] We saw considerable fieldwork being done such as plowing, planting and sowing. We remained at anchor during the night, which was very dark.

Thursday, March 17. Anchor was weighed and we were tugged by a steamer into New Orleans. A little girl who had been sick for sometime died; she was buried at New Orleans. Christian Munk also lost a child.

Friday, March 18. Brother Larsen lost a child which was buried at New Orleans. During the night between the 18th and 19th of March, Sister Dinesen [Dinnesen] gave birth to a child.

Saturday, March 19. We landed from the ship Forest Monarch and boarded a river steamer which took us a short distance up the river, where we left it and boarded a larger steamer and commenced our real river journey. Brother Andersen and his wife were left in New Orleans. Our little son Peter became very sick, but was better a week later.

Tuesday, March 29. We arrived at St. Louis.

Wednesday, March, 30. We landed from the steamer “Grantover” [or “Grant Tower”] and secured lodging in the north part of the town in a four-story house.

(Four couples of our Saints were united in marriage in the beginning of January while we stood by off Liverpool, namely: Nielsen, Mikkel, Skousen, Christian Berentsen and Brother Hansen.)

Sunday, April 3. Brother Dinisen [Dinnesen] lost his mother who was buried in St. Louis. She was born on the island of Sjalland, [Sjaelland] not far from Copenhagen. On the same day three couples of Saints entered the state of matrimony, namely: Sören Ramelhöi, Gerhard Jensen and Frederik Jensen. On the same day a little child died and soon afterwards the father passed away and was buried in St. Louis. Paul C. Larsen lost his wife who was buried in St. Louis. Brother Peter [-] lost a little child who was buried in St. Louis. Also a Swedish man not a member of the church, died and was buried in St. Louis. His name was Beckström.

While we stopped in St. Louis some of us obtained employment in the town and earned a little money.

Thursday, April 21. The first part of the Forsgren company, consisting of about 120 persons, boarded the river steamer “Di Vernon and sailed up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to Keokuk, Iowa. This river trip lasted abut 24 hours. We landed at Keokuk and made our temporary quarters in a warehouse during the night, but the following day which was Saturday, April 23rd, we pitched our tents a short distance up the hill from the town of Keokuk by the side of a camp of English Saints.

Friday, April 29. Sister C. Christiansen gave birth to two still born children. [p. 6]

Saturday, April 30. The rest of the emigrants who had crossed the Atlantic ocean on the Forest Monarch left St. Louis and arrived at the camp near Keokuk May 2nd.

Sunday, May 8. Two of our company were united in marriage, namely: Peter A. Forsgren and sister Knudsen, Elder John E. Forsgren officiating.

Wednesday, May 11. A meeting was held and after counseling together it was decided that active preparations should commence for the journey across the plains. Elder John E. Forsgren was chosen as captain of the whole company, while Christian Christiansen was chosen as captain of the first fifty and Herman J. Christensen captain of the second fifty. Next, Father Christiansen was chosen as captain of the first ten, Brother Justensen as captain of the 2nd ten; made Chr. Jensen captain of the 3rd ten and Hans Dinesen as captain of the 4th ten. . . . [p. 7]

. . . Friday, Sept. 30. We arrived in Great Salt lake City and camped in the central part of the town. . . . [p.9]

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Diary of Christian Nielsen - December 1852 - March 1853
Nielsen, Christian. Diary of Christian Nielsen, December 1852-March 1853 (MS 5710) pp. 8-18+. LDS Church Historical Department Archives

. . . Jan 16. Sunday. In the forenoon meeting. During our meeting it was to our joy, that we heard the sailors lift the anchor, in order that we should be sailing at noontime. We were sailing along with a steamship (likely roped to it) until 4 o’clock, sailing along the coastline of Liverpool, about more than 2 miles. Finally the steamship left us; but we could not see the shore for fog. The wind was in our favor, and we did good sailing through the night.

Jan 17. We could see land on both sides of us; toward the south a mountain range, and toward the north, Iceland (then Danish). We had fine weather. Toward evening we could see the light blink from a lighthouse.

Jan 18. Now we are out of the St. George Channel and can only plentifully view air and water. We had sailed well during the whole night. The wind had blown favorably. We are now sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.

Jan 19. Good weather. No news; but most of us are seasick.

Jan 20. Storm during the night. Today the ship is slingaring [UNCLEAR], so that I was seasick and had to go down to our room. We saw a two-masted ship north from us.

Jan 21. During the night good wind, and good sailing. In the evening, strong wind.

Jan 22. The wind blowed favorably to us; many, that had been seasick, came on the deck; and we viewed 10 ships in sight (perhaps all old-time sailing ships.)

Jan 23. Sunday. During the night fine weather. Only a little wind. The air is milder. At noontime many dolphins were swimming around our ship. In the evening we held a meeting.

Jan 24. A quiet night, and a beautiful morning. In the evening the wind blowed, and the waves got bigger. [p.8]

January 25. The wind blows harder. Hail and rain. Waves go high. The water is remarkably lukewarm. We see 3 frigate ships. One of these ships were damaged by the heavy winds towards evening.

Jan 26. The ocean quite calm. A few persons were on the deck; but it hailed and rained. The wind calmed down. The whole night and the following day (Jan 27) we had good wind for our sailing. We think that the sun now is giving more heat during the day. Toward evening it thundered. We saw some frigate ships.

Jan 28. During the night good and favorable wind. 2 frigates and one brig ship in sight. In the afternoon these ships were far back of us. Only one ahead of us.

Jan 29. During the night, good wind blowing in the right direction. During a hard rain in the afternoon some little damage was made to our ship.

Jan 30. Sunday. Wind moderately blowing during the night. Fine morning. Many promenading on the deck in summer costume. Many walk on the deck barefooted. We have now come to Passaten [LOCATION UNCLEAR] so called, where the general climate is warmer. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon we had a meeting on the deck.

Jan 31. Beautiful weather. Like summer in the forenoon. I saw many dolphins around the ship. Today I dressed in summer clothing.

Feb 1. Good wind for us; the air warm; in the evening some rain, in connection with whirlwinds (whirlwinds) that created some little damage to the ship.

Feb 2. Winds moderately blowing warm air; but we were badly bothered by insects, and especially were passengers from Ireland, and was said, carried the insects with them from Ireland; and now, that the air was warmer, all kinds of insects multiplied!

Feb 3. Fine summer air; wind blowing moderately. A child, born in Hull, (England) had died and was buried in the ocean.

Feb 4. Warm air and good wind for us. The deck was full of passengers that laid down and bathed themselves in the sun. We were still badly bothered with insects. In the afternoon I saw some big fish around the ship.

Feb 5. Fine weather and a pleasant wind blowing.

Feb 6. Sunday. More fresh air during the night. More wind in the right direction, and the ship is sailing very fast. The day is set to be a day of fast and prayer. We had meeting nearly all day. In the evening the sacrament was administered. Several church members voluntarily, humbly acknowledged that they had transgressed some of the gospel commandments. Many of the brethren spoke, and the Spirit of God was manifested; but I was not that day as glad, as I would liked to have been, [p.9] as I felt that I had been somewhat sidetracked by some of the brethren, ever since we commenced our journey. I did not find the love present in the hearts of some church members, as I thought they, as church members, would be in possession of; but I am thankful to my God, that he has opened my eyes, so that I can also see my own weaknesses, and see that I was also at fault myself, by insisting upon having my wishes, as to the management of the emigrant’s journey-affairs carried out. We had the whole day a fresh breeze blowing, with lightnings in the northern skies.

Feb 7. Fresh, cooling winds. Today I saw the first “flying fish” as sild--a small fish [HERRING] well-known by Danish people. Afterwards I saw them flying over the near surface of the water like they were birds; but fish are they. In the afternoon I again saw a great many dolphins around the ship. A half-year old child died during the night.

Feb 8. The day was uncomfortably warm. In the evening the were lightnings in the sky.

Feb 9. During the night a cooling wind blowed. In the morning I saw exceptionally big fish near the ship. During the day the air was warm, and no wind blowing, so we nearly laid at one place all day. Big fish were seen in the water after sundown.

Feb 10. Not hardly any wind blowing and very hot. We can nearly walk around without any clothing and be about the same scarcely dressed during our sleep on the top of bedding around around [SIC] the big masts on the deck.

Feb 11. A little wind. The two ships that followed us yesterday, have gone on ahead of us.

Feb 12. Little wind. 2 ships southeast from us.

Feb 13. Sunday. Held the meeting as a fast and prayer meeting, where each of us could speak freely; and several brethren expressed themselves in relation to evil things, that had been committed; and they wanted to clear their conscience and be forgiven by the Lord. In the evening a child was born.

Feb 14. In the morning a frigate ship passed us and similar ships will always pass us on account of the still air we now have; hardly no wind. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon we had land in sight in the southwest.

Feb 15. We were near one of the West Indian Island. (Three of these islands were at that time Danish possessions). Another child was born.

Feb 16. A fresh wind blowed all day in our favor, and we sailed well forward. Another sailing vessel was seen ahead of us.

Feb 17. Less wind. After the noon hour we could see the smoke from a steamer North of us. [p.10]

February 18. Good wind blowing favorably for us. At noontime a three masted ship passed us to toward the north. In the afternoon an exceedingly great flock of birds was seen, and occasionally great big birds flew near to the ship.

Feb 19. In the morning and again towards evening, we saw land to the north. The wind blowed our way forward both during the night and the day. An hour before evening a Svale bird came flying to us and stayed with the ship until evening. The isle now to be seen is St. (Santo) Domingo.

Feb 20. No wind hardly during the night and during the day a burning heat. In the evening the air temperature was enjoyable. It is Sunday today. We had a meeting in the forenoon. St. Domingo was in sight all day.

Feb 21. St. Domingo is still seen all day, but the sight above our heads are greatly changed. The birds, that we see in great flocks fly down to pick food from the surface of the water, (perhaps little fish) are birds, that we have never seen before. The sun is at noon hours nearly perpendicular about our heads. The heat in the atmosphere is very depressing and the sweat rolls from our bodies in big drops. The moon is now north from us, and shines exceptionally clear, so we can see ships on the ocean at great distances. We got tired in our legs by viewing the moon and the North Star and the different star complexes etc. A child, that had been very sick died in the afternoon. Many of the passengers slept on the deck during the night.

Feb 22. St. Domingo is yet in sight. A little cooler. Toward evening good wind.

Feb 23. In the morning we lost the St. Domingo island of sight, as our sailing ahead was good. At noontime there was not much wind. We sailed over a sand-bank in the ocean, where the water was only a few fathoms deep. In the evening, we had a frigate ship sailing back of us, but it was soon ahead of us, as we mainly had to depend on good wind to move fast.

Feb 24. The Island of Jamaica is seen south from our ship and that big island has exceedingly high mountains, reaching up to the clouds, or even higher. The mountains on Santo Domingo had a similar height. Today there was no wind at all, but likely caused by little, waves not hardly seen. Our ship tipped a little from one to another and at evening it had finally turned clear around in the water and was actually going back again. After the sails were arranged, and a light breeze again was blowing at 9:30 o’clock, we sailed forward again towards our destination, and we soon were said to be in the Caribbean Sea (east of Central America and north of part of South America.) [p.11]

February 25. Wind blowing moderately. The air was cooler. The big isle of Jamaica could today no longer be seen . The isle has heaven-high mountains.

Feb 26. The sailing was about as yesterday.

Feb 27. Sunday. We have still good wind and are dong good sailing. We had meetings in the forenoon and in the afternoon. Late in the evening we passed the west side of Cuba, where there was a light tower. As we had been sailing a long distance south from Cuba, that was the reason for, that we had not seen the light from the tower before.

Feb 28. We are today in the Gulf of Mexico and we are now sailing in north and northwest direction. The wind blows very favorably to us. Some of the emigrants doubt the correctness of certain doctrines, that the missionaries have been preaching, and I earnestly pray to God, that he will protect me, so that I always will be able to know, what principles are true gospel and what his holy will is. Some great fish was seen in the evening. Toward evening the youngest child on the ship died.

March 1. Today the wind does not blow so good to us. The wind direction is not so good. We had lightnings and rain last night, and the wind blowed against us. We had to sleep in our rooms under the deck.

March 2. The wind velocity is greater; but it is cold today. [p.12]

March 3. Today we did not have much wind. In the evening no wind was blowing.

March 4. Today better wind, but it tore one of the sails. The air is getting considerably cooler, and we have to dress heavier. We have a strong wind today, but during the night there was no wind.

March 5. Elder Forsgren sent words -a message- down in the ship to us to get our things tied up solidly, as he expected a storm to come up; and in the morning the wind turned, and a very strong wind blowed the whole day, with wind blasts between the even wind, and many water waves went over the deck, where some children were playing, but none of them was hurt. During the night we slept well in our bedrooms, in spite if the ship’s, slinging and tipping from one side to another. We depended fully upon God’s protection. During the night the sailors let the boat drive in the direction of the wind (that likely was about the direction, that they ship master and sailors, wanted to go).

March 6. Sunday morning we had a good wind, but later on during the day the wind stilled off, so there finally were no wind to provide sailing. It was said that we at that point were only about 10 miles from the shore, where the Mississippi River flowed into the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. We held our Sunday meetings in the forenoon and the afternoon. [p.13]

March 7. During the night we had a little wind, so we could come nearer to land, and in the morning there was cried Land! We could see several ships laying for anchor at the mouth of the river, and we were soon sailing in the very mudret [DANISH WORD FOR: the mire] water, and where we remained waiting for a pilot to come out to us, to direct our ship to the place, where our captain could throw anchor, which was done at 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon. A great many big ships were seen laying for anchor, and smaller boats were in constant activity between the big ships transferring passengers and freight, etc. New Orleans is a city laying abut 25 miles from the outlet of the Mississippi River. Our ship’s captain and Brother Forsgren went up to New Orleans to arrange to have some steamship come out to us and take our ship further in towards land.

March 8. In the evening, March 7, an old woman died at eleven o’clock. In the morning a coffin was provided, and some of the sailors, and Brother [Poul Christian] Larsen and other brethren, went in a boat with the coffin in which the corpse was nicely placed and had her buried. When these men came back, they carried with them some green tree branches and green plants. [p.14]

[March 9 & 10. No statements].

March 11. A child died through the night.

March 12. In the morning at 5 o’clock, Christensen’s wife (Her maiden name is not stated) died. (He had likely been working in a soap factory in Denmark, as he is mentioned as Saebesyder). [UNCLEAR] At 5 o’clock in the afternoon Brother Forsgren and the captain came back in a steamship from New Orleans. Forsgren brought back fresh meat and ship’s bread that the same evening was distributed among us.

March 13. Sunday. Last night another man died among us, [Jens Peter] Ibsen from Bornholm. Two of his children died on our journey to here. We are still laying outside the mouth of the Mississippi River. The air is always foggy - at least while we have been here. We can’t hardly see a ship’s length ahead of us. Sometimes the wind can drive the fog away for a little while. The steamboats make a great noise, as they go up and down the river, and the bells ring, so that it can be heard, where they are laying. It is seemingly very unhealthy to live here, for persons, that are not used to a similar climate. Five of our company have died here, and several of us are sick. The water in the river is not at the present time deep enough, so we can be floated in. Our ship’s last [DANISH WORD FOR: load] is partly sacks of salt, that for the greater part of same will be thrown overboard today, to make the ship lighter. We are told that two steamboats will come tomorrow to drag us over the mudret ground in the water; and we hope that we with God’s help will be able to soon continue our journey. I have today seen new grown fresh carrots, turnips and cabbages. [p.15]

March 14. A little boy died last night and was this afternoon buried in the river. We were this afternoon dragged a short distance by two steamships; but they got stuck in the deep mud at the bottom of the river and had to lay still during the night, until the water raised higher, so they could proceed again.

March 15. During the night the water raised higher, and we were dragged froward about four English miles. We throwed out our anchor and laid at that sport until sundown, when our frigate ship was roped (perhaps chained) to one side of a steamship, and another frigate ship was similarly placed on the other side of the steamship that had the two frigates on drag during the whole night. At the sides of the river we could only see big growths of water plants and little trees.

March 16. In the morning we had a clear view of fine houses, orchards and flower gardens, and the little birds were singing in the trees. About all nature was smiling to us [p.16] Seemingly the passengers on Forest Monarch had all been transferred to the big ship, where we came together with people of different nationalities; but, regrettably, the majority of these other passengers showed very low in civilization and in moral conduct, so that they nearly all schemed to do us what harm, the could; and as we could not even be sure of our life, we doubled our night watch. Two of the sailors aboard came to our defense when they slung their insulting words towards us. But if was very regrettable, that many unclean things were perpetuated by some individuals of our people.

March 17. Last night, about midnight, it rained hard and was very dark, so they had to anchor the ship until morning, when as we again were sailing, the views of the river shores were grand and became prettier and prettier, as we proceeded forward. Late in the forenoon we could see the big city of New Orleans. The frigate ship, that, as well as our ship, had been towed to the steamship, was placed ½ mile below the city, and the steamer that, as stated, also dragged our ship, was laid to shore to take into its hulk tons of wood (or coal) to burn for steam processing, which work was accomplished in about one hour; but during that time we could step from the ship and set our feet on American ground. That was the first time that I had “landed in America. We succeeded in coming up to New Orleans about noontime. During the afternoon many Danish people came aboard to find out if there had not come any Danish emigrants, that they possibly would know; or otherwise, to hear the latest new from Denmark. In the evening a child (from Bornholm) died. The child had been sick a long time. [p.17]

March 18. The last two nights there has been so-called “blind alarm on our ship, but God be praised, nothing bad happened; but we must ever be on our watch. We had today to take our clothes and things up on the deck, to be examined by the tariff service men. In the afternoon another child died, and it was decided that we should stay on the ship through the night.

March 19. In the forenoon we went aboard on a steamship, that took us about ½ mile [LIKELY DANISH MILE, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 2 ENGLISH MILES] higher up at the city frontage near the outskirts, where there in the river laid a great many steamships. We came now aboard a three-decker that should on the mighty Mississippi waters take us 300 up to St. Louis. These ships are only built as practical river ships, and could not be used for open-sea service. These ships are very long and wide. They look like a three story building, with flat roofing and alton [UNCLEAR] on the top. The pilot stays in a finely and solidly built salon at the front of the ship form which he directs the ship. He must be on the outlook all the time, as big tree stocks may come floating down the river and catch in some sheep wheel, and to almost-unavoidably break some, if the revolving wheels are not stopped by the sailors concerned, that the pilot, or the lookout sailor, has signaled to. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon some big ship’s sailed up through the river; but we were sailed a little down the river to a ship, that was placed below Forest Monarch, where we took a big lot of sacks of salt aboard. It was about 7 o’clock in the evening when we again sailed up the river. We should be given “quarters” on the lower deck, near the machinery, where there was plenty of space, we were told; but they filled so many of the rooms with salt sacks, so many of us could only get very narrow spaces for sleeping accommodations; and I and my family were so unlucky that we could not find any place where we could lay down. Late in the evening I found a place on the side of some up built fixture, where we crept up; and we had a good rest in that quarter and we were very pleased that we found that good space for sleeping accommodations. Next day we took our old neighbor, W. Anderson, and his family with us to our good sleeping quarters, from which we have a fine view out over the left side of the river shore. We can sit here unhindered to write and read and talk to each other, and during our sleep at night we don’t risk to be stepped on or pushed aside etc. The last night that we stayed on the frigate ship, a child was born! [p.18]

March 20. Sunday. I laid in my bedding in the morning and enjoyed greatly the fine view I had out over the river shore, as we sailed up the river: [-] hundreds of houses and gardens and orchards, and people walking, dressed in their Sunday clothes. But although it was Sunday, many persons were fishing at the river shore. Many little boats pramme [DANISH WORD FOR A FLAT-BOTTOM ROW BOAT] were seen coming floating into the Mississippi from side streams, into that mighty river. These boats, (or small ships) were built like houses with a roofing at the top, and had both kitchen and sleeping rooms. (Brother [-] writes in technical details very interestingly about construction of these boats, built for housekeeping, as well as for sailing.) At our sailing up the river much freight was taken aboard at different places. There was too great disturbances aboard to, that we could hold a gospel meeting. Some of the bed-spaces had to be taken for the placing of freight. I and my family and others, realized, that we could not, on account of circumstances, hold a meeting.

March 21. No special news. As we sailed up the river, the mighty river stream run through wide stretches of forest, where nobody lived, and where actually millions of people could live, on both sides of the stream. At different places certain forest spaces were cleared of trees, and ground plants burned off, so that the land could be worked for ordinary agriculture purposes. (Brother [-] in detail a description of the natural riches to be converted through hard labor and often in a [-] way during future years, for the sustaining of mortal life, of millions of men). He writes: “We see at different land stretches little houses built and some of the little houses are evidently at present not occupied. The forest counts hundreds of thousands of big trees, can be the greatest value to us as timber for future generations.

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Diary of Christian Nielsen - February 1853 - April 1858
Nielsen, Christian. Diary. February 1853-April 1858. (Ms 1619) pp.7-14, 55; Acc. #202707
LDS Church Historical Department Archives

. . . March 22. The large forests continue to be seen. Many small houses and huts are seen; also some small towns; also bigger plantations with lines of little houses, in which Negroes that are doing the plantation work, live. At other places the small houses are in poor condition. The ship soon laid into a small town on the east shore of the river with high hills east of the city but the ship soon sailed forward again.

March 23. We see everyday different makes of steamships. Some have their “wheel in the middle of the ship, others at the back, that operates similar to the waterwheel at a flour mill. We see several small towns and single houses in the fields. Today we sailed into the shore at two places where many pretty buildings were erected.

March 24. Today we have again sailed into two small cities. We see many forest fires and we saw a sunken steamship in the river. Seemingly some small ships without machinery are sailed into the borders and are occupied as dwelling houses.

March 25. LANGFREDAG - Friday before Easter Day. In the middle of the forenoon we passed a small town with may prettily built houses.

[March 26. No Notations.]

March 27. Easter Sunday. We passed several nicely built-up towns. I have not felt well during the last few days but I am now feeling better for which I am thankful to God.

March 28. We passed many pretty towns and in one of these we saw a pretty church building and several factories, and a saw-mill. At one place we could observe a mining terrain from which hard coal was mined. (The part of the working that could be seen is described). I saw at one place several little boats with flat bottom and with steam-worked wheels on each side. In the evening we sailed into a small town where they (sailors) took packed barrels and similar merchandise aboard. [p.7]

March 29th. It is supposed that we today shall come up to St. Louis. We are sailing today passing many big rocky hills, and some are very high. I cannot tell what kind of rock it is, and likely other passengers do not know either. We have a chance to see many things and observe many different people from different nations. At about half an hour past eleven we are sailing out for St. Louis. The name of the ship that we have our lodging in since we left New Orleans is “Grand Tower. I saw a kind of steamships on which people that are riding in wagons can drive out on the ship without unhitching the horses or getting off the wagon, and thereafter be taken over to the opposite side of the river. Today, for the first time, I viewed to upper facilities of our ship that is so practical and beautifully constructed that I would be short of words to describe the same. The ship’s deck is longer and wider than the deck on the greatest war ship. The ship we were first passengers in, the Forest Monarch, was one of the biggest frigate ships and was 80 skridt (paces) long and “Grand Tower, 130 skridt. [HOW MANY FEET LONG IS NOT STATED]. People working by the day receive high wages in New Orleans, 4 or 5 rigsdaler [DANISH MONEY, CORRESPONDING TO 8-10 DOLLARS]. There are always a shortage of working men, and many men look finer in their work-dress than many well-dressed people in Denmark do in their Sunday dress; and they work smoking their cigar, many of them. The meals that ordinary working men get are so good and fat that if the men and women that are working for big farm owners in Denmark should live that high, then the owner of the farm would soon have to give up his property. The sea-faring men that are doing the work on English ships are getting quite good meals, but everything is “weighed and measured; but American sailors are often served more than they can eat and what there is left over is thrown overboard!

March 30. From the ship we were given lodging in a big four story house near the river. Each room is crowded with as many as can be placed in the room and our lodging is paid for one month. We have our lodging in the second story. [p.8]

[April 1st. No notation.]

[April 2nd. No notation.]

April 3rd. Sunday. During the night there had been a fire in the city that we could see form our beds. A very old woman died [probably related to Christensen that had died before; the Christensen that in Denmark had worked in a soap factory. The record does not give definite statement]. Three pairs of people were married [names not given] Sobesyder Christensen’s youngest child had died. [That child’s death had likely already been recorded, but without statement as to who the child’s father was].

[From the 3rd of April until April 8th are no records given.]

April 8th A young man by the name of Beckström, who during our journey had lost his memory and power to realize anything, died at the hospital. He was not a baptized church member, but had selected to journey with us to America.

[From the 8th of April and until April 15th are no notations made.]

April 15. Many different nations’ people live here in St. Louis. Many Germans live here as they here have more political liberty than in Europe and the same arguments are stated by people from other countries. Everybody are given the privilege to work at things that they are most interested in and can best make a “living” at. Seemingly every working man and working woman are doing real well here so we do not find any real poverty-struck people here, that cannot get any thing to eat and so forth. Many thousands of emigrants arrive here every year but the greater part of the emigrants are journeying from here further up the country, taking passage up the river or otherwise. The city is for the present 1 ½ miles (6 Danish miles) in reach one way, and at some places ½ mile reaching out form the city in width-span, but there are yet many open places in the city. There are found factories of many different kind. Many houses are built of wooden boards as people must build the way they can best, or the way they want to; but the wooden board houses more often cause fire then brick houses and several burned down houses are seen in the city. There are many beautiful parks in the city with artificial water springs, at which places the fire department can attach their long water hoses to the water pipes, in case of fire, and so forth. [p.9]

[April 15 continued] Although the parks are well cared for, the streets are not kept clean at many places. Many streets are not paved at all, but are only kept passable as ordinary country roads. Outside of the more prominent buildings are the street fronts only paved with brick work that are kept clean by sweeping. At certain places in the street can people throw their dirt, together with dead dogs and cats, etc., to be cleaned up by public sanitary cars; and the streets are sprinkled, when needed, and it often necessary to sprinkle the streets as fine sand, similar to white ashes, are blowing in on the streets. If there is too much mud on the street, then the house owners throw a plank or two to walk on. The curve for the water to run in are sometimes several feet deep and the sanitary condition often is miserable so that it is no wonder that many of the citizens are attacked by “yellow fever and other infectious diseases.

The population of St. Louis claim membership in many different religion, societies, or churches, Catholic or Protestant, or in any. There are many church buildings in St. Louis. As well known, the United States grants religious liberty to all and in political respect, liberty to all, if criminal acts are not committed.

The temperature is not very even here. It may be hot weather today, but with a biting cold wind tomorrow! People go dressed about as in Denmark, but workers are usually nicer dressed, and not so heavy dressed. Wooden shoes are not used by workers here. The foods, cooked or fried, are too fat for Danish people. The beer is too strong, but is not generally drunk by working men. Between houses are often big lots, that could be cultivated and planted with fruit trees, or with vegetables. The fruit trees, that are planted here are in flowers now. The fields outside the city are not cultivated yet. Chickens and swine move about at pleasure; but work horses, mules and cattle are all kept in good condition. They have here often five or six pairs of oxen lined up to pull heavy loads that are directed by a driver with a long whip; but seemingly the driver can manage the oxen or horses by commanding words, instead of using the long whip much. (The writer gives a description in detail of the hitching to wagons of two, or more horses, and of the harnessing of horses and oxen). Although there often is a surplus of lumber planks that come swimming down the river to St. Louis from the lumber mills and lumber cutting places from many mills above the city, and people can get less good planks or good cuts gratis, most people would rather buy No.1 planks as they have the money to buy them with. [p.10]

(April 15 continued) There is a great many steamships laying in the water here, so sail ships cannot get in here, and many thousands of men are working at the shores on the goods brought to the city, or on the goods to be taken to some steamer for other points of destination and every worker is busy! Similar conditions were prevalent in New Orleans, but possibly even in greater degree, as besides steamships, thousands of ships with “sail” laid into that city with different kind of goods, and took aboard other kinds of goods for shipment. (The writer describes next the great wickedness that existed among some of the sailors, and among some workers aboard ship, so that at one place, where the frigate ship laid to the Mormon emigrants hesitated to leave the ship, as a man could even risk to be killed by some drunkard.) Nearly all the sailors became intoxicated, after they had got inland; but one of the sailors and the captain were exceptions, and when the captain came back aboard, he got very angry to see the disorder in everything, and he punished the officer next to him, even corporally, for not keeping sober and see to that everything were in order aboard the ship while he had gone inland, which order he had received from the captain.

One of the sailors by the name of Philip, who had been nice and polite to our church members during our stay on the frigate ship, deserted the frigate when we left the ship, and he left us half a mile higher up the river, where he likely went to work on some other ship.

But now I shall explain some more points in relation to St. Louis. It is, as if the whole city of St. Louis and adjoining fields were placed atop one great rock with mine cuts and stone cuts at different places near the city. The interesting stone formation can be cut for different purposes; for building purposes; for street coverings, and for other industrial doings. The whole stone formation is formed of individual layers on top of each other, and the stone is easily chiseled.

[There are no notations for the dates between the 15th and 19th of April].

April 19. A child was born [if male or female is not recorded.]

April 20. There is often a house fire in St. Louis, and there were two fires in the evening. The last one was at 11:30 o’clock, but I could not personally observe it.

April 21. The half part of our company are now on a steamship, laying farther north; and about eight days from now, we, who are still here, expect to be following after them. We are now more comfortably situated, and almost feel like we were in another world. [p.11]

April 22. After the noon hour there was another fire in the city. I was at the place, where the fire was. It was house, built of boards, that burned down.

April 23. No notations.

April 24. Sunday. A woman died (perhaps Paul Christian’s wife. His name is recorded in connection with her.) During the time we have been here, we have had meetings on Sundays, and since the 17th of April I have been in good feeling, and I have, God be thanked, had peace in mind, and otherwise felt well bodily.

April 25. No notations.

April 26. In the evening many big stables of lumber burned down. That was the biggest fire that I have seen here.

April 27. I will now write some more about the city. Generally speaking, the span of life for men is very short, and 80 years old is considered a very high age. There are but few that get that old. I have visited two cemeteries, graveyards, on the west side of the city where the same good order of arrangements is seen, and grave-monuments are of different fashions, and made of the kind of stone described in the notations for April 15th; and many of the metallic frames around the graves are very nice and artistically made; but one old graveyard is in very poor order as I shall briefly describe. One of these graveyards has been closed up for additional burials for the present, likely mainly for the reason, that the grave-space had been taken up and this cemetery is boarded in and with a lock on the gate; but on the side of the gate are steps build up for visitors to get over the fence. The ground has evidently not been leveled in any measurable degree anywhere in the cemetery lot, as there are several low places with stinking water and wild grass is growing up over most of the terrain. It looks like that when the dead have lain several years in their graves, they then are dug up again and their skeleton or bones used for some certain purpose. Many graves seemingly had been dug up, the coffins broken, and the body tipped out or taken away. One coffin was again lowered in the open grave and part of the coffin is reaching up over the surface of the ground. Pieces of rotten meat from the dead bodies were laying, stinking on the surface. One person had been buried in a low place where there now stood water, but the name marking reached up from the grave. [p.12]

(April 27 continued) Many roads from the West lead into St. Louis and they are well leveled and prepared for traffic. These roads are about the same width as corresponding roads in Denmark, but the water ditches on the sides of the road are not always so well fixed, and there are not any trees planted on the sides of the roads. The roads are not graveled, but planks at some places are used for road beds, when compellingly necessary, as planks can be had plentifully. We stayed in St. Louis 4 months and 4 days.

[April 28 and 29. No notations.]

April 30. About sundown we sailed from St. Louis on a steamer. We went in to several towns on our sailing up the river and took in hard coal from one of these towns.

May 1st. Sunday evening. We went in towards a town called Keokuk, at which place we took our things out from the steamer. Some brethren had before us gone to a “camping” place for emigrants at Keokuk and they came and took us to the place where, before our arrival, emigrants from England had found “quarters”. We were to be taken to that good company of church members. At Keokuk “open air quarters. In Iowa.

May 2. In the morning I went out to see our “open air” lodging place that looked well to me. We came first to the place where emigrants from England were placed, and thereafter to the spot where we Danish emigrants should have our quarters, which begins a little way north from the town and goes up along the river, until we came to a “downhill” area with a quite big forest growth and from which place we could help ourselves to all the wood we needed for making fire and for other purposes.

[May 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. No notations.]

May 8th. Sunday. Our “territory” for quarters gets wider day after day. Each day additional wagons loaded with emigrants come to our quarters, and tents are put up to be the abode for emigrants. Also today emigrants arrived.

[May 9. No notations.]

[May 10. No notations.] [p.13]

May 11. There were appointed captains for the different companies, or camps, and each camp counted the emigrants in 10 wagons. 1 head captain and four other captains were appointed at that time, and the different companies were admonished to assist each other (seemingly there were appointed 4 captains for each 10 wagons). The recorder writes, that he was in the third company (No. 6 wagon) under Captain Justesen. (Keokuk seemingly was a central place, where Latter-day Saints from England and other European countries, and from the states in America, at that time generally camped during their forward journey to Zion (Utah), and likely also a place, where other emigrants journeying to California, Oregon or other territories camped. The recorder counted that day 250 wagons at that place but many wagons had already left the camping place. . . . [p.14]

. . . September 30. . . . The houses in Salt Lake City looked like Beehives. The women in our company of wagon load of people had dressed in their nicest dresses, with decorative fineries attached. Already out five o’clock in the evening we could see down to the got small city Salt Lake City, and we could view part of the great Salt Lake; and it looked to us , like the city was built on a stretch of morassy ground. But we were eager to drive ahead. It was dark, before we came in to the city. We had thought, that we would have had a drive through mud on the least stretch of drive to the city, but we were pleased, that the road was dry and good. AT the outside of the city some man brought to us a big watermelon. I did not know what kind of fruit that was. Well it was cut up in small pieces for us , and those of us that had a chance to taste the fruit, thought it had a fine flavor and tasted good. [p.55]

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Autobiography of Maren Jensen Cutler Norton
Norton, Maren Jensen Cutler, [Autobiographical Sketch] in Ancestry and Descendants of Mads Christian Jensen, 1600-1960, comp. By Kathryn S. Jensen (privately printed) pp. 48-49.

I, Maren Jensen, was born January 28, 1846, in Hjorring, Denmark. My father was a miller by trade, also a millwright, and his work kept home from him most of the time and the cares of home and children were left for mother, everything to attend to both indoors and out, but we were always happy. When I was five years old, my parents joined the Mormon Church. Then persecution began. The mob was very cruel to the Saints, and when we had meetings on Sunday, they would gather around the house, and as soon as meeting closed, they would take the brethren and treat them very cruelly. Many parents did not feel that they could endure such treatment longer, so they sold their homes and all their household goods and prepared to emigrate in the year of 1852. In November we left our home and went to Copenhagen. On the fifth of December the same year, we sailed for England with the first company of Mormon Emigrants that emigrated from Scandinavia.

We landed safely in Hull. We then prepared to sail for America. We sailed on a sailing vessel, which travels much slower than a steamship. We were on the Atlantic eleven weeks and three days, and had very little to eat. They gave each of us a tin plate, tin cup, and a spoon when we started and we kept them as our own. Then a man came around with two large pails, one in each hand, and gave us our rations. Every other day we had split peas boiled without seasoning, and often burnt at that. The next day we had barley prepared for food, and boiled the same way. The grown [p.48] people had one cup each day, us children half a cup. Then we had what they called sea-biscuits. They were as large as a small saucer and were made of shorts or some course meal of some kind, and so hard we could only gnaw them, but we were glad to get the one each for the grown-ups and the one-half for children.

We had no water except what was carried on the ship, and they used to haul it up, out of the bottom of the ship every morning, and we could have only so much a day. I was seven years old at this time--the oldest child in the family and I used to take the little tin pail and get our allotment for the day. We never sat down to a table while on board the ship.

Then one day a steamboat came and took us on board and we soon landed in St. Louis, Missouri. The day we got on that boat, I went to the kitchen door. Then is when I saw the first negro woman, and she gave me a slice of white bread and a piece of roast beef, and a piece of pickled beet. I never tasted anything so good. I ran to mother and gave her some of it, and she enjoyed it too. While in St. Louis, we had better food. . . .

. . . On the twenty-ninth of September, we arrived in Salt Lake City. . . . [p.49]

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Forsgren Company Migration Excepted from “Life and Times of Lars Alexander Justesen (1818-1868) and His Wife Karen (Caroline) Rasmusdatter/Rasmussen” by Elaine Justesen; and “Rasmus Justesen” as told to Dona Justesen Allred, with full biographies available online at http://www.ldsep.org/denmark/sjael/cop/52lajust.htm

All of the saints living in Denmark suffered much persecution at the hands of their neighbors...For some of the saints the persecution was so severe as to cause them to petition the King of Denmark for redress. In the meantime the Perpetual Emigrating Fund had recently been established to help bring the new converts to Zion. The Justesen family were among those who made plans to leave Denmark and go with the saints to Zion.

Because of the approaching departure of Apostle Erastus Snow, a conference of the Scandinavian Mission was held in Copenhagen beginning on February 20th, and ending on Sunday, February 22, 1852.

During this conference, Elder John E. Forsgren was appointed to preside over the Scandinavian Mission after the departure of President Snow. Another matter of business at the conference was the appointment of missionaries to labor not only in Denmark, but in Sweden and Norway as well.

In 1852 John E. Forsgren made plans to organize a company of the Danish saints to emigrate to America. Many preparations had to be made as there were 199 adults and 95 children under twelve in his company. The Justesens added two adults and two children to the group. Fortunately for us a journal was kept of the journey of this company. The John E. Forsgren company had been called the “Mayflower” of the Mormon migration from Scandinavia. The Forsgren pilgrims provided a more genuine test of the ability of Saints from the European mainland to make their way to Zion and establish themselves as equal citizens of the Kingdom. It was a long nine months before they could record in their journals: “September 30, 1853, This day we entered the Valley and camped in the center of the city.” And it was a long way from Copenhagen, where in the previous December they had assembled to make preparations for the journey.

At noon on Monday December 20, the emigrants boarded the steamer Obotrit amid “Songs of praise and thanksgiving” from friends, and jeers from the idle gathered on the wharf at Copenhagen. A stormy night forced the vessel into a Falster harbor for forty-eight hours, and it did not reach Kiel in Holstein until the evening of the 22nd. Kiel was but three hours by train to Altona near Hamburg, where the emigrants aroused “great curiosity” the next morning as they marched through the streets to their quarters in Altona, and made their quarters in a large hall on the banks of the Elbe River just outside the city. They found a well cooked meal, of tea and bread and butter, though they had to sleep on straw and chairs scattered the length of the building. Morris & Co., the travel agents, furnished the emigrants their breakfast on the morning of the 24th. After their customary songs and prayers, the group went aboard the English ship Lion bound for Hull. A newspaper account pictured the emigrants as “driven out of Scandinavia” and making it appear an “act of humanity” on Hamburg’s part to permit them to land and re-embark. This angered Snow because Mr. Morris had paid $20.00 for the privilege of landing the steamer.

The company, reluctantly leaving an ailing sister Knudsen behind, sailed down the Elbe in good spirits, rode out a fogbound Christmas Eve in Cuxhaven, Germany and were buffeted by violent storms which strewed the North Sea with wrecks. They remained at anchor until 1:00 on Christmas Day, when the anchor was lifted and they sailed to the coast of Holland and a place called Nye Werk. The sea became rough again so after less than an hour it was necessary to again set anchor. At midnight they again proceeded on their way toward England.

Tuesday December 28 the ship arrived at 5:00 in Hull, England. They had come through a storm the likes of which the captain had never seen. While crossing the North Sea, they were blown off their course and the Captain thought they were lost. Some of the cargo was ruined and the wind was so strong that the possessions of the people were nearly blown overboard... The Captain said the ship was gone several times...Although the ship was expected to sink, it did not do so. Some of the people on board the ship said, “This would not have happened, but for those d--- Mormons.” The Captain said in all humility, “If it hadn’t been for these d--- Mormons as you call them, we would have sunk. Their prayers probably saved our lives.”

At 12:00 noon the next day the immigrants boarded a train for Liverpool, arriving there at 9:00 that evening. They were housed in a comfortable hotel, served a warm meal and taken good care of until on December 31 when they boarded the Forest Monarch, a splendid sailing vessel which had not carried passengers before; carpenters in fact were still installing the berths. And thus the year 1852 ended with all its remarkable events. God be praised for the many blessings which he has bestowed upon his people.

On New Year’s Day, two tenders towed the frigate out into the River Mersey, but it was another fifteen days before favoring winds took the ship with its travelers out to sea. A child was born to start the new year. The long layover brought murmurings and complaints, but this time gave the company a chance to regulate its housekeeping: two were named to help in the galley, and three to deliver foodstuffs to it, thirteen captains were to distribute daily provisions and seven more to ration the water, and two were to supervise cleaning the quarters.

Daily prayers and almost daily meetings permitted airing of feelings, provided inspiration and instruction, and established a pattern of general consent for conducting the emigrants affairs. Everything was ordered by vote. On January 11, the brethren and sisters raised their hands in agreement to live in harmony with each other. Willard Snow, who had settled with the Liverpool office, felt satisfied with the company and returned to Copenhagen, leaving with the ship’s officers a testimonial of his pleasure at the arrangements. Meanwhile, on Friday January 7 the Forest Monarch received visitors newly arrived from Zion, among them Hans Peter Olson on his way to fill a mission in Scandinavia, who gave us good tidings of Zion, which caused us great joy. Dancing and games in the evening celebrated the occasion...

At last on Sunday January 16, with the weather fair, the Forest Monarch set out to sea and headed for New Orleans. The Saints observed the event by partaking of the holy sacrament. Five marriages, two births, and three deaths had seen life come full cycle while they were still in port. It was not many days before foul weather tested the improvised berths, which creaked fearfully, some even tumbling down. Brother Hans Larsen fell and knocked an arm out of joint, the first in an epidemic of bad hurts and bruises as land legs failed to hold the unpredictable deck. Though seasickness was universal, generally the weather was calm, particularly as they approached the southern latitudes and the Atlantic crossing was pleasant. They traveled eleven weeks on the sea while crossing the Atlantic Ocean and had very little to eat except hard bread and burned beans.

According to the immigrant journal we learn that Lars was active in the daily affairs of the journey. A meeting was held on Thursday January 20, in which Lars was one of the speakers. He also participated by offering the prayer at the meetings on several occasions. Although still a priest in the Aaronic priesthood, he continued to be one of the leaders.

Within four weeks they glimpsed the West Indies and it became too warm to hear daily discourses on the millennium, the resurrection, and the gathering of Israel, though not too warm to listen to Christian Christiansen’s violin. They did however, meet on Tuesday Feb. 29, and Brother Forsgren gave some instructions on what was to be expected on the journey up the river after their arrival in New Orleans.

On the morning of March 7, they came into the Mississippi River. They continued to sail up the river until about 4 in the afternoon, when they anchored. Sister Jorgensen had died and the next day the immigrants went ashore on an island in the river where she was buried.

Two tug boats arrived on March 14, and towed the ship until evening all during a heavy rain. They resumed the towing the next day. The most interesting thing that was viewed by the ships’ passengers and the Justesen family was a house along the shore in which black people lived. The house was built on poles and along side was a small house boat, in which they traveled to and from shore.

At New Orleans the customs officers mistook the emigrants for Irish laborers. Lars was the first person named in the passenger list.

While in port they were able to buy fresh bread, but Elder Forsgren had to warn them not to go into the city, for the people were most ungodly. They gave Forsgren a vote of confidence and pooling their means to enable everyone to go on, moved by steamboat upriver to St. Louis, marveling at the panorama of life along the Mississippi, the extensive forests, here and there being burned over for a clearing, the pleasant towns, the spring song of birds, the orchards in fairest bloom, the slaves working in the fields, where Negro women rode the ox-pulled plows and children waved from the banks with wide handkerchiefs. These sights were not like any they had ever seen in Denmark. They did however, see familiar things like ducks, geese, turkeys, pigs, horses, and cows. The fields also looked just like the ones in the old country. All of the country side was full of life and very good.

On Saturday, March 19, all of their belongings were put on board a steamship. At 4:00 with all of the passengers aboard, they sailed for St. Louis. In the forenoon of March 29, the ship arrived at St. Louis.

In St. Louis, Mormon emigrants were a familiar sight and the members already waiting there numbered over three thousand. The Danish immigrants found enough empty houses for a month’s stay and worked at odd jobs while waiting for the sickly season [yellow fever] along the river to pass. Forsgren meanwhile kept them close together through frequent meetings, and counseling for the temptations in St. Louis were great. During April three more couples were married, five of the company died, and two children were born. Thankful their troubles were no greater, the first group of 135 persons left on April 21 for Keokuk, Iowa, twenty-four hours away and not far from fabled Nauvoo. The rest followed ten days later, and the entire group were together again by May 1, 1853.

At Keokuk, they became part of a great encampment of Welsh and English Saints. They found that Elder Haight, the church agent, had been diligent in obtaining their outfits for the plains. The Danish camp as they came to be known, pitched their tents in a flowered prairie grove in a setting of oak trees and wild grape. It was a lively place as they learned the mysteries of the yoke and whip in handling oxen and got used to living in tents and wagons that were as good as a house.

A meeting was held on May 11, at which the companies were organized for crossing the plains. John E. Forsgren was sustained as President. The group was divided into fifty and in tens. Each ten consisted of 4 wagons each. Lars Justesen was made the captain over the third ten in the first fifty.

A conference of all the Mormons camped at Keokuk was held on Sunday May 15. The General Authorities were sustained as were the local leaders. Many gave their testimony as to the truthfulness of the gospel. All desired to live in harmony.

Thursday, May 19, the Danish camp was prepared for their journey west. By the end of the first day they had traveled 10 miles and four on the second. There were many hardships along the way. There was the constant hazard of falling from the wagons and being run over by the stock. The weather was the worst. The sudden storms that came over Iowa and Nebraska were frightening beyond anything known in the old country. They also saw many good sights. The grandeur of the buffalo herds, the thousands of deer and antelope, and the far stretching uninhabited country, with its great rivers to ferry.

At the Sugar Creek camp on May 31, three oxen belonging to the third company became lost. This was Lars’ group. The rest of the groups moved on. In the afternoon of June 1st Captain Justesen’s company caught up and rejoined with the main body.

The journey was the same from day to day. It would rain some days and be nice on others. Finally at a camp on Sunday June 19, it was proposed that Lars Alexander Justesen be ordained an Elder. He was ordained by Elders Forsgren and Christiansen.

Lars lost time again, searching for his horses on June 23. He was able to locate them in due time and the company were soon on the move again. The average distance of 10 miles per day was continued. Along the way, some of the people decided this was not the best situation they had ever been in, so they left the group, settling in the nearby towns. There was much work involved in the daily travel. Wagons to fix, rivers to ferry, and animals to care for.

On Friday, July 15, after traveling the daily 10 miles, they arrived at Elkhorn River where they crossed with the teams all in good condition. In the evening Elder Forsgren baptized Rasmus and Peter Justesen. Rasmus was 11 and Peter was 10 years of age. The next Sunday the boys were confirmed members of the church.

The journey continued day after day, creeping along the ten to twenty miles a day in mud and sand and dealing with unruly stock that tried tempers and brought out imperfections to be repented of. They crossed creeks with colorful names like Wolf and Rattlesnake and Crab. They helped the English saints to build bridges and fed some Indians as they traveled through the Sioux Indian country. One day a band of Indians overtook them, ordered them to stop and to give them sugar and all kinds of food. They gladly spread blankets for the Indians to eat on. They ate all they wanted and rode away. They were large and fine looking Indians, and were dressed almost like kings and knights of old with fine feathers and beads, buckskin suits and buffalo robes with rich paintings of deer on them. Their ponies were in good condition.

Rasmus Justesen said, “I drove two yoke of oxen, all the way across the plains. We endured many hardships, and often went hungry... I was now twelve years old.”

Finally in the evening on September 30, 1853, they entered the Salt Lake Valley. The General Conference of the church was convened on Thursday October 6.

Other Sources Used:

1. Winkler, Albert L. “The Massacre”, Frontier Times May 1978.

2. Gottfredson, Peter. Indian Depredations in Utah, 1969.

3. Lever, W. H. Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah; Ogden, Utah: 1898.

4. Justesen, Louis; “A Biography”; LDS Church Historians Office, July 1931.

5. Mulder, William. Homeward to Zion, the Mormon Migration from Scandinavia. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News Press, 1927.

6. Correspondence concerning pensions for service in the Indian Wars. united States Adjutant General Washington, DC 1918.

7. Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT Wed. Apr 15, 1868; Apr 6, 1868.

8. Journal of the John E. Forsgren Company, LDS Church Historians Office.

9. 1860 Census of Sanpete County, Utah.

10. Ship passenger lists - Port of New Orleans

11. Parish Register Gundslev, Denmark.

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From Danmark to the USA with the Forsgren Company

Excerpts from a transcribed account by Eline Hansinea Larsen Lambert (1838-1921), written by her daughter Emeline Lambert Carpenter from Eline’s dictation. Note: Hansina as a name was also commonly referred to as Hansine or Sine. Danish spelling has been used for names and place names where appropriate. This information has been adapted from a very fine personal website and you can click the link on the right to go there and learn more about Elena Hansena Larsen Lambert’s Emigration to Utah.

I first heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints preached in my father’s home in København, Danmark by the first two missionaries (Erastus Snow and George P. Dykes) to enter in Danmark. The very first meetings, the first Sacrament, was [administered] in my father’s [Hans Larsen] home. My parents were two of the first fifteen that were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denmark, 12 August 1850, by Erastus Snow. I was the first girl to be baptized, 6 September 1850, by George P. Dykes.

When my father was a boy, he worked for farmers in the day time. In the evening [he] carded wool for his mother [Maren Hansen]. They made their own cloth bed ticking. She also knit great long legged stockings for Father to wear on the water. [As] soon as he was old enough, he had to be either a sailor or soldier ([it was a] state law), so he took to the sea. He went to many lands. [He] kept going until he was married, [and he] nearly drowned several times. They used what they called a pram, like our rafts, to carry goods from and to the ships where the canals were too shallow for big ships. They called my father “Pram Sticker Larsen”....

He [and my mother] had six children. One died on board ship and was buried in New Orleans, U.S. of America. We emigrated to Utah with the first regular company of Latter-day Saints that left Denmark, 20 December 1852. We crossed the North Sea in a fearful storm in a sailing vessel. [We] arrived in Hull, England, 28 December 1852, much to their surprise, as we had been reported lost with 150 other ships. We left there, going to Liverpool by train. [We] left Liverpool 16 Jan 1853 on the ship Forest Monarch. After a voyage of ten weeks, we arrived at New Orleans. [There was] seasickness on the ship. Three or four of our company died while [we were] on the ocean. My little sister, Margarette Kirstine, three years old, took sick while on the water. [She] died as we were in sight of land, [and was] buried in New Orleans.

We went up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, [and] from there to Keokuck, Iowa. It was nice sailing up the river--no sickness [and] we could see land on each side. At Keokuck we got wagons and oxen and started across the plains to Utah....

[We] had a few accidents on the way [across the plains, but] none proved fatal. One man, William Anderson, [was] run over. We were being ferried over the river. One wagon had two yoke [of] oxen, [the] leaders young steers. They ran clear off the boat into the river. The wagon swam off with a woman in it that was half blind. ‘Twas only [a] little way above a big dam, but the men got it out. Everything [was] wet, but the lady was calm--didn’t see what and how [it] happened. [The] steers swam out with the running gears.

One day a storm gathered and let loose at night. We got up on a bench and pitched [our] tent, ready for it. Our ten wagons [were] the first up. Lightening flashed, thunder roared. Father was on guard. [He] could see only when flashes of lightening lit everything up. Not much supper that night....

Some of us girls walked every step of the way, singing and stepping to the tune. We got way ahead of the teams. A scout rode up [and] warned us to wait for [the] wagons as [there were] Indians ahead....[We] had Indian visitors different times on the way. [They would] ride up in head and stop all the wagons and beg for everything. One time they wanted to buy my mother and give horses for her. [I] guess we didn’t want the horses bad enough--we’re all in Utah....

 We arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, 30 Sep 1853, after a long tiresome journey.

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The December 1852 Migration

Zobell, Albert L. Jr. Under the Midnight Sun: Centennial History of Scandinavian Missions. 1950. Chapter 11, pp. 48-49.

Two hundred ninety-four Saints (including children) joined President Forsgren as he left Copenhagen to come to Utah after filling his mission. A great multitude, comprised of the Saints and the curious, were at the wharf on December 20, 1852, to see the company sail on the steamship “Obotrit” for Kiel. And the curious were blasphemous at seeing “that Swedish Mormon Priest (meaning President Forsgren) take so many of their countrymen with him. However, no violence resulted.

There were storms encountered on the way to Kiel, and after a railroad trip to Hamburg, the Saints boarded the steamship “Lion” which sailed for Hull, England, on Christmas Day. A severe storm was raging on the North Sea, a storm which claimed about one hundred fifty ships, and the people of Hull were greatly surprised when the “Lion appeared on the horizon.

After a train ride to Liverpool [England], the emigrating Saints went aboard the packet ship Forest Monarch, which was hauled out of the dock and anchored in the River Mersey on the last day of the year. Here the ship lay at anchor for two weeks awaiting favorable winds. In this interval three of the company died, two babies were born, and three fellow-passengers aboard ship embraced the gospel. One night the ship became entangled with another ship, and sustained some damage. A few days later, during a heavy storm, the Forest Monarch got adrift, pulling up both anchors, and at just the right moment was saved by two tugboats from running aground. One emigrant had been bitten by a dog, and was counseled to return to shore and wait for the next [p.48] company. So, when the sails were actually hoisted, January 16, 1853, the company under President Forsgren’s direction numbered 297.

The Atlantic crossing was tedious. The provisions were poor and the supply of fresh water was inadequate to reach New Orleans [Louisiana, USA] where they arrived March 16th. Four deaths and three births occurred.

The company tarried in St. Louis for about a month. Here six of the emigrants died and two couples were married. They sailed up the Mississippi again to Keokuk, Iowa, and it was here that they had their first experience out on the American Plains.

Now they received their oxen and wagons for the journey to Zion. Some of the Scandinavians, disliking the American way of driving oxen in yokes, hitched up these beasts of burden in regular Danish fashion. But they had forgotten one little thing-that the oxen were American. The oxen were half-frightened-to-death, and started out in a wild run. A council meeting was called at which it was decided that it would be easier for the emigrants to learn American ways than it would for the oxen to learn to work with the Danish harnesses.

Many of the oxen, too, had never hitched up before, and this, coupled by many inexperienced drivers, soon added up to many upset wagons in the gulleys and ditches. With thirty-four wagons and about 130 oxen, the company rolled out from the camping grounds near Keokuk on May 21st. In the overland journey, a number of the emigrants died, and many children were born, and a few of the company lost the faith and dropped by the wayside. Finally, on September 30, 1853, the company arrived safely in Great Salt Lake City. . . . [p. 49]

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Narratives of the Emigration from the Scandinavian Mission 1852-1853
from excerpts of the History of the Scandinavian Mission, by Andrew Jenson.

1852 (pp. 46-48)

Up to the beginning of 1852, the subject of emigration had scarcely been mentioned by the American missionaries, but by degrees it dawned upon the minds of the Saints through the light of the spirit which had been conferred upon them after baptism, that this was a gathering dispensation, and the Elders had, therefore introducing the doctrine. The Scandinavian Saints were eager to cast their lots with the Saints in America as were the converts in England and other parts of the world. As a large company of Saints prepared to emigrate from the British Isles in the month of February, 1852, Apostle Franklin D. Richards, who presided over the British Mission, wrote to President Erastus Snow, that if any of the Saints in the Scandinavian Mission desired to go to Zion, they might have the privilege of joining that company. When Elder Snow made this known a few days previous to the time appointed for the emigration to leave England, he found nine persons ready to respond at once. Hurriedly they arranged their affairs and commenced their long journey Jan. 31, 1852.

The names of these first nine who proved to be the forerunners of tens of thousands of Saints who have subsequently wended their way from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to the Valley of the Mountains were Rasmus Petersen, wife and adopted child; Conrad Emil Edward Schvanveldt, wife and two children, and two unmarried men, Wilhem Knudsen and Nils Olson. They traveled by stage from Copenhagen to Corsair, whence they crossed “Storable” and “Lillebelt” on ferries; they then traveled through by stage to Rensborg in Holstein, where they arrived in the evening of February 2nd. The following day they continued the journey by rail to Altona, where Elder George P. Dykes was on hand to receive them. After treating them to dinner, he took them on board the steamship, “John Bull”, which on the morning of the 4th sailed for London, England, where it arrived on the 5th, in the evening. After much inquiry in London, the little company of foreigners at length succeeded in finding Elder Jacob Gates, who presided over the London Conference, and to whom they had a letter of introduction from Apostle Erastus Snow. Elder Gates rendered them necessary aid and assisted them to continue the journey by rail to Liverpool on the 7th. Arriving there, they were informed that they were too late to sail on the “Ellen Maria,” as had been their intention, for that ship had just cleared port the same day. Consequently the little company, had to wait in Liverpool over a month to find an opportunity to sail on another vessel. Brother Rasmus Petersen was detained one day in London to get the luggage passed through the customhouse. In the meantime Elder Snow arrived in Liverpool with nineteen more Scandinavian emigrants, and with these the first nine embarked in the ship “Italy” on the 11th of March, 1852, and commenced the voyage across the Atlantic.

Having finished his work in Scandinavia, Apostle Erastus Snow sailed from Copenhagen March 4, 1852, on his return to America, accompanied by nineteen Saints whose names are as follows: Ole Ulrick Christian Monster (one of the first fifteen baptized in Denmark), wife and child; Christian Hildur Raven, wife and three children; Niles Jensen, wife and one child; Fredrik Petersen, Ferdinand F. Hansen, Hans Hansen, Carl Jorgensen, Bertha S. Hansen, Augusta Dorius, Cecelia Jorgensen and Johanne Andersen. The company took steamer from Copenhagen to Kiel, in Holstein; thence traveled by rail to Altona, took steamer from Hamburg to Hull, in England, and thence went by rail to Liverpool, where they arrived March 8th, and found the previously named nine persons waiting for them. Apostle Erastus Snow, who had some importance business to attend to in England before he could return home, place Ole U.C. Monster in charge of the little company of Danish Saints, now numbering twenty-eight souls, and saw them safely on board the ship “Italy”, on March 11, 1852. After a safe passage they arrived at New Orleans, May 10th. Processing up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, the Danish emigrants reached Kanesville (now Council Bluffs), Iowa in good health and spirits. There they were met again by their beloved Apostle Erastus Snow, who had reached the Bluffs by way of New York, and in the beginning of July, 1852, attached to a large company of Saints under the leadership of Eli B. Kelsey, the twenty-eight Danish emigrants commenced the journey across the pains with ox-teams; they arrived in Salt Lake City, Oct. 16, 1852. 

1852 (p. 70-72) 

An earnest desire on the part of the Scandinavian Saints to emigrate to Zion soon became quite general, an increased interest in that direction having been manifested by many of them since the first little company had left from the mountains a few months previously. Consequently, the Elders had been busily engage for some time past in making preparations to send off a large company. About the beginning of December, 1852, the emigrants from the respective conferences in the mission began to gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, and on Monday, Dec. 20, 1852, 294 Saints, including three children, went on board the steamship “Obotrit” and sailed from “Toldboden” (the custom-house) at 4 o’clock p.m. under the leadership of Elder John E. Forsgren, one of the Elders who was in connection with Apostle Erastus Snow first introduced the gospel into Scandinavia two years before. A great multitude of people had gathered on the wharf to witness the departure of the “Mormons,” and many of the rabble gave utterance to the most wicked an blasphemous language, while they cursed and swore so many of their countrymen were disgracing themselves by following to America “that Swedish Mormon Priest,” and appellation they gave Elder Forsgren. No violence, however, was resorted to, and the ship got safely away. 

 After a rather stormy and unpleasant voyage, the “Obotrit” arrived safely at Kiel, in Holstein, on the evening of the 22nd. The following day the journey was continued by rail to Hamburg, where a large hall had been hired and supper prepared for the emigrants. In the afternoon on the 24th the Saints went on board the steamship “Lion,” which glided slowly with the tide down the River Elbe to Cuxhaven, where the captain cast anchor, owing to the heavy fog that prevailed. The emigrants now celebrated Christmas Eve on board with songs and amusements of different kinds.

In the morning of the 25th, anchor was weighed, and the “Lion” sailed to the mouth of the river, where it was met by heavy headwinds that made it impossible to reach the open sea until midnight. Finally, the passage from the river to the sea was made in the moon light. Early it) the morning of the 26th, the ship passed Heligoland, soon after which a heavy gale blew up from the south West which increased in violence until the next day when it assumed the character of a regular hurricane, the like of which old sailors declared they had never before experienced on the North Sea. The ship’s bridge and part of the gunwale was destroyed and some goods standing on the deck were broken to pieces and washed overboard; otherwise, neither the ship nor the emigrants were injured. On the 28th, in the evening after the storm had spent its fury, the “Lion” steamed into the harbor of Hull, England. About 150 vessels were lost on the North Sea in the storm and the people of Hull were greatly surprised when the “Lion” arrived there safely on the 28th, as it was firmly believed that she had gone under like the many other ships that were lost. From Hull the emigrating Saints continued their journey on the 29th by rail to Liverpool, where lodgings and meals previously ordered were prepared for them, and on the 31st of December, 1852, they went on board the packet ship “Forest Monarch,” which was hauled out of the dock and anchored in the River Mersey. There it lay about two weeks because of storms and contrary winds. In the meantime, three of the company died, two babies were born, and three fellow-passengers were united with the Church by baptism. One man, who had been bitten by a dog, was left in Liverpool, to be forwarded with the next company of emigrating Saints. One night the ship became entangled with another vessel and sustained some damage; and a few days later, during a heavy storm, it got adrift, pulling up both anchors, and was just about to run aground when two tugboats came to the rescue and saved it. On the 10th of January, 1853, the “Forest Monarch” put out to sea. The emigrants now numbered 297 souls who were placed under the direction of Elder John E. Forsgren, in connection with whom Elders Christian Christiansen and J. Herman Christensen acted as counselors. Elder Willard Snow and Peter 0. Hansen, who had accompanied the emigrating Saints to Liverpool, now returned to Copenhagen.

 During the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean the “Forest Monarch” was favored with very pleasant weather, but for several days there was a perfect calm. In many respects the emigrants, who were nearly all unaccustomed to seafaring life, found the voyage trying and tedious. The provisions were poor and their fresh water supply gave out before the journey was ended. Four deaths also occurred on board, and three children were born during the voyage. On the 8th of March, 1853, the ship arrived safely at the mouth of the Mississippi River, where five of the company died, and on the arrival at New Orleans, March 16th, two others departed this life; one family, which had apostatized, remained in that city. From New Orleans the journey was continued by steamboat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, where the -emigrants landed March 31st. In -that city, tents and other commodities needed for the overland journey were purchased. After tarrying about a month, during which time six of the emigrants died and two couples were married, the company left St. Louis and proceeded by steamboat about two hundred miles further up the Mississippi River to Keokuk, Iowa, where the emigrants pitched their tents for the first time and lay in camp for several weeks before starting for the Plains. 

In the meantime, the emigrants received their teams of oxen and wagons. Some of the Scandinavian emigrants, who disliked the American way of driving oxen in yokes, made harness in regular Danish fashion; but - no sooner were they placed on the animals than they, frightened half to death, struck ‘out in a wild run, refusing to be guided by the lines in the hands of their new masters from the far North. As they crossed ditches and gulches in their frenzy, parts of the wagons were strewn by the wayside;) but the oxen (many of which had never been hitched up before) were at last stopped by men who understood how to manipulate that most important article of all teamsters’ outfits-the whip-and the Danish emigrants, profiting by the experience they had gained, soon concluded that, although harness might do well for oxen in Denmark, the yoke and whip were preferable in America, and they readily accepted the method of their adopted country. With 34 wagons and about 130 oxen, the company rolled out from the camping-ground near Keokuk on the 21st of May, and after three weeks’ rather difficult travel over the prairies of Iowa, the town of Council Bluffs, on the Missouri River, was reached. Here the company rested for several days, but on the 27th of June, the emigrants resumed their journey by crossing the Missouri River, after which they were soon out on the Plains. In the overland journey a number of the emigrants died, and more children were born, while a few lost the faith in the midst of the hardships and trials of the long march.

Finally, on the 30th of September, 1853, the company arrived safely in Great Salt Lake City. On the 4th of October the emigrants were nearly all rebaptized by Apostle Erastus Snow, and they were counseled by President Brigham Young to settle in different parts of the Territory with people of other nationalities, so as to become useful in developing the resources of the new country. Most of them located in Sanpete Valley, whither other companies from Scandinavia subsequently followed them yearly, and that valley has ever since been known as a stronghold of the Scandinavians in Utah. Still, President Young’s advice has not been unheeded, as the people from the three countries of the North, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, are represented to a greater or less extent in nearly every town and settlement of the Saints in the Rocky Mountains. 

1853-1854 (p. 87-89)

Quite a number of the recently baptized converts in Denmark possessed considerable means, and as the spirit of emigrating to America was universal in all the branches of the Church throughout the mission, the well-to-do Saints made almost immediate preparations to sell their property and wend their way Zion ward. The incessant persecutions which prevailed against the members of the Church in nearly all parts of the country also increased the desire to emigrate, and, rather than tarry, a number preferred to sell their homes at half price, if by so doing they could only obtain sufficient means to defray the expenses of the journey. Under these circumstances the spirit of brotherly love also manifested itself in its best form, and under its divine influence the rich Saints remembered their poorer fellow-religionists and extended to them that material help and succor which has always characterized the Saints of the Most High. Thus hundreds of the poor, whose chances to emigrate to Zion with their own means were almost beyond reasonable expectations, were assisted by their wealthier brethren. Through the columns of “Skandinaviens Stjerne,” the Church organ in Scandinavia, plain and minute instructions were given to the emigrants who nearly all were unacquainted with the incidents of travel. In fact, there were many among them, who, during all their previous experiences in life, had never had occasion to go farther from their homes than to the nearest market town. It was, therefore, no easy task for the Elders, who presided over the different branches and conferences in the mission, to plan and arrange everything for the emigrants, and the burden rested heavily especially upon the presiding brethren in Copenhagen, where the headquarters of the mission was located.

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Forest Monarch (January 1853)

Mormon Immigration Index: A Compilation of General Voyage Notes

“Departures . . . The Forest Monarch sailed on the 16th of January, with 297 Danish Saints on board, under the presidency of Elder John Forsgren,” Millennial Star, 15:6 (Feb. 5, 1853), p. 89.

“SIXTIETH COMPANY. --Forest Monarch, 297 souls. This company of emigrants was from the Scandinavian mission, being the first large company of Saints who emigrated from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. An earnest desire to emigrate to Zion had been manifested by many of the Scandinavian Saints since the first company had left for the mountains a few months previous; and the elders had been engaged for some time past in making preparations to send off a large company. About the beginning of December, 1852, the emigrants from the respective conferences in the mission began to gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, and on Monday Dec. 20, 1852, two hundred ninety-three Saints, including children, went on board the steamship Obotrit and sailed from Toldboden (the custom house) at 4 o’clock p.m., under the leadership of Elder John E. Forsgren, one of the elders who, in connection with Apostle Erastus Snow, first introduced the gospel into Scandinavia two years before. A great multitude of people had gathered on the wharf to witness the departure of the “Mormons”, and many of the rabble gave utterance to the most wicked and blasphemous language, while they cursed and swore, because so many of their countrymen were disgracing themselves by following “that Swedish Mormon priest” (an appellation they gave Elder Forsgren) to America. No violence, however, was resorted to, and the ship got safely away.

After a rather stormy and unpleasant passage the Obotrit arrived safely in Kiel, Holstein, on the evening of the twenty-second. The following day the journey was continued by rail to Hamburg, where a large hall had been hired, and supper prepared for the emigrants. In the afternoon of the twenty-fourth the Saints went on board the steamship Lion, which glided slowly with the tide down the river Elbe to Cuxhaven, where the captain cast anchor, owing to the heavy fog which prevailed. The emigrants now celebrated Christmas Eve on board, with songs and amusements of different kinds. In the morning of the twenty-fifth anchor was weighed, and the Lion sailed to the mouth of the river, where it was met by heavy headwinds, that made it impossible to reach the open sea until midnight. Finally, the passage from the river to the sea was made in the moonlight.

Early in the morning of the twenty-sixth, the ship passed Heligoland, soon after which a heavy gale blew up from the southwest, which increased in violence until the next day, when it assumed the character of a regular hurricane, the like of which old sailors declared they had never before experienced on the German Ocean. The ship’s bridge and part of the gunwale were destroyed, and some goods standing on the deck were broken to pieces and washed overboard; otherwise, neither the ship nor the emigrants were injured. On the twenty-eighth, in the evening, after the storm had spent its fury, the lion steamed into the harbor of Hull, England. About one hundred and fifty vessels were lost on the German Ocean in the storm, and the people in Hull were greatly surprised when the Lion arrived in safety, as it was firmly believed that she had gone under like the other ships that were lost.

From Hull, the emigrating Saints continued the journey by rail to Liverpool, on the 29th, where lodging and meals previously ordered, were prepared for them, and on the first of January 1853, they went on board the packet ship Forest Monarch, which was hauled out of the dock and anchored in the river Mersey. There it lay until the 16th, because of storms and contrary winds. In the meantime three of the company died, two babies were born, and three fellow passengers were initiated into the Church by baptism. One man, who had been bitten by a dog, was left in Liverpool, to be forwarded with the next company of emigrating saints. One night the ship became entangled with another vessel and sustained some injuries: and a few days later, during a heavy storm, it got adrift, pulling up both anchors, and was just about to run aground, when two tug boats came to the rescue and saved it.

On the sixteenth of January, 1853, the Forest Monarch put out to sea. The emigrants now numbered two hundred and ninety-seven souls, who were placed under the direction of Elder John E. Forsgren, in connection with who Elders Christian Christiansen and J. H. Christiansen acted as counselors. Elder Willard Snow and Peter O. Hansen who had accompanied the emigrating Saints to Liverpool, now returned to Copenhagen.

During the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean the Forest Monarch was favored with very pleasant weather, but for several days it was a perfect calm, and in many respects the emigrants, who nearly all were unaccustomed to seafaring life, found the voyage trying and tedious. The provisions were poor, and their fresh water supply gave out before the journey was ended. Four deaths also occurred, and three children were born during the voyage.

On the eighth of March, 1853, the ship arrived safely at the mouth of the Mississippi River, where five of the company died, and on the arrival at New Orleans, on the sixteenth, two others departed this life, and one family who had apostatized remained in that city.

From New Orleans the journey was continued by steamboat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, where the emigrants landed on the thirty-first. In that city, tents and other commodities needed for the journey, were purchased. After tarrying about a month, during which time six of the emigrants died and two couples were married (one couple being Soren Olsen and Bertha Jorgensen), the company left St. Louis and proceeded by steamboat about two hundred miles further up the river to Keokuk, Iowa, where the emigrants pitched their tents for the first time, and lay in camp for several weeks before starting for the plains.

In the meantime the emigrants received their teams consisting of oxen and wagons. Some of the Scandinavian emigrants, who at first rejected the American way of driving oxen in yokes, went to work and manufactured harness in regular Danish fashion; but no sooner were these placed on the animals than they, frightened half to death struck out in a wild run, refusing to be guided at all by the lines in the hands of their new masters from the far north. Crossing ditches and gulches in their frenzy, parts of the wagons were strewn by the way side; but the oxen (many of which had never been hitched up before) were at last stopped by men who understood how to manipulate the most important article of all teamsters outfits -- the whip; and the Danish emigrants, profiting by the experience they had gained, soon concluded that, although harness might do well enough for oxen in Denmark, the yoke and whip were preferable in America; and they readily accepted the method of their adopted country.

With thirty-four wagons and about one hundred and thirty oxen, the company rolled out from the camping ground near Keokuk on the twenty-first of May, and after three weeks rather difficult travel over prairies of Iowa, Council Bluffs, on the Missouri River, was reached. Here the company rested for several days, and on the twenty seventh of June resumed the journey by crossing the Missouri River, after which they were soon far out on the plains. On the overland journey a number of the emigrants died, more children were born, and few lost the faith in the midst of the hardships and trials of the long march.

Finally on the thirtieth of September, 1853 the company arrived in Salt Lake City; and on the fourth of October the emigrants were nearly all rebaptized by Apostle Erastus Snow. They were counseled by President Brigham Young to settle in different parts of the Territory, and mix up with people of other nationalities, so as to become useful in developing the resources of the new country. Most of them located in Sanpete Valley, whither other companies of from Scandinavia subsequently followed them, and that valley has ever since been know as the headquarters of the Scandinavians in Utah. Still President Young’s advice has not been unheeded, as the people from the three countries of the north (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) are represented, to a greater or less extent, in nearly ever town and settlement of the Saints in the Rocky Mountains. (Millennial Star, Vol. XV, pp. 89, 282, 368; Morgenstjernen, Vol. 1, page 180.)

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Mormon Influence on Scandinavian Settlement in Nebraska

by Edith Matteson and Jean Matteson

Originally published in On Distant Shores: Proceedings of the Marcus Lee Hansen Immigrration Conference; Aalborg, Denmark June 29 - July 1, 1992. Edited by Birgit Flemming Larsen, Henning Bender and Karen Veien. Published by the Danes Worldwide Archives in colloboration with the Danish Society for Emigration History in Aalborg, Denmark; 1993. Online version at http://www.xmission.com/~nelsonb/nebraska.htm

It was from Denmark that the majority of Scandinavian converts to Mormonism would come. In 1845 Peter O. Hansen began paving the way for the introduction of Mormonism to the tiniest Scandinavian country by taking it upon himself to translate the Book of Mormon into his native language. Success in England and the need for manpower to build up Zion in Utah turned the thoughts of church leaders to missionary work abroad. In 1849 a decision was made at the general conference of the Latter Day Saints to place the headquarters of the Nordic mission in Denmark. The passage of the June constitution of 1849, which, at least in principle, allowed freedom of religion in Denmark, was one reason for the choice. Swedish and Norwegian policy was not tolerant of non-Lutherans, so officials imprisoned missionaries and even kicked them out of those countries. Scandinavians in all three countries resorted to mob violence, taking jobs away, and using disinheritance to discourage friends and relatives from becoming Mormons. Nevertheless between 1850 and 1904 over 23,000 Danes were converted to the religion, compared to less than 17,000 Swedes and just over 6,000 Norwegians. Altogether nearly 70 percent (22,653) of the total number of Scandinavian converts who did not change their minds (of 46,497 Scandinavian converts, 14,000 disaffected), emigrated. About 12,700 of the Scandinavian Mormon emigrants in this period were Danes.⁴ This was a sharp contrast to the total overall emigration from these three Nordic nations: between 1850 and 1930, the greatest numbers of people left Sweden (1.2 million), the largest proportion left Norway (the movement of 0.8 million Norwegians peaked in the 1880s when 9.6 per thousand of the population left: only Ireland had more with 14.9 per thousand leaving in the 1880s, while Iceland was in third place with 8.8 per thousand), and only 0.4 million people emigrated from Denmark. In addition to the difficulty of doing missionary work in Sweden and Norway, another factor affecting the rate of Mormon emigration from these countries was that a tradition of settlement in areas of the United States outside of Utah had already been established by Swedes and Norwegians. The initial phase of mass emigration from Norway began in the 1830s and 1840s, while that from Sweden began in the 1840s and 1850s. It was not until the 1850s and 1860s, with the Mormon migration, that emigration from Denmark became a mass movement. Emigration from Finland did not get underway until the 1860s, and at that time the migrants usually settled in mining areas in Michigan.⁵

Due to the difficulty of making connections across the Atlantic and the lack of information about America, large-scale emigration from Iceland did not begin until the 1870s. As was the case for the Danes, the first group of emigrants to leave Iceland for North America did so as a result of Mormon missionary work. And as was true for Sweden and Norway, the Mormon mission in Iceland had its beginnings in Denmark. Baptized in Copenhagen in 1851, the Icelanders Thorainn Halflidason and Gudmund (Gudmundur) Gudmundson served as missionaries in their native country. Gudmundson reported that the laws, the priests, and the press were against the Latter Day Saints in Iceland. Despite these difficulties, eleven Icelandic converts left for America between 1854 and 1857 with another nine settling in the town of Spanish Fork, Utah a few years later. Statistical reports in Skandinaviens stjerne [Scandinavia’s Star], the Mormon newspaper published in Denmark, indicate that a total of 114 Icelanders were converted to the religion between 1850 and 1904. Of these, six disaffected and seventy-two (67 percent) of the remainder emigrated. An estimated 5,000 Icelanders settled in the United States between 1870 and 1900, the majority in Utah, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Because Iceland was part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Icelanders were included with the Danes in the federal censuses of the United States in the years before 1830. While the majority of the Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian settlers in Utah were converts to Mormonism, the Icelandic settlement at Spanish Fork included Lutherans and Presbyterians. The varied community in Utah may have contributed to the fact that few Icelanders ever settled in Nebraska.⁶

Trans-Atlantic Mormon migration from Scandinavia began when a “little flock of Danish Saints,” left Denmark in January of 1852.⁷ During the 1850s and 1860s a total of twenty-eight companies of Scandinavian converts made the trip to America. The first company arrived intact but the second group [the Forsgren Company], which migrated in 1853 and consisted of nearly 300 emigrants, was not so successful. Before the group left New Orleans, fourteen people had died and five more had been born. Two people were left behind in Europe and one family broke with the Mormon church and stayed in Louisiana. The remainder continued up river to Keokuk, Iowa where the Danes were introduced to the use of the yoke and long whip for oxen. They discovered that Danish harnesses did not work with oxen. It was near Kanesville, Iowa that Frederikke Frederiksen and the families of Niels Pedersen and Jørgen Nielsen decided to leave the people they now called “liars and slanderers.” Nielsen got into a dispute over oxen and was considered to have slandered the church. He was excommunicated by a unanimous vote. The defectors settled among the “several thousand” Mormons who were still living in the Missouri River valley. The remainder of the journey to Utah was relatively uneventful, and the second Scandinavian company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September.⁸

4. The numbers of Scandinavian converts is from William Mulder’s “Mormons from Scandinavia, 1850-1905: The Story of a Religious Migration,” Ph.D. thesis, Harvard University, 1955, Table 1, p. 214. In Table 2, p. 219, Mulder gives the total number of Danish converts who emigrated as 12,696, but that total includes 72 Icelanders. The percentages of Scandinavians who were converted, did not defect and emigrated are based on my own calculations of Mulder’s data.

5. The numbers of Scandinavian migrants came from: Hans Norman and Harald Runblom, Transatlantic Connections: Nordic Migration to the New World after 1800, Oslo: Norwegian Univ. Press, 1988, pp. 31, 52, 58, and 60. For data on proportional migration see Table 2 p. 33.

6. Information on the Icelandic mission and emigration from Iceland is from William Mulder, Homeward to Zion: The Mormon Migration from Scandinavia, Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1957, pp. 56, 107, 299, and note 23 p. 328 and in Mulder, “Mormons from Scandinavia,” Table 2, p. 224, percentages are based on my own calculations. Autobiographic information on Gudmund (Gudmundur) Gudmundson, is in Davis Bitton, Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies, Provo, UT: BYU Press, 1977, entry no. 952, p. 132; and Mulder, Homeward to Zion, note 23, p. 328. Information on Icelandic settlement in the U.S. is in Valdimar Björnson, “Icelanders. “ In: Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups, Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press, 1980, pp. 474-76; and Howard Palmer, “Escape From the Great Plains: The Icelanders in North Dakota and Alberta” Great Plains Quarterly Vol. 3, Fall, 1983, pp. 220-23.

7. The Mormon Apostle Erastus Snow called them that; see Mulder, Homeward to Zion, p. 137.

8. Mulder, “Mormons from Scandinavia,” Table IV, lists 297 for the size of the second company, while Jørgen W. Schmidt Oh Du Zion i Vest: Den danske Mormon-emigration, 1850-1900 [Oh You Zion in the West: The Danish Mormon Emigration, 1850-1900], Copenhagen: Rosenkilde and Bager, 1965, p. 45, and Mulder, Homeward to Zion, p. 158, lists 294. The 1853 trip was described in Mulder, Homeward to Zion, pp. 158-63; and “A Pioneer Journal, Forsgren Company, Containing Story of the First Danish Company to Emigrate to Utah.” In: “Historical Pamphlet,” diary by an unknown source, translated by Earl Olsen, information on the excommunication and those who dropped out is on pages 20-22. The estimate of the numbers of Mormons remaining in the Missouri Valley came from Clyde B. Aitchison, “The Mormon Settlements in the Missouri Valley,” p. 21. Mulder, “Mormons from Scandinavia,” Table I, p. 214. The calculations on the numbers of children are my own based on Mulder’s figures.

NOTE: See also Wallace Stegner, The Gathering of Zion: The Story of the Mormon Trail, Salt Lake City: Westwater Press, Inc., 1981; and The Great Platte River Road: The Covered Wagon Mainline via Fort Kearney to Fort Laramie, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1969.

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