GHA Harris Trek to SLC

Oceans, Rivers and Wagons the Trek to Salt Lake City

(I think what impacted me on putting together this stage of George Henry’s life was  death.  People died all around him and I am sure there was mourning, but life went on immediately afterwards.  Another aspect of this was I saw the crossing in the eyes of a sailor as he was one for several years.  I will include some of his references to longitude and latitude, gibs, topsails, foresails etc.)

The ship unmoored on January 10, 1852 and set sail for New Orleans.  A Sister Brown from Dundee inscribed this poem to George Henry upon his leaving.

“Bro Harris is going away.  This is his last farewell.

And I hope the Lord will take him safe to his happy home to dwell.

Although the sea be very rough and the waves go mountains high

Our Heavenly Father wil keep him safe til the storm blast passes by

Bro Harris is a faithful man, he’s a faithful man I know

And before its very long the gospel trump he’ll blow

I pray that he’ll be kept from harm upon the mighty deep

And he’ll have his brothers & sisters prayer before they go to sleep

And when he’s safe on Zions shore then happy he will be

And I hope he’ll offer fervent prayer for the kind saints of Dundee.”

On January 12th “Bro Davis’s child 4 mo. Old died and was committed to the deep.” On January 15th in rough seas the wife of James James delivered a fine boy.  The seas were so rough George Henry had to hold the wet nurse on his lap and states it was my 1st experience.  A typical entry that concerned the sailing part of the journey was January 20.

“This morn commences with strong breeze NW by N course W by S.  At 10 AM spoke a Barque under Dutch colors Long by Act. 16 degrees 30’ W.  repared cook house & delivered out flour and water was to be given out every morning at 9 & on Saturdays 2 rations.  Mr. Jones to act as commissary & I as fire lighter or stoker.  Lat. By obs 47 degrees 30” N.”

All days were not calm as on another day he wrote: “we shipped a very heavy sea, which made the ship tremble in every timber & the passengers to think the day of judgement had arrived, for the water flew down the hatchways and ventilators & it seemed as tho the iron had shifter & stove a hole plum thru her.  Sounded Pumps but no water.”  (cargo included railroad iron)

On Sunday the 25th they had morning prayers, a testimony meeting and in the evening another service with a lecture on Obedience to the Priesthood.  And the wife of Bro Neilson delivered a son.  To give you a sense of their route, on February 1 they sighted land, currently called the Azores islands about 800 miles west of Portugal.  On February 4, 1852 he states “Wind SSE Course WSW ar dist pr hr 8 M.  This day 6 years ago I bound myself an apprentice to sea.  I was the 4’6” high.  Time flies”

George Henry had a sense of humor in some of his entries or his poems.  On February 7 he entered, “Murder was committed by one of our brethren, on one of the passengers of Irish desent, he first knocked down then stuck with a butcher knife, in order to supply the Captains table with fresh pork.”

The journey continued passing islands such as St. Domingo and Cuba, catching sea salmon and dolphins for food, holding church meetings.  On February 22, a Mrs. Car passed away and was buried at sea.  As an able seaman George Henry  did earn 32 Shillings for keeping the fires going on board for the saints to cook.  He mentions a diet of rice, tea, buiscuit and oatmeal.

On March 3, they sighted a lighthouse and a New Orleans Tug.  However the ship drew 17 ½ feet and a sand bar at the entrance to the channel was 15 ft.  Two steam tugs tried to pull the ship over the sand bar but they were stuck upon it.  Over the next few days various tugs tried to move the ship but were unable able.  The captain went ashore and offered money to other boats to take his passengers ashore but to no avail.  On March 11 the passengers were shifted to a tug boat and on the 13th of March George Henry landed in the United States.  The next day he was on the Pride of the Wood steamboat and headed up the Mississippi River.

This trip included more births and deaths as Joyce Wolten died on March 16, Sister Hangert delivered a son on March 18 and Br James little boy age 2 years died on March 19.  That night Carmichal’s child died.  On March 22 the steamboat arrived in Memphis.  On the 26th they arrived in St. Louis and Sister Harwood age 45 died.

Several men and  women from the group rented a room together in St. Louis.  At this point George Henry was out of money.  Some of the group started for Kanesville overland.  On April 2 Elizabeth Weival died.  She was one of those sleeping in the same room with George Henry.  George Henry was part of the burial detail and she was buried in the Baptist grave yard.  During this time he continued to attend various meetings of the saints and looked for work at a Sugar refinery.  On April 5th Bro Yates little 3 year old girl died and on April 7th he started work at the Sugar refinery.

On April 9th he heard that the river boat Salude had blown up.  It had left 10 days earlier with several saints on board for Council Bluffs.  A check of river boat records shows a ship the Saluda with Mormon immigrants had blown up when the boiler exploded. The captain had ordered extra pressure to try to fight the strong current.  Over 100 had been killed.  Local townspeople took in survivors and many of the children were orphaned and raised in that town.

On April 23 he is still working in St. Louis when another group of Saints left because of the Perpetual Emigration fund.  He also received a letter from his brother Abraham Shorland who had emigrated to Canada.  The letter announced his marriage  to Mary on October 22, 1851.  On April 24, 1852 he makes this entry:

“This day a company of Saints left pr steamer Kansas for St. Joseph in good health.  About this time I met Joseph Walton on the street bawling.  He had been married to Jane Burraston in England crossed the Atlantic in the Kennebeck and now his wife had left him and would not return.  It seemed a heavy trial for him.  (Remember the name as it will appear later in his life.  Jane Burraston went to St. Joseph and  Salt Lake with Wm Newel)

On May 11, he had worked a month at the refinery.  He had a meeting concerning teamsters the church needed but at that time he did not take them up on going.  He was encouraged to emigrate that year but was told he would have to decide soon as it would be too late later to make it all the way to Salt Lake City.  He worked two more weeks and left on the steamboat Allen on the 25th of May.  On the 30th a woman passenger died of Cholera.

On May 31, George Henry got off the boat at St. Joseph., but found that the wagons he was going to teamster had already left and were heading to Kanesville.  He had no more money but got back on the boat before it left.  His June 1 entry is as follows:

“fine weather, we steam along pretty fast.  The purser came around to collect fare, but he did not seem to see me, so I did not feel slighted as my purse was empty.

On June 3, 1852 he arrived at Kanesville.  Being penniless, he immediately found odd jobs, hoeing potatoes and herding cattle.  He spent Sundays listening to the various apostles who were in Kanesville at that time.  On June 10, he tells the story of obtaining a copy of “Gen. Joseph Smith’s appeal to the Green Mountain boys of Vermont” (this is an interesting story in itself and those with time may want to read Joseph’s appeal to his home state).  Being engrossed in it he did not watch the cattle closely and they wandered off.  He went looking in the wrong direction and a couple of hours later found them mixed with other cattle.  He spent the afternoon separating them and getting them back to the owner.

He prepared to head West over the next few days and on July 4, 1852 he crossed the Missouri River.  On the 8th he was organized in Captain Henry Miller’s company of fifty and “…for the 1st time in my life I drove an ox team.”  For the next month his company and several other companies moved West along the now established Mormon trail.  The daily work was similar.  The weather was not.  He remarked at times of thunderstorms,  hail and strong winds.  Apostle Hyde was in his company and on Sundays they would listen to him.  On August 8 John Mason died and on the 9th they passed Chimney rock.

August 19th entry:  “Forded the river traveled 10 m nooned.  This afternoon have had very bad roads, camp for the night by the river, drove our cattle across to good feed.  A storm threatened but passed over.  A bufalow was killed, hauled into camp, cut up and shared out.  I drive 2 yoke of oxen and 1 yoke of cows in the swing, and lay with the old man’s horses every night to preserve them from the Indians.  He promised to pay me extra when I ar in the valley, so he gave me 50 cents.  I was working for my board (please remember) & miserable board at that, but I was traveling to Zion.”

August 25th the group of 50 broke up into group of tens as feed was scarcer in that part of Wyoming.  As a last time together for awhile they had a dance  “Dancing was again indulged in, which seemed to gratify our youthful feelings.”  As a good sailor George Henry keeps referring to the lat and longitude markings as they cross the plains and mountains.  On September 1 they reach the Sweet Water river, Lat 42, 30” 16” and camp at Devil’sGate.

September 3 entry : “At 6 PM  2 and 3 of Div of 20 Comp camped 1 m below us to the eastward.  13 comp passed us.  We begin to meet citizens of Salt Lake Valey hunting their friends.  I feel very poorly, cal on the Elders was administered to and felt better.”  He lost an Ox on September 9, died of dry murn and on the 10th they passed through South Pass.  Because they are driving the cattle other groups pass them and go on ahead as they do not need the feed.  On the 20th they pass Bridger’s outpost.

On the 21st and 22nd upwards of 80 missionaries heading East pass them and on the 23rd they have their first snow.  On the 29th his wagon tongue broke but he cut a pole and wrapped it “Sailor fashen” and it lasted.  On October 1st they had to put 4 teams to a wagon to go uphill and then lock wheels to go downhill.  It was their last night on the trail.  On October 2, 1852 George Henry’s group of teamsters and cattlemen arrive, as he puts it, “having ar. In the land of polygamy.”