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Pioneer 1848-1868 Companies

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1858 -1863: Immigration/Emigration to Utah—Ships and Companies

1858

Sailed	Port	Ship	Leader	People	Landed
Jan 21	Liverpool	Underwriter	Henry Harriman	25	New York
Feb 17	Liverpool	Empire	Jesse Hobson	64	New York
Mar 22	Liverpool	John Bright	Iver N. Iverson	90	Misc.
	Liverpool	Misc.		50	New York

Departure	Date	Captain	People	Arrival
Iowa City, Iowa	Jun 8	Horace S. Eldredge	39	Jul 9
Iowa City, Iowa	Jun 9	Russell K. Homer	60	Oct 6
Florence, Nebraska	Jul	Iver N. Iverson	90	Sep 20

Emigration from the European countries was relatively small during 1858, because of the continuance of unsettled conditions in the territory, brought about by the presence of Johnston's army in their midst. Four chartered vessels sailed from Liverpool carrying two-hundred and twenty-nine converts, while only three organized companies, totalling one hundred and eighty-nine Saints, made the journey from the eastern states to the Valley. The Civil War was being agitated and rumors of an impending conflict between the North and the South added still another hazard to traveling across the plains. With the companies were missionaries, some from Europe. Canada, and the eastern states, as well as the Islands of the Sea who had been called from their various fields of labor to aid in the defense of their homes. This was the year of the Move South, and the long awaited adjustment of difficulties between the Church leaders, the citizenry of Utah, and the United States government.

1859

Sailed	Port	Ship	Leader	People	Landed
Apr 11	Liverpool	Wm. Tappscott	Robert Neslen	725	New York
Jul 10	Liverpool	Antarctic	Jas. Chaplow	30	New York
Aug 20	Liverpool	Emerald Isle	Henry Hug	54	New York

Departure	Date	Captain	People	Arrival
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 9	*George Rowley	225	Sep 4
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 13	James Brown, III	387	Aug 29
Florence, Nebraska	Jun	Horton D. Haight	154	Sep 1
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 28	Robert F. Neslen	380	Sep 15
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 26	Edward Stevenson	285	Sep 16

*Handcart Companies As soon as peace had been restored in Utah Territory following the Johnston army episode and local affairs began to assume normal conditions, the edict against emigration of European Saints to the Valley was recalled and instructions were sent out that the way was again open for the "gathering of Israel." Late in the summer of 1858, President Young wrote Elder Asa Calkin, president of the European Mission, that considerable emigration to the valley was expected in 1859, although it was not the intention of the Church authorities to operate through the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. The President announced that the Church would establish its business agency in Chicago, instead of St. Louis, and that perhaps another agency would be opened in Iowa. This change was done with a view of escaping dangers of fevers and epidemics generally so prevalent in the more southern latitudes.

The reopening of emigration was hailed with delight by the European Saints, but as most of them were poor only eight hundred and nine sailed for America that year. Of these fifty-four were P. E. Fund emigrants, who, together with one hundred and ninety-six others, expected to cross the plains with handcarts that season; one hundred and forty-nine were to make the overland journey with teams. The remainder intended to stop in the states temporarily, not having the means to go on to Utah; but through the kindness of fellow passengers, in better financial condition, many more were enabled to reach the valley in 1859.

1860

Sailed	Port	Ship	Leader	People	Landed
Mar 30	Liverpool	Underwriter	James D. Ross	594	New York
May 11	Liverpool	Wm. Tappscott	Asa Calkin	731	New York
Misc.	Liverpool		Misc.	84	New York

Departure	Date	Captain	People	Arrival
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 6	*Daniel Robinson	235	Aug 27
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 6	*Oscar O. Stoddard	126	Sep 24
Florence, Nebraska	May 30	Warren Walling	160	Aug 9
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 17	James D. Ross	249	Sep 3
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 19	Jesse Murphy	279	Aug 30
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 15	John Smith	359	Sep 1
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 20	William Budge	400	Oct 5
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 3	John Taylor	123	Sep 17
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 23	Joseph W. Young	100	Oct 3
Florence, Nebraska	Jun	Franklin Brown	60	Aug 27 abt.

*Handcart Companies

On October 6, 1860, Brigham Young addressed the Saints in the Tabernacle: "The handcart system has been pretty well tried; and if the handcart companies start in proper season and manage properly, I will venture to say that most of them can come in that way more pleasantly than they generally come with wagons. But drawing their provisions, etc., is a hard task, and it would be more satisfactory if we could manage it, to bring in wagons the freight and those who are unable to walk. We now contemplate trying another plan. If we can go with our teams to the Missouri River and back in one season, and bring the poor, their provisions, etc., it will save about half the cash we now expend bringing the Saints to this point from Europe. It now costs, in cash, nearly as much as their teams, wagons, handcarts, cooking utensils, provisions, etc., for their journey across the plains as it does to transport them to the frontiers. We can raise cattle without an outlay of money and use them in transporting the Saints from the frontiers and such freight as we may require. Brethren and sisters, save your fives, tens, fifties, a hundred dollars, or as much as you can until next spring—and send your money, your cattle and wagons to the states, and buy your goods and freight with them. Twenty dollars expended in this way will do as much good as several times that amount paid to the stores here..." In 1860 the handcart period in Utah's history was brought to a close. There were now nearly sixty thousand Saints in the valley and nearly every one had acquired a home, land, livestock and poultry.

1861

Sailed	Port	Ship	Leader	People	Landed
Apr 16	Liverpool	Manchester	C.V. Spencer	380	New York
Apr 23	Liverpool	Underwriter	Milo Andrus	624	New York
May 16	Liverpool	Monarch of the Sea	Jabez Woodard	955	New York

Departure	Date	Captain	People	Arrival
Florence, Nebraska	May 29	David H. Cannon	225	Aug 16
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 7	Job Pingree	150	Aug 2
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 20	Peter Ranck	100	Sep 8
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 25	Homer Duncan	258	Sep 13
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 30	Ira Eldredge	300	Aug 22
Florence, Nebraska	Jul	Milo Andrus	620	Sep 12
Florence, Nebraska	Jul	Thomas Woolley	150	Sep 17
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 9	Joseph Home	350	Sep 13
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 13	Samuel A. Woolley	338	Sep 22
Florence, Nebraska	Jul	John R. Murdock	500	Sep 12
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 11	Joseph W. Young	300	Sep 23
Florence, Nebraska	July 16	Sixtus E. Johnson	200	Sep 27

Several independent companies came this year.

With the realization of an imminent conflict between the North and the South, President Brigham Young immediately made plans for bringing to Utah the many Saints who had crossed the ocean in 1861, and those who through lack of funds, were waiting in the East. The preceding spring Joseph W. Young had been sent to the Missouri River for the purpose of bringing both converts and needed supplies to the valley in the same season. The success of the Church train experiment of the previous year was pointed to as justifying the expectation that such a plan was practicable. In addition to the four yoke of cattle to the wagon, the plan also included the sending of as many loose oxen to Florence as the year's immigration that came independent of Church aid might want to purchase for their outfit; thus supplying for the people of Utah a market for their surplus cattle and a saving for the Church members from ten to thirty thousand dollars, which had hitherto been paid out yearly in cash for cattle and wagons. Moreover, the arrangement afforded the opportunity of shipping eastward such products as the community had to dispose of, mostly surplus cattle that could be driven down loose with the ox trains, and the provisions of flour and meat that could be sent for the use of the immigrants, and deposited along the line of travel, to be picked up en route when returning. Full instructions were given in the circular sent out by the presidency and nothing essential to the security and efficiency of the trains was overlooked.

1862

Sailed	Port	Ship	Leader	People	Landed
Apr 9	Hamburg	Humboldt	H.C. Hansen	323	New York
Apr 15	Hamburg	Franklin	Chas. A. Madsen	413	New York
Apr 18	Hamburg	Electric	S. Christoffersen	336	New York
Apr 23	Liverpool	John J. Boyd	J.S. Brown	701	New York
Apr 25	Hamburg	Athenia	O.N. Liljenquist	484	New York
May 6	Liverpool	Manchester	J.D.T. McAllister	376	New York
May 14	Liverpool	Wm. Tappscott	Wm. Gibson	808	New York
May 15	Havre	Windermere	S.L. Ballif	110	New York
May 18	Liverpool	Antarctic	W.C. Moody	38	New York
Misc.	Liverpool			8

Departure	Date	Captain	People	Arrival
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 17	Lewis Brunson	212	Aug 29
Florence, Nebraska	Jul	Jas. Wareham	250	Sep 26
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 14	C.A. Madsen	264	Sep 23
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 14	O.N. Liljenquist	250	Sep 23
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 22	Homer Duncan	500	Sep 24
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 28	John R. Murdock	700	October
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 28	James S. Brown	200	Oct 2
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 29	Joseph Horne	570	Oct 1
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 30	Isaac Canfield	125	Oct 16 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug	Ansel P. Harmon	500	Oct 5 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 8	Henry W. Miller	665	Oct 17 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug	Horton D. Haight	650	Oct 19 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 14	William H. Dame	150	Oct 29

In this year's emigration of nearly six thousand men; women, and children who had accepted the teachings of the Latter-day Saint missionaries in their respective lands, were converts from the British Isles, the Scandinavian countries, Switzerland and Germany. Others from the eastern states also joined the great emigration westward. The Civil War was in progress and the demand for every mode of transportation and needed supplies was continually increasing, especially in Florence, Nebraska, one of the bustling frontier towns. The arrival and departure of organized companies, under the direction of the Church, starting across the plains added to the problem. Some of the Saints were financially able to make the trip through to the valley while others were aided wholly or partially by the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. Upon their arrival in Utah the emigrants received temporary care in the homes of relatives and friends until they were settled in places of their own. Each of the incoming companies strengthened and extended the settlements within Utah's vast territory.

1863

Sailed	Port	Ship	Leader	People	Landed
Apr 30	Liverpool	John J. Boyd	Wm. W. Cluff	763	New York
May 8	Liverpool	B.S. Kimball	H. P. Lund	654	New York
May 8	Liverpool	Consignment	A. Christensen	38	New York
May 23	Liverpool	Antarctic	J. Needham	483	New York
May 30	Liverpool	Cynosure	D.M. Stuart	754	New York
Jun 4	London	Amazon	Win. Brainall	882	New York
Miscellaneous				72

Departure	Date	Captain	People	Arrival
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 29	John R. Murdock	275	Aug 29
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 6	John F. Sanders	250	Sep 5 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Jun 30	A.H. Patterson	200	Sep 4
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 6	John R. Young	200	Sep 12 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 9	Wm. B. Preston	300	Sep 10
Florence, Nebraska	Jul 25	Peter Nebeker	500	Sep 25
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 6	Daniel D. McArthur	500	Oct 3
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 6	Horton D. Haight	200	Oct 4 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 9	John W. Woolley	200	Oct 4
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 10	Thomas E. Ricks	400	Oct 4 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 11	Rosel Hyde	300	Oct 13 abt.
Florence, Nebraska	Aug 14	Samuel D. White	300	Oct 15 abt.

Captain Patterson's company, independent as called in contradistinction to the Church trains, arrived Friday, the 4th inst., in the afternoon, on the Public Square 8th Ward, and on Saturday, about the same time in the day, Captain Sanders" company, Church train arrived. The cattle in both trains were quite poor, indicating that they had seen hard times in crossing the plains.

Source: Our Pioneer Heritage © Carter, Kate B., ed. 20 vols. Salt Lake City: International Society, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958-1977. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Documents and images are exerpted by permission from the LDS Family History Suite CDROM from Ancestry.