A Compilation of General Voyage Notes
"The Ship James Pennell sailed from this port for New Orleans on the morning of the 2nd of September, carrying 236 souls of the Latter-day Saints. . . ."
"FORTY-THIRD COMPANY. -- James Pennell, 236 Saints. The ship James Pennell sailed from Liverpool for New Orleans on the morning of September 2nd, 1849, carrying two hundred and thirty-six souls of Latter-day Saints, under the presidency of Thomas H. Clark. . . who in a letter dated New Orleans, October 22, 1849, gives the following account of the voyage:
'. . . The company arrived in New Orleans on the twenty-second of October, where the emigrants were received by Elder Thomas McKenzie, who had succeeded Elder Scovil as church emigration agent at New Orleans; he rented a number of houses for some of the emigrants who stopped temporarily in that city; the majority of the Saints continued the journey up the river. (Millennial Star, Vol. XI, pages 284, 363.)"
"Sun. 2. [Sep. 1849] -- The ship James Pennell sailed from Liverpool, England, with 236 Saints, under the direction of Thomas H. Clark, bound for G. [Great] S. [Salt] L. [Lake] Valley. It arrived at New Orleans Oct. 22nd."
Letter of Thomas H. Clark - October 22, 1849
Ship James Pennell, New Orleans, October 22nd, 1849.
Dear Brother Pratt,--I feel it my duty to inform you of my safe arrival at New Orleans, and also a small sketch of our journey across the sea. Brother Barlow and Brother Alrin were chosen as my two counselors. I ordained Brother Alrin to the office of an elder, and then formed the company into ten divisions, with a president over each, to see that cleanliness and good order were kept, and also prayers every night and morning. We had preaching, and administered the sacrament every Sabbath, and also preaching Tuesdays and Thursdays. The officers also stood to their post, as men of God, so that all was peace and harmony during the time.
There has been but very little sickness on board. We lost three children, which were weaned just before they were brought on board; all the rest of the babes have done well. I think it would be well to inform the Saints not to wean their children just as they come; for if they do, they will likely to lose them before they get across.
Captain James Fullerton is, I think, as kind a captain as ever crossed the sea, and has been very kind to us; he has granted us every privilege which he possibly could, and made us many presents; his officers and crew were all very kind to us. The captain is a good man, and worthy to bring companies over. The ship is a good sailing vessel. We were just seven weeks crossing, and our passage was more like a pleasure trip than a sea voyage.
The Saints are all in good health and spirits, and most of those that are going to stay here, have obtained work already.
I have again proved you to be a man of God, for every word you said, when you blessed me, the night before we set sail, has been fulfilled to the very letter.
The Saints return you a vote of thanks for the good outfit you gave us, and for the quantity and quality of the same, which was good.
Brother McKenzie has met us, and has done well in helping us. He has taken a boat to sail tomorrow for St. Louis; and has also taken houses for the Saints that stay here. He has brought cheering news from the Bluffs, and also from the Valley. They have published the arrival of our vessel in the news, and consider it the most respectable and well behaved company that ever entered Orleans.
Please to give my kind respects to Sister Pratt, and all the family, and the Saints. May the God of heaven bless and preserve all his Saints, is the prayer of your brother in the gospel of Christ.
Thomas H. Clark, President.
P.S. The ship “Berlin,” arrived the same day, and has lost forty-three of the passengers with the cholera. [p.363]
BIB: Clark, Thomas H. [Letter] Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 11:23, (December 1, 1849), p. 363. (HDL)
The Life and Travels of Frederic Gardner
. . . We arrived in Liverpool the same night it being Aug. 30th, and stopped at the Music Hall, which had been rented for the reception of the ship’s passengers, until it would be ready to receive us on board. On the following day Brother [Job] Salter [Satler] and I took a walk around town, to purchase some necessary articles for our use also went to look at the ship. On Sept. 1st we are all shipped on board the ship James Pennell, [p.10] Captain Fullerton commanding. I believe altogether there are about 250 souls, probably one hundred or more of whom are from Scotland. But all are filled with the spirit of the gospel, and working in harmony with each other. Some are lashing their trunks so they would not tumble about at sea, others are preparing their berths and some of them have already begun cooking. Thomas H. Clark is appointed to preside over the company, and the hold of the ship divided up into districts, with a superintendent over each. Whose duty it is to keep order, call to prayers at proper time, and look after the cleanliness of his district, and the health and welfare of the same. Thus the whole company are well provided for, and peace reigns supreme. On the following morning Sept. 2nd we were taken out of the dock. A tug was made fast to us to take us down the Mersey. The company nearly all of whom are on deck are singing. The gallant ship is under way and followed by other stirring hymns, after being towed a few miles, we set sail, with a stiff and fair breeze. I should think there was never a more happy company pass out from the docks of Liverpool. On our third day out, we had cleared the coast of Ireland. Many of the passengers are [p.11] now suffering from seasickness, but with this exception all the others are happy and enjoying themselves. Our captain appears to be a good man. He is vigilant, careful, sympathetic with the sick and kind to all. He has already killed three pigs and a number of chickens for the benefit of the sick. Thus we continue our voyage some days with a fair breeze, at other times becalmed, but at no time is there any grumbling or complaint. We have a good violinist and accordion player on board, and also a number of good singers, and every night before or after prayers, we have a very enjoyable time. The evening after we had passed the equinoctial line. The captain in order to keep the ship upright on an even keel, to have a good dance, ran her about fifty miles off her course. The enjoyment derived there from being well worth the time. Sailors and passengers having a most enjoyable time. During the voyage there were only three causes for sorrow, or fear. Two of which were caused by the death of two babies who were sick when they came on board, and the third case was a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, by which we lost our mizzen top mast. On the evening of Oct. 20th we discover a long distance away what appears to be smoke, and everyone is looking out to find the cause. It is not long however before we discover. She is a tugboat, coming towards us and soon our tow line is out and made fast to her, and we are towed over the Bar of the southwest pass, and cast anchor in the Mississippi River. How pleasant it is to be where we can see land, surrounding us, especially where we have the prospect of again being soon privileged to kick up our heels on terra firma. Our tugboat which brought us over the bar to this place, has gone out to sea again for another ship, as we have about a hundred miles to go up the river to New Orleans. It is the [p.12] intention of taking both ships together. It is now midnight very few persons have gone to bed. The tugboat has just arrived with the other ship, we are then made fast to one on each side of the tug and away we start up the river. As soon as daylight appears, the passengers may most of them be found on the quarter deck or along the sides of the ship, their countenance beaming with joy, as they look over the bulwarks at the beautiful plantations and orange groves, which are situated on each side of the river. Early on the morning of the 22nd we arrived and are made fast to the levee of the 3rd district of New Orleans. [p.13]
. . . We can see the city two or three miles away, at first sight, it seemed to me like a graveyard, the houses being all small and of a light color, they are built of unburnt brick called adobes. As we at first come into the city, I feel somewhat disappointed. This was probably because I had not considered the fact, that only four years ago, this was a desolate [p.53] late wilderness. And a thousand miles from any civilization. This is the 29th day of September 1851 a very memorable one for me. . . . [p.54]
BIB: Gardner, Frederic, A Mormon Rebel: The Life and Travels of Frederick Gardiner, ed. And introduced by Hugh Garner (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Library, 1993) pp. 10-13,53-54. (HDL)
Reminiscences and Diary of Robert Knell
. . . I went to Liverpool and embarked on the ship James Pennell for New Orleans Sep 1st 1849, and left the docks the next morning. There were on the ship 236 passengers and after a fine passage we arrived in New Orleans 21 Oct, 1849. There were 3 deaths on the sea.
On the 25th I went on board the “Uncle Tom” for St. Louis, Missouri.
I arrived in St. Louis Nov. 2. I lived in St. Louis about 5 months. I worked in a pork house about 4 weeks and was barkeeper at the Broadway Hotel the rest of the time.
On the 5th of April 1850 I left St. Louis on the “Tuscumbia” for St. Joseph. [p.5] At Oregon, Missouri I met with Brother Lorenzo D. Young and made arrangements to cross the plains with him. I herded sheep on the Little Tarkio for him until about the middle of May, when we started for the Salt Lake Valley. On the first of June we crossed the Missouri River at old Fort Kearney.
I drove a herd of about 400 sheep across the plains on foot and arrived in Salt Lake City 2nd September 1850. . . . [p.6]
BIB: Knell, Robert. Reminiscences and diary (Ms 1678). pp. 5-6. (HDA)