The Monarch of the Sea was one of the sailing ships that brought Latter-day Saints to the United States from Europe during the Civil War. (Courtesy of the Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, Virginia) This engraving, entitled “Pilgrims on the Plains,” showing horses being driven into a corral formed by the covered wagons of a wagon train appeared in Harper’s Weekly on June 12, 1869. CHAPTER 14 William G. Hartley LATTER-DAY SAINT EMIGRATION DuRING THE CIVIL WAR hen the Civil War erupted, Latter-day At Florence, designated agents created the WSaints gathering to Zion had been outfitting camp, rounded up wagons, usually flowing annually across America to Utah for from wagon makers in Chicago or St. Louis, fourteen years. By then, approximately forty stockpiled food and equipment, and orga- thousand people had crossed the plains in nized and sent off wagon trains. Those rolled more than two hundred wagon companies across the plains in about ten weeks, mostly and ten handcart companies. As of 1860, the on the north side of the Platte River to Fort Church had in place a sail-rail-trail operation Laramie, then on the well-worn Oregon- that resembled a rolling snowball. European California-Mormon Trail to Fort Bridger and converts crossed the Atlantic to New York on into the Great Salt Lake Valley. Thus, by or another eastern port. There, Eastern Sea- the time Fort Sumter fell in April 1861, the board Saints joined them for train rides to Church had a workable transportation net- Chicago and on to Quincy, Illinois.1 River- work in place. For the system to work well, boats took them down the Mississippi River everything depended on scheduling, and the twenty miles to Hannibal, Missouri. Aboard scheduling of ships, trains, and riverboats the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, they depended on their availability, costs, and the crossed the width of the state of Missouri to weather. But after that, the system’s success St. Joseph, from where Missouri River steam- hinged on what course the Civil War took. ers carried them upriver about 150 miles to How did the four-year-long war impact wagon train outfitting camps at Florence, the Mormon emigration system? Did num- Nebraska Territory, near Omaha. Joining bers shrink? Did they increase because of them there were emigrants from various Joseph Smith’s Civil War prophecy? Were parts of America and Canada. ships available? Did departure and arrival 238 WILLIAM G. HARTLEY Oslo Atlantic Ocean North Sea Copenhagen Malmo Kiel Liverpool Hull Hamburg London Le Havre LDS emigration ports, 1861–65. ports change? How available were railroad Millennial Star found therein a letter from cars? Did routes across the States change? Did Brigham Young dated September 13. “After war conditions in Missouri disrupt rail travel baptism, comes the gathering as rapidly as there? Were emigrants considered secession- wisdom and circumstances will permit,” the ists because of perceived Mormon disloyalty Prophet counseled, and then hinted that a new that caused the Utah War? Given needs the system to boost emigration was forthcoming.4 armies had, how available were wagons and In January 1861, the European Mission presi- teams for emigrants at the outfitting camps? dency, headquartered in Liverpool, consisted What encounters did Mormon emigrants of Apostles Amasa Lyman, Charles C. Rich, have, if any, with Union or Confederate sol- and George Q. Cannon. That month, with diers? The following yearly histories of Latter- the emigration season “close at hand again,” day Saint emigration during the Civil War they called for names, orders, and deposits years provide answers to those questions.2 without delay “to enable us to make timely arrangements on the other side of the water 1861: WAR AnXIETY BOOSTS for the purchase of the outfit needed for the THE EMIGRATION FLOW Plains.” The Star provided cost estimates for Church emigration plans for 1861 were oxen, wagons, handcarts, railroad fare, and drawn independent of whether or not war baggage. “We trust that those of the Saints might break out.3 Readers of the Novem- who have means will not delay their depar- ber 24, 1860, issue of the Church newspaper ture in the hope of by so doing of bettering LATTER-DAY SAINT EMIGRATION DURING THE CIVIL WAR 239 their conditions for another season. Nothing be inevitable.” The article reprinted Joseph can be gained by this.” This was a typical Smith’s 1832 revelation about war, remind- annual admonition.5 In January, the mission ing readers that it had been published “to presidency sent Elders Nathaniel V. Jones and the world” a number of years before and had Jacob Gates to New York to make preparations widely circulated in the United States and for receiving the year’s European emigration.6 Great Britain. Now, the prophesied rebellion Thus, early in 1861, planners in Europe had in in South Carolina and division of Southern mind a repeat of the previous year’s operations. and Northern states was happening. “How By March 1861, missionaries near Council marvellously the prophecy uttered twenty- Bluffs, Iowa, had “resurrected” over two hun- eight years ago is being fulfilled!” America’s dred “old saints.” Members “asleep for years” troubles, the report continued, “convey this were “waking up” and exhibiting “a great warning—‘Stand ye in holy places.’” For desire” to head to Utah, stimulated by rising European Saints, war in America gave cause concerns about America becoming a war zone.7 for increasing, not decreasing, emigration. In Utah, meanwhile, a revolutionary In Denmark, Scandinavian Mission presi- wagon train system was being launched.8 dent John Van Cott urged hopeful emigrants During 1860, two handcart companies had to collect at Copenhagen’s docks by late April. crossed the plains, the last of ten created since That month he learned that war had started. 1856 to help the poor reach Utah. Because He booked the Baltic Sea steamer Waldemar thousands of European Saints still needed and ushered more than 550 Saints aboard on low-cost transportation, Church leaders May 9, bound for Kiel, on Germany’s north replaced handcarts with a new program: it shore. He chartered for them a train from would send wagon trains down from Utah to Kiel to Hamburg. There, he arranged for two Florence to load up emigrants and haul them North Sea steamers to transport them to Hull back to Utah. That way, hundreds would and Grimsby, on England’s east coast. Trains not need to buy wagon-and-team outfits next took them to Liverpool, where they but could ride in “down-and-back” wagons joined other European Saints poised to cross by promising to later repay a transportation the Atlantic. fee. President Young announced this plan to In Liverpool, the world’s busiest seaport, Utah bishops in January 1861. It took time the European Mission presidency chartered for news of it to reach England. Communica- three ships, filled them with supplies, super- tion between Utah and Liverpool went east vised the emigrants’ boarding, and appointed by Pony Express, then by telegraph across the Mormon officers for each ship. On April 16, States, and then by steamship to Liverpool— some 379 Saints set sail aboard the Manchester . a month or two each way. One week later, 624 members followed on the At the same time, in England, news of Underwriter. Three weeks later, President Van America’s civil strife was worsening. On Cott’s Scandinavian company became part of February 16 the Star published an article the largest company yet to sail, 955 Saints, on titled “Division of the United States—causes the Monarch of the Sea. In total, about 2,000 which have hastened it.” It bluntly observed European Saints made the five- to seven-week that “War—bloody, fratricidal war seems to voyages to New York on the three ships.9 240 WILLIAM G. HARTLEY In New York City, agents prepared for the spring. By April 26, an anonymous letter with ships. Elders Jones and Gates arrived in the anti-Mormon threats prompted Elders Pratt city on February 1 and found that Apostles and Snow to cancel public Church meetings Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow also had just in the New York City area. Pro-South mobs arrived there.10 With war clouds ready to tore up railroad tracks in Baltimore, making burst, the two Apostles were finding cold elders worry that war might prevent the Saints’ Saints suddenly warming up: departures.14 Early in May, Elder Pratt spent several weeks in Philadelphia. “The Saints Many of those who once had a standing through these lands are using great exertions in the Church, but had fallen away, have to emigrate,” he reported, not so much from been awakened to a sense of their posi- war fears, but because “it is very difficult for tion by the preaching of the Elders and the poor to find employment.”15 the events now transpiring, which so In New York City the two Apostles and strictly verify the truth of the prophecy agents Jones, Gates, and Thomas Williams and the near approach of those calami- awaited the Mormon ship companies. On ties they have been taught to expect April 19, one week after the war started, the when they first received the Gospel, and bark Race Horse arrived in Boston from South are coming back, repenting of their sins Africa with thirty-three Saints on board. Told and being baptized for their remission. by telegraph of their arrival, agent Jones in New New members are also being added. York said for them to stay in Boston until the Every exertion is being made by the first Mormon shipload from Liverpool reached Saints .