Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 1

40 Pages·2005·1.99 MB·English

by  Ronald Wayne Andersen

Thomas Christian Andersen (1821 - 1906) and
Sidse Andersen Nielsen Andersen (1829-1910)
[From the book, From Aalborg to
Ammon, B.F. Hansen, July 1989,
and research by Ronald W.
Andersen]
Thomas C. Andersen Sidse Nielsen, about 1905
Thomas Christian Andersen, the son of Anders Thomsen and Margrette (or Margrethe) was born in
Ulsted, Aalborg County, Denmark on August 21, 1821. He was one of seven children. His brothers were
Neils, Christian and Peter. His sisters were Dorthe Marie, Annie Kirstine, and Malene.
We have no accounts of Thomas Christian Andersen's "growing up" years, but at some point he learned
the carpentry trade and became a ship's carpenter. One account says that he married Caroline
Sorensdatter (or Sorensen) February 10, 1850. Thomas Christian would have been 28 years of age, and
Caroline 32 when they were married, 10 Feb 1850. Their first child, Marie was born, June 30, 1850 in
Aalborg. Thomine was also born in Aalborg, December 8, 1852. (She died when only 4 years of age,
April 7, 1856 in Copenhagen.) Carl Frederick Julius was born January 10,1856 in Copenhagen.
Caroline Sorensen, (Thomas Christian's 1st wife), the daughter of Soren Pedersen and Marie Christine
Andersen, was born 1 Oct 1817, at Norre Sundby, Aalborg, Denmark.
Thomas Christian, Caroline, and family of two children moved to Copenhagen sometime between 1852
and 1856. In those earlier years of their marriage they probably shared the same faith and were united by
it. It was in Copenhagen that he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Caroline called in
her Lutheran minister to try to get him to change his mind. However, he was firm in his conviction and
was baptized. He may have been partly motivated in his joining of the Church by the spirit of
individualism which was expanding in Denmark at that time. He was the only member of his family to
join. He was baptized April 15, 1854 in Copenhagen by 0.N. Liljenquist, and confirmed April 16, 1854
by C. Dorius. He was subsequently ordained to the Priesthood as follows:
Deacon December 04, 1854
Priest December 10, 1855
Elder January 28, 1856
High Priest January 04, 1885
His wife, Caroline, was opposed to the Church, and when Thomas C. was about to join she called in her
minister to try to get Thomas to change his mind. However, he was firm in his convictions and was
baptized. Because of her opposition to the Church, Caroline and the three children (another child, Carl,
had been born 10 January of 1856), left him in Copenhagen and moved back to Aalborg about November
24, 1860. He stayed in Copenhagen where he worked in the shipyards, being a ship's carpenter by trade.
He was called April 1, 1860, and served almost until the time he emigrated as a local missionary,
laboring in North Sjelland [Copenhagen and north of Copenhagen] a part of the time. He labored
diligently and baptized a few converts, among whom were Ole and Sidsie Nielsen. (December 20, 1860).
Life in Denmark was not easy for L.D.S. Church members and especially for the missionaries. [I found
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 1
nothing regarding Thomas Christian Andersen himself in the History of the Scandinavian Mission I but
there are accounts of Ole N. Liljenquist, who baptized Thomas C., and of C.C.N. Dorius who confirmed
him. Some description of their experiences, and of the Scandinavian Mission itself may show the kinds of
challenges that Thomas Christian had taken upon himself as a "Mormon" and as a missionary. Following
are some materials from that history.]1
Ola N. Liljenquist, who baptized Thomas Christian Andersen, was born Sept. 23, 1825 in Inaberga,
Sweden, was baptized by William Andersen; ordained to the priesthood and called into the local ministry
in which he labored about 4 1/2 years, part of the time as president of the Copenhagen Conference. In
filling a mission in Scandinavia, in 1859-1862, he was the first of the converts in Scandinavia who
returned from Zion to preach in his native land. He baptized Thomas Christian Andersen, April 15, 1854.
Carl Christian Nikolai Dorius, who confirmed Thomas Christian Andersen a member of the church, was
born in Copenhagen, April 5, 1830. He was baptized January 2, 1852, and labored as a missionary in
Denmark and Norway about four and one- half years. He confirmed Thomas Christian Andersen a
member of the Church, April 16, 1854. He emigrated to Utah in 1857. He filled a mission to Scandinavia
1860-62.
The Scandinavian Mission was opened just four years before Thomas Christian joined the Church.2 "11
June 1850 three Elders, Erastus Snow, George P. Dykes and John Forsgren left England, and went to
Copenhagen. The first baptisms in Denmark were on August 12, 1850 when 15 persons were baptized.3
Until 1848 the government of Denmark had been a complete monarchy. The king and his ministry made
and executed the laws and the Lutheran clergy had the superintendency and control of all the primary
schools and public instruction of the country. No foreigner had been allowed to proselyte or preach
against the Lutheran doctrines. In 1848, however, King Christian VIII died, and Frederik VII signed a
declaration which allowed the new Constitution to take effect which guaranteed "religious freedom,
freedom of speech, and the general liberty of the individual." However, the Lutheran Church continued
as the State Church.
December 29, 1850 Erastus Snow was sustained as first President of the Scandinavian Mission. There
were about 135 members of the Church in Denmark in two branches – in Copenhagen
and Aalborg. In January of 1851 in Hals a mob attacked Elder Dykes. He was later arrested and taken
1 Jenson, Andrew, Historv of the Scandinavian Mission. Deseret News Press, Salt Lake
City, Utah, 1927.
2 An indication of the effort expended in opening the mission in Scandinavia is contained
in the following note found in the History of the Scandinavian Mission, by Andrew Jenson.
"At the General Conference in Salt Lake City, October 1849, a little army of
soldiers of the Cross were sent forth to unfurl the banner of the Gospel to different
nations of the earth. To Denmark – Apostle Erastus Snow and Peter 0. Hansen. To
Sweden – Elder John E. Forsgren. . . . The Saints in Utah numbered only about
5,000 souls. They were baffling against the climate and the countless insects as
well as drought."
3 For a more detailed account of the founding of the Scandinavian Mission, See,
Scandinavian Jubilee Album. 1850-1900. Salt Lake City, June 14, 1900. pp. 6-12.
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 2
before the Mayor. Meeting places were attacked, street preaching became forbidden. Elder Dykes
described one such incident:
"On the 27th of June 1851, I landed in Hamburg, and proceeded immediately on my
journey over land, and by traveling day and night I was enabled to reach the city of
Aalborg, my former field of labor; but, indeed, too late to save the little flock from a very
heavy blow. The spirit of persecution had arisen, and the mob had assembled and broken
the windows of the Saints' meeting house, and demolished all the furniture within; and
thence proceeding from house to house, they had broken the windows of nearly all the
dwellings of the Saints in the city, while the civil authorities looked on with seeming
indifference.4
Mormons encountered opposition in many of the towns. Even so, in 1851 sheets of the Book of Mormon,
some of the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Articles of Faith were published in Danish. Mob violence
continued. Applications for protection were ignored by the police. A letter written by Erastus Snow, Dec.
15, 1851 contained the following, "In many places here, to embrace the gospel is almost equal to the
sacrifice of one's life, and to travel and preach it, a man carries his life in his hands."
Persecutions continued through 1852 and 53, and the Scandinavian Mission history says of 1853, "The
incessant persecutions which prevailed against the members of the Church in nearly all parts of the
country also increased the desire to emigrate." Because the Elders were forbidden to hold meetings an
effective subterfuge was sometimes employed. This was described on page 85 of the History of the
Scandinavian Mission as follows:
"After that Elder C.C.A. Christensen held small meetings in private houses where some
investigators, trusty friends, would meet with the Saints and where the preaching was
done by the Elders in a sitting position. In this way they answered questions and read
from the Bible such passages as would elucidate the principles of the gospel. This
method was necessary in order to avoid the letter of the law, for if the Elders had
delivered a regular discourse in a standing position they would have been considered
guilty of preaching.... but sitting could only be classed as conversation. "
On another occasion the following occurred:
"On the afternoon of December 22, 1853 a company of the Saints set sail from
Copenhagen with permission to emigrate to Zion. A large concourse of people had
assembled at the wharf in Copenhagen to witness the departure of the "Mormons", and a
great deal of bitterness and hard feelings were manifested. When Elder Peter 0. Hansen,
after the vessel had left the harbor, was walking back to the mission office, he was
followed by a mob who knocked him down and beat him considerably about the head.
He lost a quantity of blood, but received no dangerous injuries."
Through 1854 there were more of the same persecutions and Mormon missionaries were imprisoned for
baptizing since they were not licensed clergymen. "In the beginning of 1654 (the year Thomas Christian
was baptized) persecutions and disturbances by mobs became so frequent in Copenhagen, Denmark, that
public meetings had to be discontinued for about three months. The police authorities, by their reluctance
to interfere with the lawlessness, plainly showed their sympathy for the mobbers." With police present at
one of the meetings Elder Dorius argued the Lutheran point-of-view while Elder Christensen gave
Mormon principles in order for the missionaries to avoid being charged with preaching. At another time
in 1854 while he was laboring in Norway, Elder Dorius was sentenced to nine days in prison where he
4 Scandinavian Jubilee Album, p. 23
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 3
lived on bread and water in lieu of paying a fine of 40 Norwegian dollars.
"In the Copenhagen Conference alone upwards of 20 arrests of Mormon missionaries
were made in 1855. Some of the brethren were imprisoned for weeks, while others were
transported to their native towns or permanent dwelling places."
President Van Cott after his release as President of the Scandinavian Mission, described in his report,
many persecutions, beatings, etc., but also said "While I have been in Scandinavia, two Conferences and
31 branches of the Church have been organized. The year 1857 witnessed vigilance on the part of civil
authorities in enforcing the law against Latter-day Saint propaganda. But at the close of 1857 there were
2,317 members of the Church in Denmark." Copenhagen having 19 branches.
Early in 1858 all Utah Elders were called home on account of the so-called 'Johnston Army Troubles' in
Utah. Toward the close of 1858 emigration to Utah was resumed after the interruption by the 'Utah War'.
Even in 1861 President Van Cott reported,
"The opposing power has been manifested in the shape of mobs in many places of late so
that our brethren have been under the necessity of taking 'leg-bail' for security, or seek to
exclude themselves from the eyes of demons in human shape in order to escape their
vengeful hands, yet sometimes not without a garment rent, or an arm wrenched, or a
bloody face."
A general longing to emigrate to Zion was manifested among the members of the different branches and
conferences, and many preparations for a large migration were made during the winter of 1861-62. "The
number of Saints emigrating from Scandinavia in 1862 was greater than in any previous or subsequent
year. No less than 1,556 souls, in four different companies sailed from Hamburg on four chartered
vessels destined for Utah." This, of course was the year that Thomas Christian and the 0lsen"s emigrated.
Let us return now to the account of Thomas Christian Andersen, prior to his emigration. On February 22,
1862 he visited his family in Aalborg, also his father in Ulsted. He gave his son, Carl, a suit of clothes,
for which he paid 8 Rigsdalers. He then returned to Copenhagen and visited the Saints in the different
places where he had earlier labored as a missionary. On March 15, he was released from his mission. He
bade his family members goodbye.
[We can be sure this was not an easy undertaking, and not taken lightly. After all he and Caroline had
lived together for probably twelve years and had three children born to them, two of whom were still
living. Evidently the welfare of this family was a lifelong concern for him: for years after arriving in
Utah, Thomas Christian wrote, primarily through his children, to his wife, Caroline, and children in
Denmark, endeavoring to persuade them to come to America and join him here. Caroline's sister, Juliana
Sorensdatter, joined the Church in 1854, and emigrated with her son, Rasmus Julius Smith, to Brigham
City, Utah. They never succeeded in converting Caroline or her children to the Church, nor in convincing
them to come to Utah. Some of these poignant letters were returned to Utah in 1959 by Caroline "s
granddaughter and were delivered to the descendants of Rasmus Julius Smith in Brigham City.
[Translated copies of some of these letters are included at the end of this history.]
1862 Immigration of Thomas C. Andersen, Ole & Sidse Nielsen Family
(Research by Ronald W. Andersen, 2000-2004)
In 1860, Joseph W. Young, son of Lorenzo Dow Young (Brigham Young’s younger brother) took a
freight wagon train from Salt Lake City to the Missouri River and back in the same year. The oxen and
wagons held up surprisingly well. By now there were plenty of wagons and oxen in Utah and the Civil
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 4
War requirements were inflating the cost of both in the states. Joseph Young’s success in 1860 was
pointed to as justifying the expectation that such a plan was practicable on a large scale. Brigham Young
suggested that church units in Utah be assessed teams, wagons, teamsters, and supplies to send east,
dropping off supplies as they went, which would be retrieved on the return trip. 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
would be purchased by those immigrants with the means to come “independent of Church (PEF)aid.”
They could purchase Utah oxen 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. Full instructions were given in the circular
sent out by the presidency . Eight of these out-and-back “Church Wagon Trains” transported 3,000 of the
roughly 3,900 immigrating Saints in 1861. Among the captains were Joseph W. Young, again, John R.
Murdock, Joseph Horne, and Ansel Harmon.
These three captains would again be called upon in 1862, when eight more Church Trains would be sent.
Joseph W. Young would suffer the added responsibility of being the emigration agent at the outfitting
camps at Florence, Nebraska. Eight more Church Trains would be sent east but would encounter the
highest streams that mountain men could ever remember, delaying their arrival at Florence some three
weeks. In addition, about 1,200 more immigrants would cross the plains this year, the highest number
ever from Europe during the pioneer period.
The Scandinavian Mission prior to the 1862 immigration was at a height of membership. The
Vendsyssel Conference (northern tip of Jutland, Denmark) had about 700 members. Apostles Amasa
Lyman and Charles C. Rich spoke to over 500 persons at a fall conference at the Tidemandsholm Farm in
southeast Hjorring, Denmark (still in existence, 2001). Norway was proselyted by missionaries from
Denmark (the two countries spoke the same language). The first two missionaries to come in contact in
the mid 1850s with Oluf Christian Larsen were C. N. Dorius and C. C. A. Christiansen. It took some
time before Oluf was baptized, but soon after he was soon performing missionary labors, himself. He
attended a fall conference in Kristiansand (southern tip of Norway) where he also heard Apostles Amasa
Lyman and Charles C. Rich speak. Their talks, the outbreak of Civil War in the United States, and the
belief that the Lord would soon come to destroy the earth helped members in large numbers leave
“Babylon” as they had come regard their homeland and flee to Zion. This desire among the Danish Saints
was compounded by the threat of war between Denmark and Prussia over the provinces of Schleswig and
Holstein. War did break out in a minor fashion, with Prussian and Austrian troops invaded Schleswig and
Jutland. In the “Peace of Vienna” (October, 1864) King Christian renounced all rights over Schleswig
and Holstein.
After the fall conference in 1861, Oluf proposed to his friend, Amelia, and they, like so many other
Scandinavians made plans and secured financing or received PEF help and headed for Zion. They
boarded a ship leaving Norway, 12 Apr 1862, and landed in Copenhagen the next day. They stayed two
days, then took a steamer (Apr 15) to Kiel and a train to Hamburg, Germany, with Oluf in charge of the
Norwegians.
For several months, preparation for the large immigration of 1862 from Scandinavia had been going on in
the different conferences throughout Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The emigrating Saints from the
Jutland Conferences in Denmark went directly to Hamburg, while most of those from the other
conferences first gathered in Copenhagen and thence made their way to Hamburg in different companies.
This was the only year that Scandinavians sailed en masse from a German port.
According to Church historian, Andrew Jenson, the steamer ‘Albion’ left Aalborg, April 6, with over 400
Saints from the Aalborg and Vendsyssel conferences. Heading south, it picked up more immigrants at
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 5
Aarhus and Fredericia and reached Kiel in Holstein [Germany] on the 7th. Thomas Andersen was from
the Vendsyssel area, but did missionary work in Copenhagen and was not in this group.
A group of about 500 emigrating Saints boarded the steamer 'Albion' and sailed from Copenhagen April
14, 1862, and, after a successful voyage, arrived at Kiel at 8 o'clock a.m. of April 15th. After spending
about two hours in transferring emigrant baggage to the railway cars, the company left Kiel on an extra
train for Altona [harbor section of Hamburg], a distance of about 60 miles, where they arrived at 1:30
p.m. President John Van Cott, assisted by other brethren, proceeded immediately to read the list of the
emigrants and bring them on board the ships 'Electric' and 'Athenia' [Athena] which, like the 'Humbolt'
and 'Franklin,' were anchored in the Elbe off Hamburg. [After checking numerous records, Ron
Andersen’s is assuming that this is the group that Thomas C. Andersen and the Ole Nielsen’s family and
Oluf Christian Larsen and Emelia belonged. The Larsen’s ended up on the ship Electric.]
The last of the Latter-day Saint Scandinavian emigrants of that season sailed from Copenhagen, April 17,
1862, on board the steamer 'Aurora,' which arrived at Kiel in the morning of the 18th and later the same
day continued the journey by rail to Altona, where the emigrants spent a few hours attending to their
baggage, and were then taken by a tender to the ship 'Athenia,' [Athena].
Description of the Ship ATHENA
The U.S., later Bremen, ship
ATHENA was built at Quincy,
Massachusetts, by George Thomas,
in 1856 or 1857. 1018 tons; 175 x 36
x 33.5 ft (length x beam x depth of
hold). She was almost immediately
acquired by the Bremen firm of
Konitzky & Thiermann and Capt. D.
Schilling, as the Bremen ship
ATHENA, Schilling, master, arrived
at New York on Saturday, 13 June
1857, 37 days from Bremen (New
York Herald, 14 June 1857).
International Signal Code: QBJH; 487 Commerzlasten. She appears in the annual volumes of Lloyd's
Register of Shipping for 1876/77-1880/81, as the Bremen bark ATHENA, the property of D. Schilling,
under the command of Capt. Bellmer, and registered at the port of
Geestemünde. Although built in America, this vessel's name is also recorded as
Athenia either by mistake or prior to a change in registration. On 19 July 1886,
the Bremen bark ATHENA was stranded in the Orkney Islands and became a
total loss.
On Monday, April 21, 1862, the ship Athena (Captain D. Schilling) was ready
to sail from Hamburg with 484 emigrating Saints on board in charge of Elder
Ola N. Liljenquist. Included on the ship’s LDS roster were:
ANDERSEN, Thomas Chr. [Note: SMR, p. 122; Copenhagen Conference]
Born: 1822 Age: 40 Origin: Sealand, Denmark Occ: Carpenter
NIELSEN, Ole [Note: SMR, p. 121; Copenhagen Conference.]
Sidse Nielsen, about 1861
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 6
Born: 1826 Age: 36 Origin: Zealand, Denmark
NIELSEN, Sidse [Note: SMR, p. 121; Copenhagen Conference.]
Born: 1830 Age: 32 Origin: Zealand, Denmark
NIELSEN, Lars P. Chr. [Note: SMR, p. 121; Copenhagen Conference.]
Born: 1856 Age: 6 Origin: Zealand, Denmark
NIELSEN, Niels Ludvig [Note: SMR, p. 121; Copenhagen Conference.]
Born: 1858 Age: 4 Origin: Zealand, Denmark
NIELSEN, Helene [Note: SMR, p. 121; Copenhagen Conference; "Infant"]
Born: 1861 Age: 1 Origin: Zealand, Denmark
Source(s): Customs (FHL #175,575); SMR, 1862 (FHL #025,696)
Official Passenger List (Manifest) of the Ship Athena
(Hamburg, Germany to New York, June 9, 1862)
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK - PORT OF NEW YORK
I, D. Schilling, master of the Ship Athena do solemnly, sincerely and truly
swear that the following List or Manifest, subscribed by me, and now delivered
by me to the Collector of the Customs of the Collection District of New York, is
a full and perfect list of all the passengers taken on board of the said Ship
Athena at Hamburg, from which port said ship has now arrived; and that on said Lars PC Nielsen as adult
list is truly designated the age, the sex, and the occupation of each of said
passengers, the part of the vessel occupied by each during the passage, the country to which each
belongs, and also the country of which it is intended by each to become an inhabitant; and that said List
or Manifest truly sets forth the number of said passengers who have died on said voyage, and the names
and ages of those who died. So help me God. – D. Schilling
(468 passengers listed, from which the following, including errors, is extracted)
# Name Age Sex Occupation Origin Destination Quarters
35 Thomas Andersen 30 m Carpenter Denmark U States Cabin
451 Ole Nielsen 37 m Sweden U States
452 Ludwig Nielsen 5 m Sweden U States
104 Cidsel Nielsen 32 f Denmark U States Cabin
105 Lars P. Chr. Nielsen 7 m Denmark U States Cabin
106 Helena Josephine Nielsen 6 mo f Denmark U States Cabin
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 7
Sailing Ship Masts & Yards
1. fore lower mast
2. fore top mast
3. fore gallant mast
4. fore yard
5. fore top sail yard
6. fore gallant yard
7. main lower mast
8. main top mast
9. main gallant mast
10.main yard
11.main top sail yard
12.main gallant yard
13.mizzen lower mast
14.mizzen top mast
15.mizzen yard
16.cro-jack yard
17.mizzen top sail yard
18.pole
19.bow sprit
20.sprit mast
21.jack staff
22.sprit yard
23.sprit sail top yard
Hamburg to Florence
Oluf Christian Larsen [LDS Church Archives, Ms 8641], a Norwegian convert on board the ship
‘Electric,’ which sailed at the same time as the Athenia and had similar experiences, recorded: “On the
19th of April, their ship was towed from Hamburg down the Elbe River to its mouth (Glückstadt, about 40
miles west) to await favorable winds. Soren Christophersen, returning missionary from Manti, was
appointed president over the Saints. Single men were assigned bunks in the front (bow) and single
women in the back (stern). Families occupied the middle section. All able-bodied men were assigned
guard duty, four shifts of two hours each, to prevent stealing, immorality, watch kerosine lights (prevent
fires), help the sick and disabled, bury the dead, and awaken their successors. Several engaged couples
were engaged and it was deemed advisable that they marry considering the long journey.
(Sunday) April 20 - Twelve couples presented themselves for marriage, including Oluf and Emelia.
Many varied incidents happened each day, which demonstrated the true character of men and women.
Some were satisfied under all conditions, others were never satisfied. Some with large families of little
children were to be pitied. There was no delicate food for them and the fresh water supply went foul.
Seventeen persons died before reaching America.
Flying a German flag, the Yankee-built ship ‘Athena’ on 21 April 1862 began one of the most
unpleasant voyages in the annals of Mormon migration. This square-rigger sailed from Hamburg with
484 Scandinavian Saints under the leadership of Ola N. Liljenquist, a Swedish master tailor and
one-time burgher of Copenhagen. Elder Liljenquist was the first Scandinavian convert to return to his
native land as a missionary. A strong spiritual leader, he served two missions in Europe, one as president
of the Scandinavian Mission. Later he was ordained a patriarch in the LDS Church and became an early
settler in northern Utah, where he had arguably the best Mormon cooperative effort, including a foundry,
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 8
cheese and meat production, which directly or indirectly led to the businesses of Cache Valley Cheese
and Miller Meat.
Liljenquist, described his experience [History of the Scandinavian Mission, pp.166-67.]:
“I left Copenhagen the second time, for Zion. This was the fourth and last company that started from
Copenhagen to Zion in the spring of 1862. I left, feeling exceedingly grateful for the power and graces
that had been bestowed upon us while we had been bearing our testimonies to tens of thousands of
people and felt that our garments would be unspotted from their blood in the great day of judgment. The
Lord has blessed our feeble efforts with much fruit, but we felt that the harvest would be great though the
laborers few.
“The company arrived at Hamburg ... and were taken by boat five miles up the Elbe, where we embarked
on a German emigrant ship, a large sailing vessel, called the Athenia [Athena],( where he was chosen by
Danish Mission President, John Van Cott, to be in charge of the 484 Saints.)
“We had favorable winds for several days, with considerable motion of the sea, and therefore many
suffered with sea sickness. We learned before we reached New York, to our sorrow, the difference of the
German laws and the English in fitting out an emigrant ship for its long voyage. In the first place, the
water for use on shipboard, taken in on the Hamburg Elbe, rotted long before we reached our destination;
the provisions were of a very inferior kind, and the way it was cooked was still worse, and then not half
enough of it as it was. The captain said he carried emigrants across the Atlantic twenty-five years. He
showed me the irons and hand-cuffs he used to put upon the emigrants when they were not servient of his
will, and stated that he use to cut off the finest head of hair from the girls, and said he would treat us the
same if we did not honor him as the sole chief, and quit finding fault with the treatment we had.
“One Sunday afternoon, after we had concluded our religious services, I suppose through jealousy and
for not having any influence with the Saints, he threatened to throw me overboard, and I suppose would
have carried out his purpose in a crazy fit, had he dared to.
“Two weeks after leaving Glückstadt we had covered about half the distance to New York, but from that
time the wheel of fortune rather turned against us. While we hitherto had been favored with good winds,
these now turned, and then at other times we had a perfect calm. The captain steered towards the
southwest until we reached the Gulf Stream, about 300 miles south of the Newfoundland Banks. After
that we had such a calm for a whole week that not even a feather stirred and the temperature of the water
and air varied between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This sudden change from the cool north, together
with the bad water, which became stagnant from the heat, caused the sickness, which already had a hold
among us, to increase rapidly. The measles took away 33 of the little ones, and several of the adults also
suffered with bowel complaints and diarrhea.
“The first winds that blew the captain utilized to take us further north into a cooler climate. Now, we are
well, thanks to Him, who holds our destiny in his hands. Five adults have died, namely Ole Nielsen, 37
years old; Christine Poulsen, 29 years old; Hans Nielsen from Amager, 52 years old; Ane Nielsen, 70
years old, and Kaisa Rosen, 65 years; of age. The captain ordered the cook to make oat meal porridge for
the sick in the morning, rice at noon, and sago porridge in the afternoon.
“After a forty-seven-day passage the Athena arrived at New York on 7 June [where Elder Soren
Christoffersen's company was met, it having arrived on the ship, ‘Electric’ the day before]. Thirty-eight
passengers had died, one of the highest death tolls of any emigrant company. [The bodies of the
thirty-three children and five adults who died were sewn up in canvas bags and slid on a board over the
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 9
railing into the sea.] Many others had taken ill. Horace S. Eldredge was the emigration agent at New
York and he arranged everything well for us. Two days later [both companies were] on a train headed for
Florence, Nebraska, where they arrived on the 19th. At Florence we had a very long delay, and several
deaths occurred.”
Reminiscences and diary of Martin Peterson Kuhre (age 23), who was also on the Athena
[Reminiscences and diary, (typescript), pp. 41-45,48. History Dept. Archives.]
April 19th, 1862. We fixed our baggage
20th. The Sabbath. We had meeting aboard. District Presidents were appointed and I was appointed as
overseer over the lanterns. My beloved wife [Hansine Katrine Kuhre] and I rejoiced together.
21st. We were still in harbor at Glückstadt [40 miles west of Hamburg, waiting favorable winds]. We had
meeting.
22nd. Changed a dollar [probably a Danish Kroner] and brought bread and some things.
23rd. We were still in harbor at Glückstadt on account of contrary winds. 24th. The same.
25th. Hoisted anchor in the morning with good wind and stood out. We were tugged out in the forenoon.
My beloved wife was taken seasick and had to go to bed.
26th. Good wind. My beloved wife kept a bed all day and was sick.
27th. Sabbath. Calm all day. Meeting on the deck. My wife was up and enjoyed the sea.
28th. Good wind and rough.
29th. Good wind. Everything well aboard. We got in sight of Scotland in the afternoon. Passed lighthouse
in the evening and islands at 12 o’clock at night.
30th. Heavy sea with contrary wind further on in the day. Pretty much all were seasick. My wife was very
sick. Laid in bed all day.
May 1862. The first of May. The same kind of weather. My wife was very sick and had to keep in bed all
day. Thanks to the Lord that I am strengthened and am able to help her.
2nd. Same wind, but could manage to steer over high seas. It blew terribly. We sailed with reef sails
[reduced in size by rolling or folding]. My beloved wife was very sick. Between 4 and 5 in the afternoon
she said that now she did not feel like she could live any longer. Her pulse beat fast and seemingly death
was painted in her face. I pressed her to my bosom and pressed a kiss upon her ice cold lips and my heart
bled with the thought of losing her, the dearest I had in the world. She expressed what was the desire of
her heart. "My Father let me live to remain with him. I love him dearly." I sprang out of bed. Her pulse
was stopped. I took some wine and water and got her to drink it and it seemed she felt a little easier about
the heart. The Lord heard the silent prayers of our hearts and spared her life, thanks to His name
eternally. She is all the time very weak and cannot retain anything on her stomach. The most of the Saints
are very sick.
3rd. We are steering the course. It is blowing almost a storm. We are sailing with bram sail [The kluvers
Thomas Andersen & Sidse Nielsen, page 10