Tuesday, Expected to go, in company with Bro. Maeser to visit some branches in Delaware; but instead of coming down to go, Bro. Maeser came down with the word that Bro. Louis Bertrand was at house from the Valley having been appointed with seven others on a mission to Europe; his place of labor being France. I immediately started up to see him. He was well and had been here a day or two. Capt. Hooper, our Delegate to Congress, had been the Captain of the Company across the plains. They left home on the 20th of Sept. and had been 28 days on the road. Bros. N. V. Jones, John Van Cott, Jacob Gates, Milo Andrus[,] Elias H. Blackburn, W^m Gibson and [blank] and himself were the missionaries. Bro. Van Cott and Bro. [blank] were on a mission to Scandanavia, the rest were for the British Isles. The rest had gone to Boston and were to start on the steamer to-morrow. This was unexpected. I looked for some coming down; but I scarcely expected they would push through so hurriedly. I could not bear the idea of their going without my seeing them, so I concluded I would leave immediately for Boston and have an interview with them; it would do me good I knew, besides I would be able to get news, which Bro. Bertrand, being a foreigner, and rather retiring in his habits therefore not much acquainted, could not give me. I telegraphed to Bro. Eardley, president of Boston Branch, of the brethren being there, and desired him to hunt them up and that I was coming. I started from Philadelphia, Sister Calkins also concluding to return at the same time, on the 11 a.m. train, reached New York in time for the 4 p.m. steamer to Stonington at which place she connected with the cars for Boston, which latter place I arrived <reached> at about 4 ½ a.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 2nd/59 I repaired to Bro. Eardley’s house and found himself and family well. He had not succeeded in finding the brethren; he had found that they had taken passage, but not where they were stopping. I tried to find a list of those who had arrived at the hotels; but could not, and finally concluded the only chance was to watch the ferry where they crossed to go to the Steamer. We had only watched a short time when they came along in a carriage. I recognized them immediately and Bro. Jones did me, as also the rest when I went up to them. Bro. Gibson was not with them, having stopped at the Bluffs to get means to bring him East.¹