From: Biographies of
Prominent Citizens of Sidney and Shelby County, compiled by Paul Sherman, n.d.In
the beginning of September 1835, after the real and personal property of our homestead had
been sold, we made preparations to immigrate
to North America. For that purpose we selected the State of Ohio.
We left our home in Oestbeyern, near Muenster, in Westphalia in the beginning of
September 1835, and then we rented a large teamster’s wagon that had been taking
merchandise from Bremen to Muenster. We, with our family, were taken to Bremen. Our family
consisted of father, mother and five boys: Joseph, Henry B., Bernard, John and William.
Three families of our neighborhood left with us and we all went in this wagon to Bremen.
The names of these families were Henry Hoelscher, Henry Stollbehn and John Stockman.
September 11, 1835, we all arrived at Bremen and were taken to the ship’s agent.
Our ship passage cost twenty-two thalers in gold and that included our board for each
person for the whole passage. In Bremen we were all put in one boat that had one mast and
one sail. On that boat we were all transported down the river Weser to Bremen Haven. The
boat left Bremen the same day at 11 o’clock that morning and the next morning at
day-break we landed at Bremen Haven. It was ebb-tide and the boat could not enter the
haven until flood-tide. Flood-tide set in at noon and then ran into the haven along a
three-masted ship, and we all boarded the ship.
The ship was called "The Pilot." The vessel had not as yet taken on board her
cargo and passengers, therefore we had to remain on board about ten days, before it was
fully laden and it was not until the 22nd day of September 1835, that the ship
left the Bremen Haven and took down the Weser into the North Sea, a six hour journey.
Coming into the North Sea the wind was not favorable to pass the English Channel. It was
blowing from the south. So the officers of the ship concluded to go around by way of
Scotland. To accomplish that purpose, they sailed further to the north, to the sixtieth
degree of latitude, in order to get around the northern part of Scotland.
The sea at that degree of latitude was very rough and very cold, so much so, that some
of the passengers had to ascend into the hold of the ship to keep from freezing. After the
ship passed the northern extremity of Scotland, the ship sailing south, leaving England
and Ireland on our left. As the ship neared the Irish Coast, we could see its shores and
lighthouse. From this point we left the rough, stormy North Sea and sailing to a more
congenial place south to the Azores Islands, lying due west one thousand miles from the
Straits of Gibraltar and from either continent of Europe and Africa. The group consisted
of nine islands and belonged to Portugal and were noted for their fertility, the chief
crop being grapes.