The Campbell Family’s First Attempt to Sail to America

Photo by Christian GAFENESCH on Unsplash

Disciples History Moment for May 25, 2025

After receiving notice of Father Thomas Campbell’s arrival in America, his letter encouraged his wife, Jane, and this children to set sail as soon as possible with Alexander in charge. At that time Alexander was 21, Dorothy 16, Nancy 13, Jane 9, Thomas Jr. 6, Archibald 4, and Alicia 2. The family of 8 boarded and set sail for America on the Hibernia, on October 1, 1808.

It didn’t go well.

The captain was given to drinking, and the crew of 12 were not seasoned hands. The ship almost immediately ran into bad weather and had anchored in a bay to wait out the weather. While napping, Alexander had a dream they were shipwrecked and told the family to prepare for an emergency. Later that night a fierce gale smashed the Hibernia on the rocks in the bay and took on water. The masts were cut down as the ship took on more water with all the passengers crowded on the top deck in the middle of the storm. Alexander had done all he could to make things safe for his family, and, while sitting on the stump of the mast, reflected on the precariousness of life.

Robert Richardson wrote in his biography of Campbell, “It was then in that solemn hour, that he gave himself up wholly to God, and resolved that, if saved from the present peril, he would certainly spend his entire life in the ministry of the gospel. It was at this moment that he, for the first time, fully decided upon adopting the ministry as his profession.”

Eventually, the crew launched boats to take the passengers to shore, but it was not an easy feat in the raging wind and sea. Alexander was the last to leave the ship, but would do so without his beloved books. In the following days he was able to return to the Hibernia to rescue most of them.

Since the family was unable to continue the voyage to America they moved to Glasgow, Scotland to wait out the winter season. Alexander enrolled in the University of Glasgow and studied that year under many of the same professors as had his father, Thomas, 25 years previously.

Rev. Kevin K. Adams

Reference: The Memoirs of Alexander Campbell by Robert Richardson