BYU just put up a new website featuring accounts of immagration from Mormon immigrants. I found this account that I remember hearing from my mother who was told the story by my great grandmother about her family when they came to America. The boy mentioned I believe was my great grandma's uncle.
The account is an excerpt from Journal of Richard Ballantyne Emigrating Company that I found at http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/
"January 27th I have to record an unfortunate circumstance which happened this morning about 1/4 to 8 o'clock. A little boy belonging to one of the brethren was leaning over the Larboard side of the ship and while in that [p .19] position he got entangled in a rope, which was connected to one of the sails and was thrown over board by it. His father was standing close by and gave the alarm when some of the sailors flew to the boats, others to the ropes with the intention of stopping the ship and towing a boat in order to save the little fellow from a watery grave but the boats were all lashed down and the ship was going at the rate of 8 or 10 miles per hour. Besides there was a heavy sea running at the time which would have made it almost impossible for the boat to have got near him before the [p .20] spirit had left its body and gone to a better place. The captain came on deck and before the sailors had got the boat untied gave orders for the ship to pursue her course. The name of the boy was George Grimmet [Grinnett] aged 7 years, the son of John and Sarah Grimmet from the [-] Branch of the Birmingham Conference.
Sunday January 28th. The Saints held divine service between the decks at the center hatchway. Elder Ballantyne was rather weak and unable to speak much but he felt that it was his duty to say something for the comfort of those [p .21] who had been caused to mourn by unexpectedly losing their little boy in a manner that but few of the Saints have ever experienced while crossing the mighty deep. He brought forward the cases of David, Job and many others of the ancients as well as modern servants of the Lord, to show how they tempered their feeling by the principles they believed when troubles came upon them which were similar in their nature, to this which has befallen Brother and Sister Grimmett [Grinnett]. He counselled the Saints against going on the forecastle and to be very careful and keep their children from the sides of the bulwarks [p .22] and other parts of the ship where there was any danger."
