The first question is how long did they stay in New York. 1 day, 1 year? There would have been a customs list if he disembarked in New York but not if he stayed on board. You had ships that came from Europe and then moved along the eastern coast before returning to Europe and you had ships that move between two ports say Bremen and New York and anywhere else in US would have been on another ship. There were coast ships that stopped all along the coast, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, and then on to Mobile and New Orleans. There were also ships that moved between two ports say New York and Charleston. Did he know he was going to Illinois? then why did he go to New Orleans. It would have been much more costly. The normal way to get to Illinois that I know was up the Hudson, Erie Canal and then along the Great Lakes into Illinois or to get to Pittsburgh and then travel on the Ohio. Both of these were shorter and less costly. The trip up the Mississippi was mainly by steamboat. Mine went by way of the Ohio and then up the Mississippi not through New Orleans. Julia [email protected]