The Steamer Union:

Friedrich and Anna Barbara came to New York from Bremen on the Steamer Union. They arrived in New York City on February 3, 1868. Friedrich was 25, Anna Barbara was 22, and Jacob was 10 months old. The Diez family entered
America through Castle Garden in New York City. The "Union" was built by Caird & Co, Greenock in 1866 for Norddeutscher Lloyd [North German Lloyd] of Bremen. She was a 2,800 gross ton ship, length 325ft x beam 40ft, clipper stem, one funnel, two masts, iron construction, single screw and a speed of 11 knots. There was accommodation for 60-1st, 120-2nd and 700-3rd class passengers. Launched on 10/27/1866, she sailed from Bremen on her maiden voyage to Southampton and New York on 1/13/1867. On 11/28/1870 she was wrecked on Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, Scotland with no loss of life.

The Isaac Bell:

Johannes Diez (Friedrich's brother)came to America on October 19, 1854 on the Ship Isaac Bell. On this ship was also: Margarethe Diez, (mother of Christina- Johanne's future wife), Eva Marg (sister of Christina) and Christina. The mother was a widow. The Isaac Bell (1,072 tons), the last packet built on order for the Havre Old and Whitlock (or Union) Line was launched by Webb in 1851 and entered the service that year. The Isaac Bell was 121 feet long, 37 feet wide and 26 feet deep. She was a sister ship of the Samuel M. Fox (1,062 tons), built late in 1850, and was the second largest packet built by Webb for the Havre service, being exceeded in size only by the Gallia of 1,190 tons, constructed in 1849. Clark says that the Isaac Bell, under the command of Capt. John Johnston, "made three voyages from Havre to New York in less than eighteen days each, one being in the month of January, which is about the hardest month in the twelve for a ship bound to the -westward." No vessel in the history of sail ever made three westbound passages of the Atlantic "in less than eighteen days," port to port, and the length of packet crossings was measured from port or city of departure to a similar arrival and not from land to land, light to light, or point to point. The Isaac Bell is officially credited with one 19-day westward passage the fastest since the twenties, when the little Bayard (339 tons) made a crossing in 18 days; the next fastest 'westward run of the "Bell" occupied at least 20 days, as from 1830 to the "Bell's" departure from, the New York-Havre packet service, only six authenticated westward passages were made in better than 21 days, port to port, and the Gallia, Havre II, Sylvie de Grasse, and Henri IVare each credited with 20-day runs, port to port. The Isaac Bell operated in the Havre line for only three years (1851-1854), following which she was a general trader and transient except in 1857-1858, when she temporarily joined the New York-London Black X packet fleet. During her career as a Havre liner, the "Bell" averaged 33 days on her westbound passages, and her longest crossing occupied forty-five days. Date of surrender-8-23-1860, and reason for surrender was "vessel wrecked".

SS Spree
Friedrich and Anna Barbara went back to Germany to visit family and friends in 1894 on the SS Spree. The vessel went to Bremen by way of Southhampton. Fred Lloyd told me in a family talk that they got to Dettingen unter Teck and were glad to visit but were very happy to get back to Youngstown. Built by A/G Vulcan Shipyard, Stettin, Germany, 1890. Weight 6963 gross tons; 463 (bp) feet long; 51 feet wide. Compound engine, single screw, service speed 19 knots. Accommodation 826 passengers, 244 first class, 122 second class, 460 third class. Renamed Kaiserin Maria Theresia in 1899, later transferred to the Russian Navy in 1904 and renamed URAL. Sunk off Japan in 1905.

The Freihandel:

Only one image of the Ship Freihandel exists as far as we know as of this date. The Freihandel arrived in New York City on May 14, 1868 from Bremen and had more Dietz's on it. Here is a list:(we have no data as to whether these people were in a direct line to Johann Friedrich and Anna Barbara)
Andreas Dietz, Anna Dietz, Babette Dietz, C.V. Dietz, Caroline Dietz, Catharina Dietz, Catharine Dietz, Christian Dietz, Christine Dietz, Dorothea Dietz, Elise Dietz, Frdr Dietz?, Frederic Dietz, Fritz Dietz, Georg Dietz, Johann Dietz, Joseph Dietz, Leopold Dietz, Lina Dietz, Lisette Dietz, Louise Dietz, Margaretha Dietz, Marianne Dietz, Mathias Dietz, Nicholas?(Nich) Dietz, Valentin Dietz.
We are trying to get more detail on this list. From reading we find that some groups from a family, town, area, or church could get group rates on ship passage. We thought Friedrich and Anna Barbara were on this ship but they were not.