History of California, Volume XXII, Part 56

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885-1890
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 816

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The second stage of this disastrous journey covers in time the month of October, including the march down the river and into the mountains. At Gravelly Ford, on October 5th, in an unfortunate quarrel over their teams, Snyder was killed by Reed, and the lat- ter was banished from the party. Accompanied by Herron, he passed on in advance, hoping to bring back relief for his family. Hungry and foot-sore, the rest plodded their way onward. At the sink of the Hum- boldt on the 12th twenty-one head of cattle were stolen by Indians. Several families had no oxen or horses left. The old Belgian Hardcoop, unable to walk, was left to die, as was also the German Wolfin- ger, the latter under circumstances suggesting foul play on the part of his countrymen. On the 19th, in the region of the modern Wadsworth, Stanton was met, returning from Sutter's Fort with succor. He had seven mules, five of them loaded with flour and beef, and was accompanied by two Californian Ind- ians, Luis and Salvador.7 An unfortunate delay of several days for rest in the region of Reno was marked

" Not much is known of the journey to Cal. and back. Stanton and Mc- Cutchen had left the company about Sept. 20th, had overtaken the hindmost party of emigrants-that of Young-and had crossed the Sierra with them. Sutter was prompt to furnish food, animals, and the Indians; McC. was too ill to return; but S. hastened back over the mountains. His generous zeal- destined to prove fatal to himself-was the more noticeable that he had no relatives in the company.

533

SNOW-BOUND IN THE SIERRA.

also by the death of Pike, accidentally shot by Foster. On the 23d, alarmed by indications of an impending storm, they resumed their journey, but when they reached the region of Truckee and the lake, at the end of October, the snow was falling, and was already sev- eral feet deep on the summits.

The worst of later calamities might perhaps have been avoided at this time, either by an earnest and well directed effort to cross the range, or by careful preparations for a winter in camp; but there was no acknowledged and capable leader, no agreement in opinion, no unity of plan or action, only a wild desire for escape on the part of some, a yielding to despair by others. For three weeks or more the frightened emi- grants in small detached parties wasted their strength, in frequent, frantic, and vain efforts to break through the snowy barrier; and when they had so far regained their senses as to realize the necessity of concerted ac- tion, there came a week of storm, ten feet or more of snow, which required all energies to be directed for a time to the preservation of life. Most of the cattle, their main reliance for food, had strayed and perished, being buried in the snow, where only a few were ever found. Remaining animals were slaughtered and care- fully preserved. A cabin built by the Stevens party in 1844 was still standing near the lake shore; and others were hastily constructed. There were a few unsuccessful efforts to take fish from the lake. Eddy killed a bear and some ducks. Some six miles east- ward, on Alder Creek, the Donner families with five or six others were encamped in tents and brushwood huts, worse off in some respects than those at the lake, George Donner being disabled by an accident, and Jacob Donner, a feeble man unfitted for such hardships, the first to die. Shoemaker, Rhinehart, and Smith died here before the 21st of December, and Williams at the lake on the 15th. On the 16th a volunteer party of fifteen, known as the 'forlorn

534

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

hope,' started on improvised snow-shoes over the mountains. I will follow them later.8

There were sixty-one persons left in the mountain camps, most of them ill' and weak, with nothing to eat but hides. Snow-storms still continued. The stump of a tree cut when the snow was deepest was found by later measurement to be twenty-two feet high. Patrick Breen's diary, as written from day to day through this terrible winter, is in my collection, the most precious and fascinating record and relic of these events. I make no attempt to portray in words the horrors of the situation. It was more than two months before any message came from the outside world. Burger died December 30th, young Keseberg January 24th, John L. Murphy on the 31st, Eddy's child and MeCutchen's February 2d and 3d, Spitzer and Mrs Eddy on the 7th, Elliott on the 9th, and Pike's child on the 20th. At last, when it had been resolved by most to eat the bodies of the dead, as a few had probably done already, the first relief party of seven men arrived on February 19th with a slight supply of food, and the charitably false report that all of the forlorn hope were safe. Three days later they started on their return with twenty-one of the survi- vors,? leaving thirty-one too weak for the journey or unwilling to abandon others needing their care. A week later, on the 1st of March, the second relief of ten men-including Reed and Mccutchen-arrived, to leave one of their number and to start back on the 3d with seventeen of the sufferers,10 leaving fourteen.

6 The members of this party were Eddy, *Stanton, *Graves, *Dolan, *Fos- dick and wife, Foster and wife, *Lemuel Murphy, Mrs Pike, Mary Graves, Mrs Mccutchen, *Antonio, *Luis, and *Salvador. Those marked with a * died on the way.

" These were Elitha, Leanna, and George Donner Jr; Mrs Reed with her children Virginia and James; Mrs Keseberg and *ehild; Wm G. and Mary Murphy; Wm C., Eleanor, and Lovina Graves; Edward and Simon Breen; *Wm Hook, Noah James, Mrs Wolfinger, Naomi Pike, Eliza Williams, and *John Denton.

10 These were the seven Breens, Martha and Thomas Reed, *Isaac and Mary Donner, *Mrs Graves with her four children Nancy, Jonathan, *Frank - lin Jr, and Elizabeth Jr, and Solomon Hook.

535

AUTHORITIES.

Five of these-Mrs Elizabeth Donner, Lewis and Samuel Donner at Alder Creek, the children of Fos- ter and Eddy at the Lake-died in the short period that elapsed before the coming of the third relief at a date not exactly known. This party of four, includ- ing Eddy and Foster, carried away five of the sur- vivors.11 Keseberg and Mrs Murphy at the lake camp were unable to travel; George Donner at Al- der Creek was dying, and his wife, though in good health, nobly refused to leave him. These four were left for another month to suffer torments that proved fatal to all but one.

Before proceeding with the annals of the different relief parties, I introduce some remarks on authorities for the whole subject. Patrick Breen's original diary must be regarded as the best record of events at the lake cabins, and in substance it has been several times published.12 The early papers of California published information about the immigrants' disasters and efforts made to relieve them.13 Bryant and Thornton, com-

11 Frances, Georgia, and Eliza Donner, Simon Murphy, and Juan Bautista. Eddy, in Thornton, ii. 228, says that 'Clarke carried his booty, and left a child of one of the Donners to perish.' It is possibly truc that Lewis Donner was left, as there is no record of the date of his death.

12 Diary of Patrick Breen, one of the Donner Party, 1846-7. Presented by Dr George Mckinstryto the Bancroft Library. MS., 16mo, 15 leaves. It was printed in the S. F. California Star, May 22, 1847; Nashville ( Tenn. ) Whig, Sept. 1847; Bryant's What I Saw, 256; Thornton's Or. and Cal., 201; Mc- Glashan's Hist., 93, and elsewhere. Thornton's extracts are more garbled than the others; but none are literally accurate, there being changes and omissions in nearly every entry. The variations are not, however, historically of any special importance. The diary extends from Nov. 20th to March Ist. I reproduce literally the first and last entries, to show the general nature of alterations in the printed versions. 'Friday Nov. 20th 1846 came to this place on the 31st of last month that it snowed we went on to the pass the snow so deep we were unable to find the road, when within 3 miles of the summit then turned back to this shanty on the Lake, Stanton came one day after we arrived here we again took our teams & waggons & made another unsuccessful attempt to cross in company with Stanton we returned to the shanty it continuing to snow all the time we were here. we now have killed most part of our cattle having to stay here untill next spring & live on poor beef without bread or salt it snowed during the space of eight days with little intermission, after our arrival here, the remainder of time up to this day was clear and pleasant frezing at night the snow nearly gone from the valleys .. . Mond. March the Ist to fine & pleasant froze hard last night there has 10 men arrived this morning from bear valley with provisions we are to start in two or three days & cash our goods here there is amongst them some old they say the snow will be here untill June.'

13 See Monterey Calif., Feb. 13, March 27, 1847; S. F. Cal. Star, Jan. 16,

536

PIONEERS DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

panions of the sufferers in the early part of their jour- ney, devoted a portion of their published diaries to the subject, the former confining himself chiefly to cor- respondence of the time, and the latter taking testi- mony from survivors, especially from Eddy.14 In 1856 Mrs Eliza W. Farnham published a narrative drawn mainly from the testimony of Mrs Breen. 15 In 1871 an article by F. H. McDougal, based on the statements of Mrs Curtis, called out narrative statements from Reed and Mccutchen; 16 and in 1877 William C. Graves published his version in a series of newspaper articles.17 Meanwhile there was printed in books and newspapers a great mass of material on the subject, which I do not deem it necessary to catalogue, though most of it is before me, because it is made up, so far as it has any foundation except imagination, from the authorities I have cited, and oftener than otherwise hastily and at second-hand. Finally, C. F. McGlashan published a volume on the subject in 1879, treating it in a manner that has left little or nothing to be de- sired. All the facts that I am able to utilize, and many more, may be found in his work. Consulting all the earlier versions cited above, the author supple- mented results by correspondence and personal inter- views with surviving members of the party, thus acquiring a mass of personal items of which he made excellent use. On no other topic of early Californian history would any single work so fully suffice for my purpose. 18 I have a few original manuscripts which Feb. 13, March 6, 13, April 10, May 22, June 5, 1847; Oregon Spectator, April 1, June 24, 1847.

1+ Bryant's What I Saw in Cal., 249-65, letters from Sinclair and McKin- stry. Thornton's Or. and Cal., ii. 96-246. This is the most complete narra- tive published in early times. Both Bryant and Thornton, as we have seen, give Breen's diary.

15 Farnham's Cal. In-doors and Out, 380-453. Reprinted also in Hollister Central Calif., March 22-April 19, 1871.

16 These three articles were written for the Pacific Rural Press. I find McDougal's article in the Hollister Central Calif., Feb. 1, 1871; and those of Reed and Mccutchen in the S. J. Pioneer, April 28, May 5, 1877.

17 Graves' Crossing the Plains in '46, in Healdsburg Russ. River Flag, April 26 to May 17, 1877, and Id., Dec. 30, 1875. This account also reproduces Breen's diary.

18 History of the Donner Party. A Tragedy of the Sierra. By C. F. Me-

537

THE FORLORN HOPE.

throw light on certain phases of the matter, notably the narratives of John Breen and of Daniel Rhoads, the latter a member of one of the relief parties.19

The 'forlorn hope' of fifteen persons already named started from the lake camp to cross the Sierra on December 16th, taking rations for six days. This journey lasted thirty-two days, and was in some re- spects the most horrible episode of the winter's events. Stanton, who had perhaps saved the lives of all, was himself left to die on the 23d. When they had been four days without food, on Christmas they reached the 'camp of death,' where a snow-storm confined them for a week. Antonio, Graves, Dolan, and Lemuel Murphy died and were caten. Again they pressed on; the strings of their snow-shoes furnished a new-year's dinner; Fosdick died on the 4th of January; and on the same day Eddy killed a deer. No food on the 7th; the two Indians had refused to eat human flesh, and ran away to save their lives, but they were soon overtaken, and were shot by Foster. About the 11th the survivors reached a rancheria and were fed with acorn bread-all the Indians had to give. Eddy, more dead than alive, was led to Johnson's rancho, whence a party returned and brought in the other six survivors, probably on the 17th.20

We have seen that Stanton and Mccutchen had reached Sutter's Fort in October, and that the former had recrossed the mountains with two Indians, all three to perish, but bearing relief that saved the lives of many. Next Reed and Herron left the company,

Glashan. S. F., 1880, 8vo, 261 p., portraits and illustrations. The first edi- tion was issued at Truckee in 1879.

19 Breen's Pioneer Memoir, MS., p. 1-45; Rhoads' Relief of the Donner Party, MS. See also Burnett's Recoll., MS., i. 377-94, the author having taken testimony of Eddy, Foster, and other members; Thornton's Or. Hist., MS., 26-30; Rabbison's Growth of Towns, MS., 6-8.

20 The rescuers are named by Eddy, in Thornton, ii. 154-5, as John Howell, John Rhodes, Segur (?), and Tucker, who started first on foot; and Ritchie, Johnson, Joseph Varro (Verrot), and Kiser (Seb. Kcyser), who followed next day on horseback. This is confirmed, except in names and numbers, by Sinclair's letter, in Bryant, 255, written at the time, before the 'first relief' had started.

53S

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-TIIE MORMONS.

and after a most perilous journey succeeded in reach- ing a small party of belated emigrants in Bear Valley, met Stanton on his return, and finally arrived at the fort, probably at the end of October. Here they hastily collected supplies and horses, were joined by Mccutchen, obtained the services of two Indians, and started to return. They found it impossible to push their way through the mass of snow that had fallen, and were obliged to turn back, rescuing Jotham Curtis and wife of the late immigrants, who from some strange freak had encamped in the upper Bear Valley. It was believed by experienced men at the fort that the Donner party by killing their animals and preserving the meat might live at their mountain camp till relief could reach them; and Reed went south in quest of aid. Before anything could be ef- fected, however, the survivors of the forlorn hope had arrived at Johnson's with reports necessitating imme- diate action.21

The news was sent to the fort as soon as possible by an Indian runner; volunteers were called for, and a relief party was fitted out, largely through the ef- forts of Sinclair, Sutter, Kern, and Mckinstry, who became responsible for the payment of wages by the government.22 A company of thirteen, known as the 'first relief,' left Johnson's rancho on the 5th of Feb- ruary; but only seven went beyond Bear Valley, whence they started on the 15th. These were Reasin P. Tucker, Aquila Glover, Riley S. Moultry, John Rhoads, Daniel Rhoads, Edward Coffeemire, and Joseph Sells.23 They reached the lake on the 19th,

21 Statements of Reed and Mccutchen in Rural Press. In these statements, and still more in Thornton, ii. 182-94, many details are given of dealings with Curtis, who seems to have been a peculiar character. Mrs Curtis was authority for the account that drew out replies from R. and McC. It is not clear that Herron accompanied them in this attempt at relief.

22 In Nov .- Dec. 1847, Ritchie made a claim for $171 for services in rescuing the immigrants. Gov. Masou hopes soon to get instructions enabling him to pay such claims. C'al. and N. Mex., Mess, and Doc., 1850, p. 448.

23 Sells, or Sel, is named by Eddy and Mckinstry; but he is called Josephi Foster by Tucker, and Geo. Foster by Rhoads. Coffeemire is said to have been a sailor, and is called Coffeymier and Copymier, also by Rhoads 'Mike.'

539

THE RELIEF PARTIES.

and started back three days later with twenty-one of the immigrants, three of whom died on the way." All were on the point of starvation from failing to find a cache of supplies, when on the 27th they met another relief party, and being thus suecored they reached Johnson's the 2d of March, and Sutter's two days later.

The party thus met was the 'second relief' of ten men under Reed and MeCutchen. They had not been able to accomplish anything in the south until the excitement of the Sanchez, or Santa Clara, cam- paign was over, but then at Yerba Buena and north of the bay great interest was aroused. A public meeting was held; Captain Hull, General Vallejo, and other prominent men exerted themselves; a subscrip- tion of some $1,500 was raised ; twenty volunteers or more were enlisted ; Brittan Greenwood was engaged as guide ; supplies were furnished from the naval stores; business men furnished schooners for trans- portation to Sonoma and New Helvetia; and Lieu- tenant Selim Woodworth volunteered to cominand the expedition. All this before the receipt of Sinelair's let- ter announcing the arrival of Eddy and others of the forlorn hope.25 Reed and Mccutchen, with Green- wood, went by way of Sonoma, arrived at New Helve- tia in advance of Woodworth's party in the schooner, and pressed on to Johnson's rancho. From this point, with seven companions-Charles Cady, Charles

Wm Eddy started but returned with the horses on the 11th, perhaps with Verrot. On the same day Wm Coon and George Tucker were left in camp to guard provisions. On the 15th, at Bear Valley, M. D. Ritchie, Adolf Bru- heim, and Jotham Curtis declined to go any farther. McGlashan quotes from diaries by R. P. Tucker and Ritchie and a narrative by Geo. Tucker. He makes Tucker the captain. Mckinstry, in Bryant, 235, makes Glover the captain, and quotes his diary. Eddy, also, in Thornton, ii. 167, names Glover as the chief.

"4 See note 9 for names of those rescued by the Ist relief.

25 See S. F. Cal. Star, Feb. 6, 13, 1847. McGlashan, p. 126, gives a memorial addressed to Gov. Stockton by citizens of S. José. Reed describes his efforts in the Rural Press. An account of the meeting at S. F. is given in Thornton, ii. 158-61, including an eloquent appeal by Dunleavy. Alcalde Bartlett, Capt. Mervine, Lieut Maury, W. A. Richardson, Wm Pettet, John Fuller, Ward & Smith, Howard & Mellus, are also named as active in these preparations.

540

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

Stone, Nicholas Clark, Joseph Gendreau, John Turner, Hiram Miller, and Matthew Dofar 26-constituting the second relief, started on February 23d, met on the 27th the other party, as already noted-including Reed's wife and children-and on March 1st, in two parties, reached the lake camps. Two days later, leaving Clark, Cady, and Stone, and taking seventeen of the immigrants,27 they started on the return. From the 5th to the 7th, while Gendreau, Turner, and Dofar were far in advance, and Cady and Stone were in the rear, having left the camps to overtake their companions, the rest of the party were in Sum- mit Valley, at what was known as 'starved eamp,' where three of the immigrants died. A heavy snow- storm prevented progress, and the eaches of food had been destroyed by wild beasts. At last the five of the relief took three of the others and started on, and the number of parties was increased from three to four. But the advance reached Bear Valley, where Woodworth was encamped; returned with two com- panions, John Stark and Howard Oakley, to meet Reed; Cady and Stone came up; and all the fifteen soon reached Woodworth's camp. There were, how- ever, eleven of the immigrants left in the snow at 'starved camp.'

Then was organized the ' third relief.' Woodworth and his men had moved slowly and accomplished nothing. Probably they had done their best, but they had little skill or experience in this kind of work. Meanwhile Eddy and Foster had partially regained their strength, and after some additional efforts at Yerba Buena, had overtaken the naval division in Bear Valley. Five volunteers were obtained, and the party set out at once, the exact date not being known. Stark, Oakley, and Stone volunteered to rescue the eleven at 'starved camp,' and were left

26 Of Dofar nothing more is known. He may have been Dupas. Gendreau is generally called Jondro.

27 See note 10 for names.

541

THE LAST VICTIMS.

there by their companions, succeeding in their purpose only after the most extraordinary efforts, since nine of the number had to be carried. Eddy, Foster, Miller, and William Thompson pressed on over the moun- tains; met Clark and Juan Bautista trying to escape; and reached the lake about the middle of March. Leaving four adults, as already mentioned, they brought out four children and Juan Bautista. Little is known of their return; but they seem to have over- taken Stark and the Breens; and on their arrival at the camp in Bear Valley all seem to have proceeded to Johnson's rancho, and perhaps all to New Helvetia, Woodworth declining or pronouncing it impracticable to attempt a rescue of the four left in the mountains.

Again, by the efforts of Alcalde Sinclair and others at the fort, and by an offer of half of any property that might be saved, nine men, constituting the 'fourth relief,' were induced to start in April.28 These were William Fallon, William Foster, John Rhoads, R. P. Tucker, J. Foster, Sebastian Keyser, and Edward Coffeemire. Starting from Johnson's on the 13th, they reached Donner Lake on the 17th. Of the four who had been left by the last relief, George Donner and his wife and Mrs Murphy had died, and only Keseberg survived, having preserved his life by eat- ing the bodies of his dead companions. Keseberg had been an unpopular member of the company. Fallon and his men were disappointed at not finding a large amount of money which Donner was believed to have possessed, and which they had hoped to share; they suspected Keseberg of having killed Mrs Donner and concealed the money; and their suspicions were con- firmed when, on threats of being hanged, he gave up a small amount which he said Mrs Donner had in- trusted to him for her children. 29

28 Thornton mentions also another expedition in March, consisting of J. Rhoads, Stark, Coffeemire, Sells, Tucker, Wm Foster, and Graves, which was not able to penetrate beyond Bear Valley on account of melting snows. Or. and Cal., ii. 231.

29 Fallon's diary is quoted in Thornton's Or. and Cal., ii. 232 et seq .; and

542

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

In view of the utter impossibility of knowing the exact truth in this matter, the lack of definite testi- mony even of most of the accusers, the doubtful char- acter of Fallon, the hope of gain actuating the party, the bitter feeling shown in their version, the evident exaggeration and falsehood of many details respecting the state of things at the camp, the straightforward statement of the accused to MeGlashan in 1879, and the fact that, in the face of popular prejudice and tes- timony stronger than could ever again be obtained, he obtained a nominal verdict against Coffeemire in a suit for slander at Sutter's Fort in May 1847 30 -- in view of all this, I believe that Louis Keseberg is entitled to a verdict of not guilty. He has been merely the unfor- tunate object about which has crystallized all the pop-

his version is also given by Bryant, who went east with him. The version has often been repeated with all its sickening details of mangled corpses found at the camps, 'a large pan full of fresh liver and lights,' ' two kettles of human blood,' with plenty of beef untouched, and Keseberg as a fiendish ghoul boasting of his fondness for human flesh. He is also accused of having mur- dered Wolfinger, been responsible for the death of Hardcoop, of having feigned disability to depart with the relief parties, and of having murdered and eaten Foster's child. K.'s own version, as related in 1879, is given by Mc- Glashan, who also represents Tucker's testimony as being much more favor- able to the accused than the current version.

30 I have two original papers connected with this case, the general result of which-a verdict of $1 damages-is remembered by several witnesses. May 2d, Alcalde Sinclair to Sheriff Geo. Mckinstry, sending summons for wit- nesses, and asking Mck. also to be on hand as a witness; also orders the selection of a jury of 6 or 12 men. Wood and Rhoads to be added to the jury list. 'The nature of the trial you are acquainted with. The plaintiff wanted the moderate charge of $1,000 to be put down for damages !!! " May 4th, Sin- clair to McK., summons to Mrs Wolfinger as a witness for the next day. Mckinstry's Pap., MS. 30, 34.

The popular story circulated by such prominent men as Dr Bushnell and Bishop Kip and Bret Harte, that Geo. Yount, the Napa pioneer hunter, had a dream which revealed the danger of the Donner party, and led to their be- ing saved, deserves brief mention. Its only foundation was probably in Yount's statement that he had such a dream. It is not likely that the dream lost anything in the telling, either by the old trapper or by those who repeated the story. At any rate, Yount did not go to the relief of the sufferers, and his dream did not lead in any way to their rescue.

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History of California, Volume XXII, Part 56

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885-1890 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 816

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885-1890
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 816