USA > California > Placer County > History of Placer county, California > Part 12
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THE HISTORY OF THE DONNER PARTY.
Scene of the Tragedy-Organization and Composition of the Party-Election of George Donner as Captain-Hastings' Cut-off-Ascent of the Mountains-Arrival at Donner Lake -Snow-storms-Construction of ('abins-"Forlorn Hope Party "-Captain Reasin P. Tucker's Relief Party-James F. Reed's Relief Party-"Starved Camp "-Third Relief Party-Heroism and Devotion of Mrs. George Donner- Fourth Relief Party-The Survivors.
THREE miles from Truckee, and resting in the green lap of the Sierras, lies one of the loveliest sheets of water on the Pacific coast. Tall mountain peaks are reflected in its clear waters, revealing a picture of extreme loveliness and quiet peace. Yet this peaceful scene was the amphitheatre of the most tragic event in the aunals of early California. " The Donner Party " was organized in Sangamon county, Illinois, by George and Jacob Donner and James F. Reed, in the Spring of 1846. In April, 1846, the party set out from Springfield, Illinois, and by the first week in May had reached Independence, Mis- souri, where the party was increased until the train numbered about two or three hundred wagons, the Donner family numbering sixteen; the Reed family, seven; the Graves family. twelve; the Murphy family, thirteen; these were the principal families of the Donner party proper. At Independence, provisions were laid in for the trip, and the line of journey taken up. In the occasional glimpses we have of the party, features of but little interest present themselves, beyond the ordinary experience of pioneer life. A letter from Mrs. George Donner, written near the junction of the North and South Platte, dated June 16, 1846, reports a favorable journey of four hundred and fifty miles from Independence. Missouri. with no forebodings of the terrible disasters so soon to burst upon them. At Fort Laramie a portion of the party celebrated the Fourth of July. Thereafter the train passed, unmolested. upon its journey. George Donner was elected captain of the train at the Little Sandy river, on the 20th of July, 1846, from which act it took the name of . The Donner Party."
At Fort Bridger, then a mere trading post, the fatal choice was made of the route that led to such fearful disasters and tragie death. A new route, via Salt Lake. known as Hastings' Cut-off. was recom- mended to the party as shortening the distance by three hundred miles. After due deliberation, the Donner party, of eighty-seven souls ( three having died) were indu ed to separate from the larger por- tion of the train ( which afterwards arrived in Cali- fornia in safety ) and commenced their journey by way of Hastings' Cut-off. They reached Weber river, near the head of the canon. in safety. From this point, in their journey. to Salt Lake. ahnost insurmountable difficulties were encountered. and instead of reaching Salt Lake in one week, as antici- pated. over thirty days of perilous travel were con- sumed in making the trip-most precious time in
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HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
view of the dangers imminent in the rapidly ap- proaching storms of Winter. The story of their trials and sufferings, in their journey to the fatal camp at Donner lake, is terrible; nature and stern necessity seemed arrayed against them. On the 19th of October. near the present site of Wadsworth, Nevada, the destitute company were happily repro- visioned by C. T. Stanton; furnished with food and mules, together with two Indian vaqueros, by Cap- tain Sutter, without compensation.
At the present site of Reno it was concluded to rest. Three or four days' time was lost. This was the fatal act. The storm-clouds were already brew- ing upon the mountains, only a few miles distant. The ascent was ominous. Thick and thicker grew the clouds. outstripping in threatening battalions the now eager feet of the alarmed emigrants, until. at Prosser creek. three miles below Truckce. October 28, 1846, a month earlier than usual, the storm set in. and they found themselves in six inches of newly- fallen snow. On the summit it was already from two to five feet deep. The party. in much confusion. finally reached Donner lake in disordered fragments. Frequent and desperate attempts were made to cross the mountain tops, but at last. baffled and despairing, they returned to camp at the lake. The storm now descended in all its pitiless fury upon the ill-fated emigrants, Its dreadful import was well understood, as laden with omens of suffering and death. With slight interruptions, the storm continued for several days. The animals were literally buried alive and frozen in the drifts. Meat was hastily prepared from their frozen carcasses, and cabins rudely built. One. the Schallenberger cabin, erected November, 1844. was already standing, about a quarter of a mile be- low the lake. This the Breen family appropriated. The Murphys erected one three hundred yards from the lake, marked by a large stone twelve feet high. The Graves family built theirs near Donner creek, three-quarters of a mile further down the stream, the three forming the apexes of a triangle; the Breen and Murphy cabins were distant from each other about one hundred and fifty yards. The Don- ner brothers, with their families, hastily constructed a brush shed in Alder Creek valley, six or seven miles from the lake. Their provisions were speedily consumed, and starvation, with all its grim attend- ant horrors, stared the poor emigrants in the faec. Day by day, with acbing hearts and paralyzed ener- gies, they awaited, amid the beating storms of the Sierras, the dread revelation of the morrow, "hoping against hope " for some welcome sign.
On the sixteenth day of December. 1846. a party of seventeen were enrolled to attempt the hazardous journey over the mountains, to press into the valley beyond for relief. Two returned, and the remaining fifteen pressed on, including Mary Graves and her sister; Mrs. Sarah Fosdick, and several other women, the heroic C. T. Stanton and the noble F. W. Graves (who left his wife and seven children at the lakes
to await in vain his return) being the leaders. This was the " Forlorn Hope Party," over whose dreadful sufferings and disaster we must throw a veil. A de- tailed account of this party is given from the graphic pen of C. F. Metilashan, and lately published in book form from the press of Crowley & McGlasban, pro- prietors of the Truckee Republican, to which we take pleasure in referring the reader. Death in its most awful form reduced the wretched company to seven- two men and five women-when suddenly tracks were discovered imprinted in the snow. "Can any one imagine," says Mary Graves in ber recital, " the joy these foot-prints gave us ? Weran as fast as our strength would carry us." Turning a sharp point they suddenly came upon an Indian rancheria. The acorn-bread offered them by the kind and awe- stricken savages was eagerly devoured. But on they pressed with their Indian guides, only to repeat their dreadful sufferings, until at last, one evening abont the last of January, Mr. Eddy, with his Indian guide, preceding the party fifteen miles, reached Johnson's ranch, on Bear river. the first settlement on the western slope of the Sierras, when relief was sent back as soon as possible and the remaining six sur- vivors were brought in next day. It had been thir- ty-two days since they left Donner lake. No tongue can tell. no pen portray. the awful suffering, the ter- rible and appalling straits, as well as the noble deeds of heroism that characterized this mareb of death. The eternal mountains, whose granite faces bore wit- ness to their sutferings, are fit monuments to mark the last resting-place of Charles T. Stanton, that cul- tured. heroic soul, who groped his way through the blinding snow of the Sierras to immortality. The divinest encomium-" He gave his life as a ransom for many "-is his epitaph. foreshadowed in his own noble words. " I will bring aid to these famishing people or lay down ury life."
Nothing could be done, in the meantime, for the relief of the sufferers at Donner lake. without seeuring help from Fort Sutter, which was speedily accomplished by John Rhodes. In a week, six men, fully provisioned, with Captain Reasin P. Tucker at their head, reached Johnson's ranch, and in ten or twelve days' time. with provisions, mules, etc., the first relief party started for the scene at Donner lake. It was a fearful undertaking. but on the morning of the 19th of February, 1847, the above party began the descent of the gorge leading to Donner lake.
We have purposely thrown a veit over the dread- ful sufferings of the stricken band left in their wretched hovels at Donner lake. Reduced to the verge of starvation, many died (including numerous children, seven of whom were nursing babes) who, in this dreadful state of necessity. were summarily disposed of. Rawhides, moccasins. strings, etc .. were eaten. But relief was now close at hand for the poor, stricken sufferers. On the evening of the 19th of February, 1847, the stillness of death that had settled upon the scene was broken by pro-
THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
longed shouts. In an instant the painfully sensitive ears of the despairing watchers caught the welcome sound. Captain Tucker, with his relief party, had at last arrived upon the scene. Every face was bathed in tears, and the strongest men of the relief party melted at the appalling sight, sat down, and wept with the rest. But time was precious, as storms were imminent. The return party was quickly gath- ered. Twenty-three members started, among them several women and children. Of this number two were compelled to return, and three perished on the jour- ney. Many hardships and privations were expe rienced, and their provisions were soon entirely exhausted. Death once more stared them in the face, and despair settled upon them. But assistance was near at hand. James F. Reed, who had pre- ceded the Donner party by some months, suddenly appeared with the second relief party, on the 25th of February. 1847. The joy of the meeting was indescribable, especially between the family and the long-absent father. Re-provisioned, the party pressed on, and gained their destination after severe suffering, with eighteen members, only three having perished. Reed continued his journey to the cabins at Donner lake. There the scene was simply inde- scribable; starvation and disease were fast claiming their vietims. March 1st (according to Breen's diary) Reed and his party arrived at the camp. Proceeding directly to his cabin, he was espied by his little daughter ( who, with her sister, was carried back by the previous party) and immediately recog- nized with a cry of joy. Provisions were carefully dealt out to the famishing people, and immediate steps were taken for the return. Seventeen com- prised this party. Half-starved and completely exhausted. they were compelled to camp in the midst of a furious storm, in which Mr. Reed barely escaped with his life. This was "Starved Camp, ' and from this point Mr. Reed, with his two little children and another person, struggled ahead to obtain hasty relief, if possible.
On the second day after leaving " Starved Camp," Mr. Reed and the three companions were overtaken by C'ady and Stone, and on the night of the third day, reached Woodworth's camp, at Bear valley, in safety. The horrors of " Starved Camp" beggar all description, indeed, require none. The third relief party, composed of John Stark, Howard Oakley, and Charles Stone, were nearing the rescue, while W. 11. Foster and W. H. Eddy (rescued by a former party) were bent on the same mission. These, with firam Miller, set out from Woodworth's camp on the following morning after Reed's arrival. The eleven were duly reached, but were in a starving condition, and nine of the eleven were unable to walk. By the noble resolution and herculean efforts of John Stark, a part of the number were borne and urged onward to their destination, while the other portion was compelled to remain and await another relief party. When the third relief
party, under Foster and Eddy, arrived at Donner lake, the sole survivors of Alder creek were George Donner, the captain of the company, and his beroie and faithful wife, whose devotion to her dying husband caused her own death during the last and fearful days of waiting for the fourth relief. George Donner knew he was dying. and urged his wife to save her life and go with ber little ones, with the third relief, but she refused. Nothing was more heart-rending than her sad parting with her beloved little ones, who wound their childish arms lovingly around her neck and besought her with mingled tears and kisses to join them. But duty prevailed over affection, and she retraced the weary distance to die with him whom she had promised to love and honor to the end. Such scenes of anguish are seldoin witnessed on this sorrowing earth, and such acts of triumphant devotion are among her most golden deeds. The snowy cerements of Donner lake enshrouded in its stilly whiteness no purer life, no nobler heart than Mrs. George Donner's. The terrible recitals that close this awful tragedy we willingly omit.
The third relief party rescued four of the last five survivors; the fourth and last relief party rescued the last survivor, Lewis Keseberg, on the 7th of April, 1847. Ninety names are given as members of the Donner party. Of these forty-two perished, six did not live to reach the mountains, and forty-eight survived. Twenty-six, and possibly twenty-eight, out of the forty-eight survivors are living to-day- several residing in San Jose, Calistoga, Los Gatos, Marysville, and in Oregon.
Thus ends this narrative of horrors, without a parallel in the annals of American history, of appall- ing disasters, fearful sufferings, heroic fortitude, self- denial and heroism.
CHAPTER XIV. THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
Early Reports and Discoveries -- Marshall's Great Discovery at Sutter's Mill-His Account of the Event-Views of the Newspapers of that Time - Political and Social Revolu- tion-Great Rush to the Mines-Results-General Sutter's Account of the Gold Discovery-Building of Saw-Mill.
FROM the first discovery of California by the Span- iards the impression prevailed that the country was rich in silver, gold, and precious stones. When set- ting ont on his northern expedition, the object of Cortez was to find another country like Mexico, in- habited by a semi-civilized people, whose rich treas- ures he might appropriate; and afterwards there existed among the inhabitants of New Spain a strong belief in the great riches of the new province, both in gold and precious stones. The first published report of gold in California is found in Hlakluyt's account of Sir Francis Drake's expedition to this coast in 1579. The historian of the voyage says: "There is no part of the earth here to be taken up wherein there is not a reasonable quantity of gold or silver."
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HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
It is not related that any of Drake's men penetrated into the interior of the country or made any search for these metals; and, since neither gold nor silver is found in the neighborhood of Drake's or San Fran- cisco bay, it is to be inferred that this statement was a falsehood, uttered for the purpose of giving importance to Drake's supposed discovery.
There is no further account of gold or silver dis- coveries for two hundred and twenty-three years, until 1802, when it is said that silver was found at Alizal. in Monterey county, but the mine never pro- duced anything of consequence. Mantras says that gold was found in San Diego county in 1828; but as the discovery had not been heard of by Alexander Forbes, the historian of California. in 1835, it could not have been of any importance. On the contrary. Forbes, in his book of that date. says: "No min- erals of particular importance have yet been found in Upper California, nor any ores of metals." In another place, referring to Hijar's migration to Cali- fornia in 1833. he says: " There were goldsmiths in the party proceeding to a country where no gold existed." Mr. Forbes was then the British Vice- Consul at Monterey, and was doing all in his power to interest the English Government in the country; it is therefore certain that up to that time-1835- no mineral discoveries of any consequence had been made in the province.
The first mine to produce any noticeable amount of precious metal was the gold placers in the canon of the San Francisquito creek, forty-five miles north- west of Los Angeles. It was discovered about the year 1838, and was worked continuously for ten years, when it was deserted for the richer discov- eries in the Sacramento basin. Its total yield was probably not over sixty thousand dollars or abont six thousand dollars a year.
In 1542. James D. Dana, the geologist and miner- alogist with Wilkes' Exploring Expedition. traveled from the northern frontier through the Sacramento basin to the Bay of San Francisco, and afterwards published a work in which he said: " The gold rocks and veins of quartz were observed by the author in 1842. near the Umpqua river, in southern Oregon. and pebbles from similar rocks were met with along the shores of the Sacramento. in California, and the resemblance to other gold districts was remarked; but there was no opportunity of exploring the country at the time." Mr. Dana's professional knowledge enabled him to perceive certain indica- tions of gold, but no practical discoveries were made.
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On the 4th of May, 1846, Thomas O. Larkin, then United States Consul at Monterey. wrote to the Sec- retary of State as follows: "There is said to be black lead in the country at San Fernando, near San Pedro. By washing the sand in a plate, any person can obtain from one to five dollars per day of gold that brings seventeen dollars per ounce in Boston. The gold has been gathered for two or three years, though but few persons have the patience to look for
it. On the south-west end of the Island of Catalina there is a silver mine from which silver has been extracted. There is no doubt that gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, lead. sulphur and coal mines are to be found all over California, and it is equally doubtful whether. under their present owners, they will ever be worked." Till May. 1846, no productive mines were in operation, except the one on San Francisquito creek, in what is now Los Angeles county.
It was reserved for James W. Marshall to make the great ch-covery. on the 19th of January, 1848. at Sutter's mill, on the South Fork of the American river, near the present town of Coloma, in El Dorado county.
No account of the memorable event can be so interesting as that of Mr. Marshall himself, who in a letter of January 28, 1856, says :-
"Towards the end of August, 1847, Captain Sut- ter and I formed a copartnership to build and run a saw-mill upon a site selected by myself (since known as Coloma . We employed P. L. Weimer and fam- ily. to remove from the fort (Sutter's Fort) to the mill-site to cook and labor for us. Nearly the first work done was the building of a double log cabin, about halt a mile from the mill-site. We commenced the mill about Christmas. Some of the mill hands wanted a cabin near the mill. This was built, and I went to the fort to superintend the construction of the mill irons, leaving orders to cut a narrow ditch where the race was to be made. Upon my return, in January. 1848, I found the ditch cut as directed. and those who were working on the same were doing so at a great disadvantage, expending their labor upon the head of the race instead of the foot.
"{ immediately changed the course of things, and upon the 19th of the same month, January, dis- covered the gold near the lower end of the race, about two hundred yards below the mill. William Scott was the second man to see the metal. He was at work at a carpenter's bench near the mill. I showed the gold to him. Alexander Stephens. James Brown, Henry Bigler, and William Johnston, were likewise working in front of the mill, framing the upper story. They were called up next, and, of course, saw the precious metal. P. L. Weimer and Charles Bennett were at the old double log cabin (where Hastings & Co. afterwards kept a store), and. in my opinion, at least half a mile distant.
" In the meantime we put in some wheat and peas, nearly five acres, across the river. In February. the Captain (Captain Sutter) came to the mountains for the first time. Then we consummated a treaty with the Indians, which had been previously nego- tiated. The tenor of this was that we were to pay them two hundred dollars yearly in goods. at Yerba Buena prices, for the joint possession and occupation of the land with them; they agreeing not to kill our stock, viz .: horses, cattle, hogs or sheep, nor burn the grass within the limits fixed by the treaty. At the same time, Captain Sutter, myself, and Isaac Humphrey, entered into a copartnership to dig gold. A short time afterwards, P. L. Weimer moved away from the mill, and was away two or three months, when he returned. With all the events that sub- sequently occurred, you and the public are well in- formed."
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THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
The following additional particulars of the dis- covery appeared in the Coloma Argus in the latter part of the year 1855, and were evidently derived from Weimer himself :-
"That James W. Marshall picked up the first piece of gold, is beyond doubt. Peter L. Wimmer (Weimer), who resides in this place, states positively that Mr. Marshall picked up the gold in his presence; they both saw it, and each spoke at the same time, ' What's that yellow stuff?' Marshall being a step in advance picked it up. This first piece of gold is now in the possession of Mrs. Wimmer, and weighs six penny-weights, eleven grains. The piece was given to her by Marshall himself. *
* The * dam was finished early in January, the frame for the mill also erected, and the flume and bulk-head completed. It was at this time that Marshall and Wimmer adopted the plan of raising the gate during the night to wash out sand from the mill-race, clos- ing it during the day, when work would be con- tinned with shovels, etc. Early in February -- the exact day is not remembered-in the morning, after shutting off the water, Marshall and Wimmer walked down the race together to see what the water had accomplished during the night. Having gone abont twenty yards below the mill, they both saw the piece of gold mentioned, and Marshall picked it up. After an examination, the gold was taken to the cabin of Wimmer, and Mrs. Wimmer instructed to boil it in saleratus water; but, she being engaged in making soap, pitched the piece in the soap-kettle, where it was boiled all day and all night. The fol- lowing morning the strange piece of stuff was fished out of the soap, all the brighter for the boiling it had received. Discussion now commenced, and all expressed the opinion that perhaps the yellow sub- stance might be gold. Little was said on the sub- ject; but every one each morning searched in the race for more, and every day found several small scales. The Indians also picked up many small thin pieces, and carried them always to Mrs. Wimmer.
"About three weeks after the first piece was ob- tained, Marshall took the fine gold, amounting to between two and three ounces, and went below to have the strange metal tested. On his return, he informed Wimmer that the stuff was gold. All hands now began to search for the 'root of all evil.' Shortly after Captain Sutter came to Coloma, when he and Marshall assembled the Indians, and bought of them a large tract of country abont Coloma, in exchange for a lot of beads and a few cotton hand- kerchiefs. They, under color of this Indian title, required one-third of all the gold dug on their domain, and collected at this rate until the Fall of 1848, when a mining party from Oregon declined paying ' tithes,' as they called it.
" During February, 1848, Marshall and Wimmer went down the river to Mormon Island, and there found scales of gold on the rocks. Some weeks later they sent a Mr. Henderson, Sydney Willis, and Mr. Fifield, Mormons, down there to dig, telling them that that place was better than Coloma. These were the first miners at Mormon Island."
In a little work entitled " Mining in the Pacific States," published by H. II. Bancroft & Co., in 1861, Mr. John S. llittell presents the following interest- ing facts concerning the great discovery :-
" Marshall was a man of an active, enthusiastic mind, and he at once attached great importance to
his discovery. His ideas, however, were vagne; he knew nothing about gold-mining; he did not know how to take advantage of what he had found. Only an experienced gold-miner could understand the importance of the discovery, and make it of practical value to all the world. That gold-miner, fortu- nately, was near at hand; his name was Isaac Hum- phrey. lle was residing in the town of San Fran- cisco, in the month of February, when a Mr. Bennett, one of the party employed at Marshall's mill, went down to that place with some of the dust to have it tested; for it was still a matter of doubt whether this yellow metal really was gokt. Bennett told his errand to a friend whom he met in San Francisco, and this friend introduced him to Humphrey, who had been a gold-miner in Georgia, and was therefore competent to pass an opinion upon the stuff. Ilum- phrey looked at the dust, pronounced it gold, at the first glance, and expressed a belief that the diggings must be rich. He made inquiries abont the place where the gold was found, and subsequent inquiries about the trustworthiness of Mr. Bennett, and on the 7th of March he was at the mill. He tried to induce several of his friends in San Francisco to go with him; they all thought his expedition a fool- ish one, and he had to go alone. lle found that there was some talk about the gold, and persons would occasionally go about looking for pieces of it; but no one was engaged in mining, and the work of the mill was going on as usual. On the 8th he went out prospecting with a pan, and satisfied him- self that the country in that vicinity was rich in gold. He then made a rocker and commenced the business of washing gold; and thus began the busi- ness of mining in California. Others saw how he did it, followed his example, found that the work was profitable, and abandoned all other occupations. The news of their success spread, people flocked to the place, learned how to use the rocker, discovered new diggings, and, in the course of' a few months. the country had been overturned by a social and industrial revolution.
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