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History of the Donner party - A Tragedy of the Sierra (1907) (308 pages)
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Page: of 308
128 HISTORY OF THE DONNER PARTY.
skeleton boat. Early next morning we started for the river,
and to our delight saw a small schooner, belonging to Perry
McCan, which had arrived during the night. We immediately crossed, McCutchen and myself, to the opposite bank
of the river. I directed the men to cross and follow us to
-Johnson’s Ranch. We arrived there early that day. Making
known our situation, he drove his cattle up to the house, saying, ‘There are the cattle, take as many as you need.’ We
shot down five head, staid up all night, and with the help of
Mr. Johnson and his Indians, by the time the men arrived the
next morning, we had the meat fire-dried and ready to be
placed in bags. Mr. Johnson had a party of Indians making
flour by hand mills, they making, during the night, nearly
two hundred pounds.
“We packed up immediately and started. After reaching
the snow, the meat and flour was divided into suitable packs
for us to carry, we leaving the horses here. At Johnson’s I
learned that a relief party had passed in a few days previous,
being sent by Captain Sutter and Mr. Sinclair.”
This was the party commanded by Captain Reasin P.
Tucker, whose journey over the mountains as far as the summit was described in the last chapter. Reed was faithful and
energetic in endeavoring to recross the mountains. Mr. McCutchen, also, did all in his power to reach the wife and baby
he left behind. The snow belt is about four times as wide
on the west side of the summit as it is on the east side. It
was almost impossible for relief parties to cross the mountains. Captain Tucker’s party was composed of men of great
nerve and hardihood, yet, as will be-seen, the trip was almost
as much as their lives were worth. .
‘ On the morning of the nineteenth of February, 1847, the
relief party of Captain R. P. Tucker began the descent of the
gorge leading to Donner Lake.