March 1, 1972 (12 pages)

eee —— »vada Count y M.J. Brock hastily prepared from their frozen carcasses, and cabins were rudely built. One, the Schallenberger cabin, erected in Novem ber, 1844, was already standing, about a quarter of a mile below the lake. This the Breen family appropriated. The Murphys erected one 300 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 below the lake. These three formed the apexes of a triangle, with the Breen and Murphy cabins distant from each other about 150 yards, The Donner brothers, with their families, hastily constructed a brush shed party, melted at the appalling sight, sat down and wept with the rest. But the time was precious, as storms were imminent, The return party was quickly gathered, Twenty-three members started, among them several women and children, Of this number two were compelled to return, and three perished on the journey. Many hardships and privations were experienced, 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 in Alder Creek Valley, six or seven miles from the lake. ceded the Donner family by some months, suddenly appeared with the second relief party, on the 25th of February, 1847. in the face. Day by day, with aching hearts and paralyzed energies, they waited, amid the beating storms of the Sierras, the dread revelation of the morrow, "hoping against hope" for some welcome sign. Cn the sixteenth day of December, 1846, a party of seven the family and long-absent father. Reprovisioned, 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 Denner Lake. There the scene was simply indescribable; starvation and disease were fast claiming their victims. On March Ist (according to Green's diary) Reed and his party arrived at the camp. Proceeding directly to his cabin, he was espied by his little daughters (who, with her sister, was carried back by the previous party) and immediately recognized with a cry of joy. Provisions were carefully dealt out to the famishing people, and immediate steps were taken for the return. Seventeen comprised this party. Half-staved and completely exhausted, they were compelled to camp in the midst of a furuious 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 his three companions were overtaken by Cady and Stone, and on the night of the third day they reached Woodworth's Their provisions were speedily consumed, and starvation, with all its grim attendant horrors, stared the poor emigrants teen 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 his noble F. W. Graves (who left his wife and seven children at the Lakes to await his return in vain) being the leaders. This was the "Forlorn Hope Party," over whose dreadful sufferings and disaster we must throw a veil. A detailed account of this party is given by the graphic pen of ©, F. McGlashan, and was lately published in book form from the press of Crowley & McGlashan, proprietors of the Truckee Republican; to this 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," said Mary Graves in her recital, ''the joy these footprints gave us? We ran 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-striken savages was eagerly devoured. But they pressed on with their Indian guides, only to repeat their dreadful sufferings, until at last, one evening about 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, where relief was set back as soon as possible, and the remaining six survivors were brought in next day. It had been thirty-two days since they left Donner Lake. No tongue can tell, no pen portray, the awful suffering, the terrible, appalling Straits, as well as the noble deeds of heroism, that charaterize this march of death, The eternal mountains, whose granite faces bore witness to their sufferings, are fit monuments to mark the last resting-place of Charles T. Stanton, that cultured, heroic soul, who groped his way throught the blinding snow of the Sierras to immortality. The divinest encomium —"He gave his life as a ransom for many'—is the epitaph, foreshadowed in his own noble words, "I will bring aid to these famished people or lay down my life." Nothing could be done, in the meantime, for the relief of the sufferers at Donner Lake, without securing help from Fort by John Rhodes, In Sutter, which was speedily accomplished The joy of the meeting was indescribable, especially between Camp, at Bear Valley, in safety. The horrors of Starved Camp. beggar all descriptions— indeed, require none. The third relief party, however, composed of John Stark, Howard Oakley, and Charles Stone, were nearing the rescue, while W. E. Foster and W. H. Eddy (rescued by a former party) were bent on the same mission. These, with Hiram Miller, set out from Woodworth's camp on the following morning after Reed's arrival. The eleven were duly reached, but were found in a starving condition, and nine of the eleven were unable to walk. By the noble resolution and Her-~ culean efforts of John Stark, a part of the number were borne and urged onward to their destination, though the other portion were compelled to remain await another relief party. When the third relief party, under Foster and Eddy, arrived at Donner Lake, the sole survivors at Alder Creek were George Donner, the captain of the company and his heroic and faithful wife, whose devotion to her dying husband caused her own death during the last and fearful days of waiting for the fourth party of relief. George Donner knew he was dying, and urged his wife to save her life and go with her little ones, with the third relief party, but she refused. Nothing was more heart-rending than her sad parting with her beloved little ones, who wound their childish arms around her neck-and besought her with mingled tears and kisses to join them. But duty pre a week, six men, fully provisioned, with Capt. Reasin P, Tucker vailed over affection, and she retraced the weary distance to die with him whom she had promised to love and honor days' time, with provisions, mules, etc., the first relief party to the end. Such scenes of anguish are seldom witnessed on this sorrowing earth, and such acts of triumphant devotion taking; but on the morning of the 19th of February, 1847, the ner Lake enshrouded in its stilly whiteness no purer life, no at their head, reached Johnson's Ranch; and in ten or twelve _ started for the scene at Donner Lake. It was a fearful under above party began the descent of the gorge leading to Donner Lake. ; : j We have purposely thrown a veil over the dreadful suffer ings of the stricken band left in their wretched hovels at Don ner Lake, Reduced to the verge of starvation, many died (in cluding numerous children, seven of whom were nursing babies) diswho, in this dreadful state of necessity, were summarily posed of, Raw-hides, 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 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 are among her most golden deeds, The snowy ceremonies of Donnobler heart, than Mrs. George Donner's. The darker details of the terrible recitals that. close this awful tragedy we willingly omit. The third relief party rescued four of the five last 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-tow perished, of whom six did not live to reach the mountains; and forty-eight survived. Thus ends this narrative of horrors without a parallel in— the annals of American History, of appalling disasters, fear ful sufferings, heroic fortitude, self-denial and sacrificial heroism. > (To be continued next week) = tie art din 1924 sae The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, March 1, 1972 7

eee —— »vada Count y M.J. Brock hastily prepared from their frozen carcasses, and cabins were rudely built. One, the Schallenberger cabin, erected in Novem ber, 1844, was already standing, about a quarter of a mile below the lake. This the Breen family appropriated. The Murphys erected one 300 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 below the lake. These three formed the apexes of a triangle, with the Breen and Murphy cabins distant from each other about 150 yards, The Donner brothers, with their families, hastily constructed a brush shed party, melted at the appalling sight, sat down and wept with the rest. But the time was precious, as storms were imminent, The return party was quickly gathered, Twenty-three members started, among them several women and children, Of this number two were compelled to return, and three perished on the journey. Many hardships and privations were experienced, 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 in Alder Creek Valley, six or seven miles from the lake. ceded the Donner family by some months, suddenly appeared with the second relief party, on the 25th of February, 1847. in the face. Day by day, with aching hearts and paralyzed energies, they waited, amid the beating storms of the Sierras, the dread revelation of the morrow, "hoping against hope" for some welcome sign. Cn the sixteenth day of December, 1846, a party of seven the family and long-absent father. Reprovisioned, 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 Denner Lake. There the scene was simply indescribable; starvation and disease were fast claiming their victims. On March Ist (according to Green's diary) Reed and his party arrived at the camp. Proceeding directly to his cabin, he was espied by his little daughters (who, with her sister, was carried back by the previous party) and immediately recognized with a cry of joy. Provisions were carefully dealt out to the famishing people, and immediate steps were taken for the return. Seventeen comprised this party. Half-staved and completely exhausted, they were compelled to camp in the midst of a furuious 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 his three companions were overtaken by Cady and Stone, and on the night of the third day they reached Woodworth's Their provisions were speedily consumed, and starvation, with all its grim attendant horrors, stared the poor emigrants teen 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 his noble F. W. Graves (who left his wife and seven children at the Lakes to await his return in vain) being the leaders. This was the "Forlorn Hope Party," over whose dreadful sufferings and disaster we must throw a veil. A detailed account of this party is given by the graphic pen of ©, F. McGlashan, and was lately published in book form from the press of Crowley & McGlashan, proprietors of the Truckee Republican; to this 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," said Mary Graves in her recital, ''the joy these footprints gave us? We ran 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-striken savages was eagerly devoured. But they pressed on with their Indian guides, only to repeat their dreadful sufferings, until at last, one evening about 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, where relief was set back as soon as possible, and the remaining six survivors were brought in next day. It had been thirty-two days since they left Donner Lake. No tongue can tell, no pen portray, the awful suffering, the terrible, appalling Straits, as well as the noble deeds of heroism, that charaterize this march of death, The eternal mountains, whose granite faces bore witness to their sufferings, are fit monuments to mark the last resting-place of Charles T. Stanton, that cultured, heroic soul, who groped his way throught the blinding snow of the Sierras to immortality. The divinest encomium —"He gave his life as a ransom for many'—is the epitaph, foreshadowed in his own noble words, "I will bring aid to these famished people or lay down my life."

Nothing could be done, in the meantime, for the relief of the sufferers at Donner Lake, without securing help from Fort by John Rhodes, In Sutter, which was speedily accomplished The joy of the meeting was indescribable, especially between Camp, at Bear Valley, in safety. The horrors of Starved Camp. beggar all descriptions— indeed, require none. The third relief party, however, composed of John Stark, Howard Oakley, and Charles Stone, were nearing the rescue, while W. E. Foster and W. H. Eddy (rescued by a former party) were bent on the same mission. These, with Hiram Miller, set out from Woodworth's camp on the following morning after Reed's arrival. The eleven were duly reached, but were found in a starving condition, and nine of the eleven were unable to walk. By the noble resolution and Her-~ culean efforts of John Stark, a part of the number were borne and urged onward to their destination, though the other portion were compelled to remain await another relief party. When the third relief party, under Foster and Eddy, arrived at Donner Lake, the sole survivors at Alder Creek were George Donner, the captain of the company and his heroic and faithful wife, whose devotion to her dying husband caused her own death during the last and fearful days of waiting for the fourth party of relief. George Donner knew he was dying, and urged his wife to save her life and go with her little ones, with the third relief party, but she refused. Nothing was more heart-rending than her sad parting with her beloved little ones, who wound their childish arms around her neck-and besought her with mingled tears and kisses to join them. But duty pre a week, six men, fully provisioned, with Capt. Reasin P, Tucker vailed over affection, and she retraced the weary distance to die with him whom she had promised to love and honor days' time, with provisions, mules, etc., the first relief party to the end. Such scenes of anguish are seldom witnessed on this sorrowing earth, and such acts of triumphant devotion taking; but on the morning of the 19th of February, 1847, the ner Lake enshrouded in its stilly whiteness no purer life, no at their head, reached Johnson's Ranch; and in ten or twelve _ started for the scene at Donner Lake. It was a fearful under above party began the descent of the gorge leading to Donner Lake. ; : j We have purposely thrown a veil over the dreadful suffer ings of the stricken band left in their wretched hovels at Don ner Lake, Reduced to the verge of starvation, many died (in cluding numerous children, seven of whom were nursing babies) diswho, in this dreadful state of necessity, were summarily posed of, Raw-hides, 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 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 are among her most golden deeds, The snowy ceremonies of Donnobler heart, than Mrs. George Donner's. The darker details of the terrible recitals that. close this awful tragedy we willingly omit. The third relief party rescued four of the five last 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-tow perished, of whom six did not live to reach the mountains; and forty-eight survived. Thus ends this narrative of horrors without a parallel in— the annals of American History, of appalling disasters, fear ful sufferings, heroic fortitude, self-denial and sacrificial heroism. > (To be continued next week) = tie art din 1924 sae The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, March 1, 1972 7