The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate | Page 2

Daughters of the Golden West, propose to erect a
memorial to all overland California pioneers.
In a letter to me from Dr. C.W. Chapman, chairman of that monument
committee, is the following forceful paragraph:
"The Donner Party has been selected by us as the most typical and as
the most varied and comprehensive in its experiences of all the trains
that made these wonderful journeys of thousands of miles, so unique in
their daring, so brave, so worthy of the admiration of man."
ELIZA P. DONNER HOUGHTON.
Los Angeles, California,

_September, 1911_.
CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
THE PACIFIC COAST IN 1845--SPEECHES OF SENATOR
BENTON AND REPORT OF CAPT. FRÉMONT--MY FATHER
AND HIS FAMILY--INTEREST AWAKENED IN THE NEW
TERRITORY--FORMATION OF THE FIRST EMIGRANT PARTY
FROM ILLINOIS TO CALIFORNIA--PREPARATIONS FOR THE
JOURNEY--THE START--ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF
CIVILIZATION

CHAPTER II
IN THE TERRITORY OF KANSAS--PRAIRIE SCHOONERS FROM
SANTA FÉ TO INDEPENDENCE, MO.--LIFE _en route_--THE BIG
BLUE--CAMP GOVERNMENT--THE Blue Rover

CHAPTER III
IN THE HAUNTS OF THE PAWNEES--LETTERS OF MRS.
GEORGE DONNER--HALT AT FORT BERNARD--SIOUX
INDIANS AT FORT LARAMIE

CHAPTER IV
FOURTH OF JULY IN AN EMIGRANT PARTY--OPEN LETTER
OF LANSFORD HASTINGS--GEORGE DONNER ELECTED
CAPTAIN OF PARTY BOUND FOR CALIFORNIA--ENTERING
THE GREAT DESERT--INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF

FOOD--VOLUNTEERS COMMISSIONED BY MY FATHER TO
HASTEN TO SUTTER'S FORT FOR RELIEF

CHAPTER V
BEWILDERING GUIDE BOARD--SOUL-TRYING
STRUGGLES--FIRST SNOW--REED-SNYDER
TRAGEDY--HARDCOOP'S FATE

CHAPTER VI
INDIAN DEPREDATIONS--WOLFINGER'S
DISAPPEARANCE--STANTON RETURNS WITH SUPPLIES
FURNISHED BY CAPT. SUTTER--DONNER WAGONS
SEPARATED FROM TRAIN FOREVER--TERRIBLE PIECE OF
NEWS--FORCED INTO SHELTER AT DONNER LAKE--DONNER
CAMP ON PROSSER CREEK.

CHAPTER VII
SNOWBOUND--SCARCITY OF FOOD AT BOTH
CAMPS--WATCHING FOR RETURN OF MCCUTCHEN AND
REED

CHAPTER VIII
ANOTHER STORM--FOUR DEATHS IN DONNER CAMP--FIELD
MICE USED FOR FOOD--CHANGED APPEARANCE OF THE
STARVING--SUNSHINE--DEPARTURE OF THE "FORLORN
HOPE"--WATCHING FOR RELIEF--IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTURB

THE BODIES OF THE DEAD IN DONNER CAMP--ARRIVAL
AND DEPARTURE OF FIRST RELIEF PARTY

CHAPTER IX
SUFFERINGS OF THE "FORLORN HOPE"--RESORT TO HUMAN
FLESH--"CAMP OF DEATH"--BOOTS CRISPED AND
EATEN--DEER KILLED--INDIAN _Rancheria_--THE "WHITE
MAN'S HOME" AT LAST

CHAPTER X
RELIEF MEASURES INAUGURATED IN
CALIFORNIA--DISTURBED CONDITIONS BECAUSE OF
MEXICAN WAR--GENEROUS SUBSCRIPTIONS--THREE
PARTIES ORGANIZE--"FIRST RELIEF," UNDER RACINE
TUCKER; "SECOND RELIEF," UNDER REED AND
GREENWOOD; AND RELAY CAMP UNDER
WOODWORTH--FIRST RELIEF PARTY CROSSES SNOW-BELT
AND REACHES DONNER LAKE

CHAPTER XI
WATCHING FOR THE SECOND RELIEF PARTY--"OLD
NAVAJO"--LAST FOOD IN CAMP

CHAPTER XII
ARRIVAL OF SECOND RELIEF, OR REED-GREENWOOD
PARTY--FEW SURVIVORS STRONG ENOUGH TO

TRAVEL--WIFE'S CHOICE--PARTINGS AT DONNER CAMP--MY
TWO SISTERS AND I DESERTED--DEPARTURE OF SECOND
RELIEF PARTY

CHAPTER XIII
A FATEFUL CABIN--MRS. MURPHY GIVES MOTHERLY
COMFORT--THE GREAT STORM--HALF A BISCUIT--ARRIVAL
OF THIRD RELIEF--"WHERE IS MY BOY?"

CHAPTER XIV
THE QUEST OF TWO FATHERS--SECOND RELIEF IN
DISTRESS--THIRD RELIEF ORGANIZED AT WOODWORTH'S
RELAY CAMP--DIVIDES AND ONE HALF GOES TO SUCCOR
SECOND RELIEF AND ITS REFUGEES; AND THE OTHER HALF
PROCEEDS TO DONNER LAKE--A LAST FAREWELL--A
WOMAN'S SACRIFICE

CHAPTER XV
SIMON MURPHY, FRANCES, GEORGIA, AND I TAKEN FROM
THE LAKE CABINS BY THE THIRD RELIEF--NO FOOD TO
LEAVE--CROSSING THE SNOW--REMNANT OF THE SECOND
RELIEF OVERTAKEN--OUT OF THE SNOW--INCIDENTS OF
THE JOURNEY--JOHNSON'S RANCH--THE SINCLAIR
HOME--SUTTER'S FORT

CHAPTER XVI

ELITHA AND LEANNA--LIFE AT THE FORT--WATCHING THE
COW PATH--RETURN OF THE FALLON PARTY--KESEBERG
BROUGHT IN BY THEM--FATHER AND MOTHER DID NOT
COME

CHAPTER XVII
ORPHANS--KESEBERG AND HIS ACCUSERS--SENSATIONAL
ACCOUNTS OF THE TRAGEDY AT DONNER
LAKE--PROPERTY SOLD AND GUARDIAN
APPOINTED--KINDLY INDIANS--"GRANDPA"--MARRIAGE OF
ELITHA

CHAPTER XVIII
"GRANDMA"--HAPPY VISITS--A NEW HOME--AM
PERSUADED TO LEAVE IT

CHAPTER XIX
ON A CATTLE RANCH NEAR THE COSUMNE RIVER--"NAME
BILLY"--INDIAN GRUB FEAST

CHAPTER XX
I RETURN TO GRANDMA--WAR RUMORS AT THE
FORT--LINGERING HOPE THAT MY MOTHER MIGHT BE
LIVING--AN INDIAN CONVOY--THE BRUNNERS AND THEIR
HOME

CHAPTER XXI
MORAL DISCIPLINE--THE HISTORICAL PUEBLO OF
SONOMA--SUGAR PLUMS

CHAPTER XXII
GOLD DISCOVERED--"CALIFORNIA IS OURS"--NURSING THE
SICK--THE U.S. MILITARY POST--BURIAL OF AN OFFICER

CHAPTER XXIII
REAPING AND THRESHING--A PIONEER FUNERAL--THE
HOMELESS AND WAYFARING APPEAL TO MRS.
BRUNNER--RETURN OF THE MINERS--SOCIAL
GATHERINGS--OUR DAILY ROUTINE--STOLEN
PLEASURES--A LITTLE DAIRYMAID--MY DOGSKIN SHOES

CHAPTER XXIV
MEXICAN METHODS OF CULTIVATION--FIRST STEAMSHIP
THROUGH THE GOLDEN GATE--"THE ARGONAUTS" OR
"BOYS OF '49"--A LETTER FROM THE STATES--JOHN
BAPTISTE--JAKIE LEAVES US--THE FIRST AMERICAN
SCHOOL IN SONOMA

CHAPTER XXV

FEVER PATIENTS FROM THE MINES--UNMARKED
GRAVES--THE TALES AND TAUNTS THAT WOUNDED MY
YOUNG HEART

CHAPTER XXVI
THANK OFFERINGS--MISS DOTY'S SCHOOL--THE BOND OF
KINDRED--IN JACKET AND TROUSERS--CHUM CHARLIE

CHAPTER XXVII
CAPT. FRISBIE--WEDDING FESTIVITIES--THE MASTERPIECE
OF GRANDMA'S YOUTH--SEÑORA VALLEJO--JAKIE'S
RETURN--HIS DEATH--A CHEROKEE INDIAN WHO HAD
STOOD BY MY FATHER'S GRAVE

CHAPTER XXVIII
ELITHA, FRANCES, AND MR. MILLER VISIT US--MRS.
BRUNNER CLAIMS US AS HER CHILDREN--THE
DAGUERREOTYPE

CHAPTER XXIX
GREAT SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC--ST. MARY'S
HALL--THANKSGIVING DAY IN CALIFORNIA--ANOTHER
BROTHER-IN-LAW

CHAPTER XXX
IDEALS AND LONGINGS--THE FUTURE--CHRISTMAS

CHAPTER XXXI
THE WIDOW STEIN AND LITTLE JOHNNIE--"DAUGHTERS OF
A SAINTED MOTHER"--ESTRANGEMENT AND
DESOLATION--A RESOLUTION AND A VOW--MY PEOPLE
ARRIVE AND PLAN TO BEAR ME AWAY

CHAPTER XXXII
GRANDMA'S RETURN--GOOD-BYE TO THE DUMB