Also along with them were two teamsters, Noah James and Samuel Shoemaker, as well as a friend named John Denton. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. On the Trail - McCully Wagon Train - 1852. You'd be pretty mad, too. The Donner Party soon reached the junction with theCalifornia Trail, about seven miles west of present-day Elko, Nevada and spent the next two weeks traveling along the Humboldt River. The forty-four member wagon train was composed of four families with twenty-one children, some single men, five recently discharged soldiers and an army deserter. Yet, even more, a summer hailstorm was to be dreaded, for nowhere else do such ice-chunks descend from the sky. With the help of more rescue parties sent east, the Willie Company finally reached Salt Lake City on November 9 and the Martin Company on November 30. . This list includes all of the Wagon Train main actors and actresses, so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below.You can various bits of trivia about these Wagon Train stars, such as where the actor was born and what their year of birth is. The dead of those awful years lies numberless and nameless in their unknown, scattered graves. In the Spring of 1865, the Plains tribes again became very troublesome and raided the stage line almost from end to end. Of the eight dead, seven had been cannibalized. The Donner Partycontinued to travel along the Humboldt River with their remaining draft animals exhausted. At the time, local Sioux were starting to demand more and more in the way of tolls, which makes sense considering the number of people tromping across their land. In April of that year occurred a terrible fight between the mail-stage and Indians on the Sweetwater River. After building ferries to cross the water, the party was on their way again, following the Platte River for the next month. There was just as much dysentery and cholera as your MS-DOS family faced, but there was another huge problem, too a lack of gun safety classes. The researchers themselves clarified, however, that the absence of archaeological evidence did not rule out the possibility that cannibalism had occurred, especially given the extensive contemporary accounts by members of the rescue parties and the survivors themselves. S8, Ep2. With the Sierra pass just 12 miles beyond, the wagon train, after attempting to make the pass through the heavy snow, finally retreated to the eastern end of the lake, where level ground and timber was abundant. He had his full share of narrow escapes. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. On the sixth day, their food ran out and for the next three days, no one ate while they traveled through grueling high winds and freezing weather. As the elevation increased, the rain turned to snow and twelve miles from the summit the pair could go no further. This horrific incident came to be called the Jalian Wallabagh of the South. All the other migrants of 1846 had completed their journey to California, and the Donner party was racing the weather to clear the passes in the Sierra Nevada. Continuing to encounter multiple obstacles, on October 16th,they reached the gateway to the Sierra Nevada on the Truckee River (present-day Reno) almost completely depleted of food supplies. There were no supply stations, carts broke down better than they rolled, Salt Lake City officials had no idea who was coming, and travelers weren't prepared for doing the work of hunters, pioneers, and oxen all at the same time. As the disillusionment of the party increased, tempers began to flare in the group. title role in this Wagon Train story. However, the Mexican War had drawn away the able-bodied men, forcing any further rescue attempts to wait. As they turned for a third charge, the surviving Indians were seen escaping to a deep ravine, which, although only one or two hundred paces off, had not previously been noticed. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Animals could panic when wading through deep, swift water, causing wagons to overturn. Realizing that the difficult journey through the mountains and the desert had depleted their supplies, two of the young men traveling with the party, William McCutcheon and Charles Stanton, were sent ahead to Sutters Fort, California to bring back supplies. 27 Sep. 1964. Road agents also became very much in evidence, and the robbery of stages was not uncommon. Animals could cause very serious injury to their owners. On December 15 Baylis Williams, an employee of the Reed family, died of malnutrition at the lake camp; his was the first recorded death in the camps, although many others would soon follow. Children were especially susceptible to being run over by heavy wagons. On March 14ththey arrived at the Alder Creek camp to find George Donner was dying from an infection in the hand that he had injured months before. The number of deaths which occurred in wagon train companies traveling to California is conservatively figured as 20,000 for the entire 2,000 miles of the Oregon/California Trail, or an average of ten graves per mile. You're probably familiar with the story of the Donner party, the second-most famous thing about the Oregon Trail. Early contact between settlers and Native Americans was relatively peaceful, according to WyoHistory. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. I use these web pages to make available the sources of information that I run across - wagon . Such accidents could cause the loss of life and most or all of valuable supplies. The dragoons turned short about and again charged through and over their enemies, the fire being continuous. On July 31 the Donner party entered Hastings Cutoff, which would take the group south of the Great Salt Lake in what is now Utah. He was interviewed a few times, and when he was 62 he issued his first formal statement. Everything was made ready for a charge when Major Greer suddenly decided to talk with the Indians before commencing to fight. Joined by other wagons in Fort Laramie, the pioneers were met by a man carrying a letter from Lansford W. Hastings at the Continental Divide on July 11th. With so many people dying, that meant a lot of orphans, and babies would typically be passed into the care of, ideally, another nursing mother. Accounts tell of the dumping grounds outside the fort, filled with treasured possessions like bookcases and furniture, iron safes, and books. The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner-Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Grattan took several howitzers, which is not how you start a peaceful negotiation when tensions are already high. You'd totally sign up for that until you hear the list of problems. Hastings, who had promised to lead migrants along the trail, left Fort Bridger with a different company of wagons, and it fell to Reed to act as the companys guide. The very next day, five more feet of snow fell, and they knew that any plans for a departure were dashed. As soon as the Spring of 1865 began to freshen the grass, the Indian tribes were again upon the warpath. There were a handful of skirmishes, but the last straw came when a sick cow from a wagon train wandered into a Sioux camp. Along the entire journey, others would join the group until its size numbered 87. The party lost dozens of cattle in the desert, and several wagons had to be abandoned. Also in the group were the families of George and Jacob Donner. It is easy to conceive the danger which night and day pursued those men who were then employed upon the Overland Trail. Two days after they started out it began to rain. It was the worst disaster of the overland migration to California. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Easy Travel Organization Tips You Will Love, Bidwell-Bartleson Party Blazing the California Trail. On April 16, 1846, nine covered wagons leftSpringfield,Illinoison the 2,500-mile journey toCalifornia, in what would become one of the greatest tragedies in the history of westward migration. George P. Belden, well known in those days as The White Chief, thus describes the disagreeable duties: Troops were stationed in small squads at every station, about ten miles apart, and they rode from station to station on the top of all coaches, holding their guns ever ready for action. Once a band of several hundred Sioux set upon him. As they broke a new trail through the nearly impassible terrain of the Wasatch Mountains, they lost about two weeks time. When she came down with cholera, he just gave her a cup of camphor, because that's what you do, right? Firearms were the second leading cause of emigrant injury and death and a surprisingly large number of pioneers were injured by accidental firearm discharges. In 1856, a series of poor harvests left the church with only a meager fund to . With the trail blotted entirely from sight, all that could be done was wait for the storm to blow over. When he sees an opportuni Don Brooke is desperate for money for his pregnant wife Bonnie, whose condition is too delicate for the long trip without more medical care so he seeks a bank loan. On August 25th, the caravan lost another member, one Luke Halloran, who died of consumption, near present-day Grantsville,Utah. By late 1849 more than 100,000 people had come to California in search of gold near the streams and canyons where theDonner Partyhad suffered. Passengers and employees had to crowd into the coach and use every effort to keep from freezing, and at the end, often found themselves minus mules with which to complete the journey. Julesburg must have contained at this period something over a hundred civilian inhabitants, most of them employees of the stage company. However, the successful Reed was determined his family would not suffer on the long journey as his wagon was an extravagant two-story affair with a built-in iron stove, spring-cushioned seats, and bunks for sleeping. The company included about 140 men, women and childrenthe women and children outnumbered the able-bodied men 2-to-1. On December 16 a party of 10 men and 5 women set out to cross the mountains on improvised snowshoes. Fort Laramie Parade Grounds, photo by Kathy Alexander. Over the next four months, the remaining men, women, and children would huddle together in cabins, makeshift lean-tos, and tents. Some members of the party suggested that Reed be hanged, but he was instead banished from the company. I don't know if anyone recorded the number of dishonest wagon masters, but in the hundreds of wagon trains heading to Oregon or California there certainly were some incompetent ones. No wonder he was so badass, just look what his parents went through. At last, we were all in the wagons. ", He spent two months in the cabin, surrounded by the bodies of his dead friends, with wolves scratching to get to the meat inside. His wife Tamzene, though in comparatively good health, refused to leave him; sending her three little girls on without her. Swollen rivers could tip over and drown both people and oxen. Beside the driver, named Frank Williams, sat one of the robbers, thoroughly disguised. They reached the Humboldt River on September 26th. Corrections? The notorious tragedy occurred on 10 November 1921, the Wagon Tragedy.The Muslims who were captured by the British in connection with the Malabar riots were seized by a train wagon from Tirur and sent to Coimbatore, most of whom were wounded and suffocated.This is a kind of brutal massacre. Being caught there by a raging snowstorm was undoubtedly a terrible experience. resident and Western Writers of America executive director Candy Moulton traveled with the Mormon Trail Sesquicentennial Wagon Train in 1997, pushing and pulling a . Mama was overcome with grief. Twelve of the emigrants were dead and of the forty-eight remaining, many had gone crazy or were barely clinging to life. There was one major problem, thoug. Naomi Sager descended into a sort of grief-stricken illness, and her daughter Catherine wrote she was, "at times perfectly insane." The passengers were all old frontiersmen and were prepared for a desperate defense, anticipating a possible robbery attempt. Brian Altonen, a medical science and public health expert, took a look at the diseases running rampant through wagon trains and found the heartbreaking case of Susannah, a little girl who died just a month after her mother. It took him an hour to die, "in full possession of his senses." Whether it's better to eat or be eaten is a discussion for another time, but the tragic footnote is that the entire thing could have been avoided. They killed and ate the cow, and the officer in charge was actually pretty diplomatic about the whole thing. Also dumped? I can not describe the unutterable repugnance with which I tasted that first mouthful of flesh. 1866 photo of Alder Creek stumps cut by Donner party. Some things like using peppermint essence to calm an upset stomach actually worked (via Fort Morgan Times), but the problem was that it was only the women who knew these remedies. The families of brothers George and Jacob Donner and local businessman James Reed left Springfield on April 14, 1846. When he sees an opportunity at the bank, it leads to tragedy.Don Brooke is desperate for money for his pregnant wife Bonnie, whose condition is too delicate for the long trip without more medical care so he seeks a bank loan. The note indicated that Hastings had left with another group and that later travelers should follow and catch up. Invariably such a storm meant a stampede of the mules, nor would a man dare to desert his shelter to seek them. They ate all kinds of nasty plants and passed the problems on in their milk. It could attack a perfectly healthy person after breakfast and he would be in his grave by noon. Time was supposed to heal all wounds, he wrote, but that was B.S. when it came to something like this. A note left by Hastings had assured the party that they would be able to cross the desert in just two days, but the journey took five. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. On March 3rd, Reed left the camp with 17 of the starving emigrants but just two days later they are caught in another blizzard. He swore he only ate and never killed, writing, "A man, before he judges me, should be placed in a similar situation.". January 17, 2016 Late one afternoon in July 1864, a party of American Indians rode up to a small wagon train on the Oregon Trail and, using signs, asked in a friendly way for something to eat. However, what was not known by Reed was that the Hastings Route had never been tested, written by Hastings who had visions of building an empire at Sutters Fort (nowSacramento.) The Raton Range had been safely surmounted, and, just about dawn one morning, the heavy coach entered the canyon of the Canadian River, its occupants unsuspicious of any danger. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Donner-party, Legends of America - The Tragic Story of the Donner Party, EyeWitness to History.com - The Tragic Fate of the Donner Party, 1847, Online Nevada Encyclopedia - Donner Party, Donner party - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). However, the nightmare was by no means over. In 1972, the Kerala Government called it the Wagon Tragedy. Nice work, doc. On October 5that Iron Point, two wagons became entangled and John Snyder, a teamster of one of the wagons began to whip his oxen. On the Trail - The Akin Wagon Train - 1852. Such accidents could cause the loss of life and most or all of valuable supplies. He was tracked to Denver, Colorado, and hanged with very little ceremony. . As soon as Cody got a glimpse of the Indians, he handed the reins to Flowers and began applying the whip. People could be crushed by wagons or animals, thrown by horses. But once settlers started heading West and claiming land for themselves all willy-nilly, not everyone was pleased. By the time they reached the shore, they also blamed James Reed. On February 19th, the first party reached the lake finding what appeared to be a deserted camp until the ghostly figure of a woman appeared. After the publicity, emigration toCaliforniafell off sharply and Hastings cutoff was all but abandoned. The accusations got so bad he even sued for slander and won $1, but when Keseberg died in 1895, even his obituary reminded everyone he was a cannibal. On July 19ththe wagon train arrived at the Little Sandy River in present-day Wyoming, where the trail parted into two routes the northerly known route and the untested Hastings Cutoff. The surviving members had differing viewpoints, biases and recollections so what actually happened was never extremely clear. Susannah was passed into the care of a new mother breastfeeding her own child, and Altonen says in order to keep that woman's child away from any possible infection the orphan might be carrying, the caregiver opted to give the baby cow's milk instead of breastfeeding. Roadtrippers says Blue Mound, Kansas, was the site of the first accidental gun death on the trail, and it happened to the ill-named John Shotwell. When he sees an opportunity at the bank, it leads to tragedy. Jim Bridger and partner Louis Vasquez certainly could have handed over the note, sending the Donner Party down the safer route and presumably preventing all the cannibalism nonsense. The relief party soon departed with four more members of the party, leaving those who are too weak to travel. On the Trail - The "IKENBERRY" Party - 1849. Other causes of injury or death included attacks by emigrants on other emigrants, lightning, hailstorms, grass fires, gunpowder explosions, snakebite and suicide. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. A number of the savages thus escaped, the troopers having to pull up at the brink but sending a volley after the descending fugitives. All the other stations were guarded in like manner, so it happened that every coach carried some soldiers.. The first relief party soon left with 23 refugees, but during the partys travels back to Sutters Fort, two more children died. A Division Agent named Flowers was on the box with him, and half a dozen well-armed passengers were inside. Not knowing how many cattle the emigrants had lost, the men believed the party would have enough meat to last them several months. Seriously, you don't have it that bad, and if there's one consolation it's the surviving girls' memoirs that talk about the kindness they experienced along the way. When they finally reached the end of the grueling desert five days later on September 4th, the emigrants rested near the base of Pilot Peak for several days. Tensions were running high among the exhausted migrants, and on October 5 an altercation between Reed and a teamster employed by another family ended with Reed fatally stabbing the man. From Walnut Creek to the mountains, no traveler was safe from attack by the dog soldiers, Often, a caravan started forth having the disguised George Bent as a guide, for his plans usually involved treachery. Bryant wrote. Good in theory, but how many bankers knew which way to hold a gun? More than 40 whites were killed, and the destruction of property was extensive. The others escaped after a hard run. A fourth rescue party set out in late March but were soon stranded in a blinding snowstorm for several days. By this point, the members of the company had cached, or buried, virtually all their personal possessionsexcept for food, clothing, and the barest essentials necessary for survivalin an effort to minimize the load on their exhausted animals. Reed soon found others seeking adventure and fortune in the vast West, including the Donner family, Graves, Breens, Murphys, Eddys, McCutcheons, Kesebergs, and the Wolfingers, as well as seven teamsters and a number of bachelors. However, many would linger in misery for weeks in the bouncy wagons. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. In the meantime, while the wagon train continued to the base of the summit, George Donners wagon axle broke and he fell behind the rest of the party.
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