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. In a letter to her cousin in Illinois, Virginia Reed recounted that I have not wrote you half of the truble, but I hav Wrote you anuf to let you now what truble is, before concluding, Dont let this letter dishaten anybody. It was a horrific road trip. This occurrence took all desire for further peace talk from him, and the fight was on. Wagon Tragedy Memorial Town Hall in the city Tirur In the beginning, the wagon train was lucky to make even two miles per day, taking them six days just to travel eight miles. As a protection for both lines, the Government later erected Fort Sedgwick on the South Fork of the Platte River. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. The Reeds, the Donners, and a number of others chose to head southwest toward Fort Bridger. While becoming so desperate as to eat tree bark seems like the worst part of the trail, there was one instance where it became worse for one wagon train party in the 1840s. On May 25ththe train was held for several days by high water at the Big Blue River near present-day Marysville,Kansas. Never for a moment could they feel secure; every trip promised to be their last, and many a time, the coach dashed up to a station only to find it in ruins and surrounded by dead. 8.1 (40) Rate. On the Trail - The Westward Movement. While on a scout with his troop from Fort Union, New Mexico, Bell came upon White Wolf and an equal number of Apache. Dangers - Learn what dangers Pioneers faced on their Oregon Trail journey People could be crushed by wagons or animals, thrown by horses. They killed and ate the cow, and the officer in charge was actually pretty diplomatic about the whole thing. The greater portion of the Plains country was then without permanent inhabitants, scarcely anything breaking the desolation excepting the isolated stations along the Overland and Santa Fe Trails, with a few scattered settlements extending into the prairies of Kansas and Nebraska. The history of his bloody deeds will never be told, for dead men tell no tales, and seldom did Bent leave any alive after a raid. The Western Wagon Train: Part-Two, Life on the Trail - Frontier American It was a west-bound Concord, containing a full complement of passengers, including a Mr. White, his wife, child, and colored nurse. Soldiers were used to guarding the stagecoaches, yet attacks were frequent, and the loss in property and lives was large. Settlers would keep as much as they could on their overloaded wagons in hopes of trading once they reached the fort, but that wasn't always possible. She died near Twin Falls, Idaho, and the children ranging from 13 years old to a newborn were orphans for the first time. A family of seven, killed by Indians, was buried here together in the wagon box from their covered wagon. The surviving members had differing viewpoints, biases and recollections so what actually happened was never extremely clear. The dragoons turned short about and again charged through and over their enemies, the fire being continuous. Bryant wrote. Donner Lake and Donner Pass, California, are named for the party. Edwin Bryant told the tale of a boy who had his leg crushed by a wagon wheel, and it was treated by a quack who tied some linen and a few planks around it. There was actually someone riding ahead of the Donner Party acting as a scout, and Edwin Bryant sent a letter back warning them it was too dangerous to take the so-called shortcut. Patrick Breen was a member of the Donner Party and kept a diary of their ordeal during the winter of 1846-47. 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. 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 Donner Party Disaster - True West Magazine The warriors, or nearly all of them, threw themselves on the ground, and several vertical wounds were received by horse and rider. About the Author: Adventures and Tragedies on the Overland Trail was written by Randall Parrish as a chapter of his book, The Great Plains: The Romance of Western American Exploration, Warfare, and Settlement, 1527-1870; published by A.C. McClurg & Co. in Chicago, 1907. Cholera was the main scourge of the trail. In later years Kicking Bird, also a Kiowa, became the terror of the Plains. By the time they reached the shore, they also blamed James Reed. In 1921, a rebellion against British colonial rule by Mappila Muslims broke out in the Malabar District of British India. The Wagon Tragedy of 1921 - The Hindu Wagon Train cast list, including photos of the actors when available. W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) was a driver between Split Rock and Three Crossings, one of the most perilous sections. Clyman advised Reed not to take the Hastings Route, stating that the road was barely passable on foot and would be impossible with wagons; also warning him of the great desert and the Sierra Nevadas. The Denver Post reports the plan was simple: British and Scandinavian converts who were too poor to buy wagons would load all their worldly possessions onto a handcart, push them across the U.S., and make the journey in only 60 days. With the train desperately needing fresh meat, Cooper Smith, along with Barnaby, sets off . It took two months and four relief parties to rescue the entire surviving Donner Party. But once settlers started heading West and claiming land for themselves all willy-nilly, not everyone was pleased. They took full advantage of the opportunity and poured in the first volley, Greer being struck in the breast, his life saved by a suspender buckle. Finding the party at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, Hastings accompanied Reed partway back to point out the new route, which he said would take them about one week to travel. The tale of the Donner Party is one of tragedy, hardship, and gruesome details. Wagon Train Cast | List of All Wagon Train Actors and Actresses - Ranker Hilarity! On Thanksgiving, it began to snow again, and the pioneers at Donner Lake killed the last of their oxen for food on November 29th. You're probably familiar with the story of the Donner party, the second-most famous thing about the Oregon Trail. Updates? According to the National Park Service, six children set off from Missouri with their parents in early 1844, with the seventh being born in the wagon. Having traveled an extra 125 miles through strenuous mountain terrain and dry desert, the disillusioned partys resentment of Hastings, and ultimately, Reed, was increased tremendously. Reed would continue west on horseback while the rest of his family remained with the Donner party. Breens account of the winter of 184647 would provide the only contemporary written record of the Donner partys ordeal. The next day five men, nine women, and one child departed on snowshoes for the summit, determined to travel the 100 miles to Sutters Fort. Then, in January 1848, gold was discovered in at John Sutters Mill in Coloma and gold-hungry travelers began to rush out West once again. This food was never otherwise than loathsome, insipid, and disgusting. It's an undeniable fact: the cycle of life doesn't stop for anyone or anything, and there were a surprising number of newborn babies traveling the trail. Cholera is one of those old-timey diseases you definitely don't want, and it was a huge problem for a very gross reason, especially in the floodplain around the Platte River crossing. The Sioux came out on top during that skirmish, and Grattan's body was recovered riddled with arrows. Sell everything that doesn't fit into your wagon, and set out with no guidance from Google Maps? The terrible ordeals of the caravan continued to mount when on October 12th, their oxen were attacked by PiuteIndians, killing 21 one of them with poison-tipped arrows, further depleting their draft animals. The Oregon Trail was a roughly 2,000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, that was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west.. The river crossing was massively dangerous, and according to WyoHistory, it was made safer but more expensive by the Mormon ferries that were set up in 1847. S8, Ep2. The two-day encounter resulted in the deaths of eleven emigrants by an estimated twenty-five to thirty Indians. It was not pleasant; this sitting perched up on top of a coach, riding through dark ravines and tall grass, in which savages were ever lurking. Between 1856 and 1860, 10 handcart companies traveled the trail and two the Martin and Willie companies suffered heartbreaking tragedies. Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated December 2021. Here they came to a halt when they found a note from Hastings advising them not to follow him down Weber Canyon as it was virtually impassible, but rather to take another trail through the Salt Basin. Not knowing how many cattle the emigrants had lost, the men believed the party would have enough meat to last them several months. Colonel George Wright, who was in charge of the military presence and rescue mission, said they likely would have survived if it wasn't for the cowards. National Oregon/California Trail Center The Donner Party is One of the Most Disturbing Stories from the Oregon Trail. During a months harrowing, often overwhelming hardships from cold, storms, deep snow, and inadequate food, they struggled on. The Donners, whose progress was delayed by a wagon accident, made a similar camp a few miles farther east on the trail near Alder Creek. 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. The group now numbered 74 people in twenty wagons and for the first week made good progress at 10-12 miles per day. The Hastings Cutoff and Highway 80 Tragedy of the Donner Party The latter was finally poisoned by a Mexican woman in 1876. To spare the animals, everyone who could, walked. It was a west-bound Concord, containing a full complement of passengers, including a Mr. White, his wife, child, and colored nurse. As the disillusionment of the party increased, tempers began to flare in the group. See production, box office & company info, Stage 19, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA. You had no idea the decision to ferry or ford the river was so gross, did you? After dogs and cowhides had been devoured, many deaths occurred, and the survivors were forced to resort to cannibalism of the dead bodies. "The child was dead his miseries were over!" Miraculously, just three days later on October 19th, one of the men the party had sent on to Fort Sutter Charles Stanton, returned laden with seven mules loaded with beef and flour, two Indian guides, and news of a clear, but difficult path through the SierraNevada. The first notable tragedy on the Santa Fe Trail connected to stage coaching occurred almost with the first effort to establish the line. Devil's Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy. En route down the mountains, the first relief party met the second relief party coming the opposite way and the Reed family was reunited after five months. The pioneers lost valuable days conducting a fruitless search for the missing oxen before beginning a circuitous navigation of the Ruby Mountains in modern northeastern Nevada. The party lost dozens of cattle in the desert, and several wagons had to be abandoned. The originator of this group was a man named James Frasier Reed, an Illinois businessman, eager to build a greater fortune in the rich land of California. The British Raj tried to cover up this heinous event but. Some blamed the power-hungry Lansford W. Hastings for the tragedy, while others blamed James Reed for not heeding Clymans warning about the deadly route. A brief review of the operations of military scouting parties in the region about Julesburg, Colorado, which was the center of hostilities on the Plains, and occasionally entirely cut off from communication, well illustrates the desperate nature of their duties. He swore he only ate and never killed, writing, "A man, before he judges me, should be placed in a similar situation.". Hopeless, they retraced their steps where five feet of new snow had already fallen. Along the entire journey, others would join the group until its size numbered 87. Hastily, as the snow continued, the party built three shelters from tents, quilts, buffalo robes. After examining remains from the Alder Creek campsite, researchers in 2010 announced that they had been unable to find any human bones or other physical evidence of cannibalism. The Tragic Story of the Donner Party - Legends of America While the party camped near modern-day Henefer,Utah,James Reed, along with two other men forged ahead on horses to catch up with Hastings. It was also the headquarters of the telegraph on the Plains, which had been inaugurated in 1861. Extra foodstuffs, and one account even talked about the 20,000-odd pounds of bacon left behind. 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. A history project by Sandy Wilbur. In truth, there wasn't much conflict between the Native American tribes and early travelers, who were mostly fur traders and missionaries. It was here that the new trail met up with Hastings original path. Heroically struggling through the deep snow, seven men reached the lake camp on February 18. Unfortunately, the cattle were grazing on plants like poison ivy and white snakeroot, creating deadly and bitter milk. Such accidents could cause the loss of life and most or all of valuable supplies. When he sees an opportuni Read allDon 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. As early as 1860, trouble began after the beginning of emigration to Colorado and the discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountains. . Bents Fort was occupied by troops, and, in anticipation of coming events, several new posts were established throughout the Indian country and occupied by small garrisons. In the beginning, the wagon train was lucky to make even two miles per day, taking them six days just to travel eight miles. Katharine Ross whose stardom still awaited gives a stunning performance in the He was pulling a gun from the back of his wagon muzzle first when it discharged and shot him in the chest. No trace of either the child or the colored nurse was ever found. Eight days of almost continuous snow followed, during which time many of the oxen, the chief reserve of food, wandered off and were lost. Indian Attack on a Wagon Train by Charles Marion Russell. Along the way, they discovered that some of their wagons would have to be abandoned and before long, morale began to sink and the pioneers began to adamantly blame Lansford Hastings. Caching their provisions in Bear Valley, they returned to Sutters fort hoping to recruit more men and supplies for the rescue. 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. Between early September and late October 1860, 34 of the 44 would die, including Elijah and his entire family. They ate all kinds of nasty plants and passed the problems on in their milk. 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.) Though Sarah Keyes was so sick with consumption that she could barely walk, she was unwilling to be separated from her only daughter. When they died or got sick, the men were left to make things up like the husband of a Mrs. Knapp. Reed also hoped that his wife, Margaret, who suffered from terrible headaches, might improve in the coastal climate. 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. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846-1847 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The text as it appears here, however, is not verbatim as it has been edited for clarity and ease of the modern reader. The Bonnie Brooke Story: Directed by Allen H. Miner. You can imagine how that went. Stantons partner, William McCutchen had fallen ill and remained at the fort. Wagon Train - Wikipedia Wagon Train - Season 8 - IMDb Hastings had claimed that his route would shave more than 300 miles (480 km) from the journey to California. Living off the bodies of those that died along the path to Sutters Fort, the snowshoeing survivors were reduced to seven by the time they reached safety on the western side of the mountains on January 19, 1847. However, upon their arrival at Fort Bridger, of Lansford Hastings, there was no sign, only a note left with other emigrants resting at the fort. 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. 27 Sep. 1964. While the journey west was traditionally considered dangerous and deadly, this was especially the case for the Donner Party. At Taos, New Mexico, were several troops of the Second Dragoons under Major Greer. Donner party, also called Donner-Reed party, group of American pioneersnamed for the expeditions captain, George Donnerwho became stranded en route to California in late 1846. But in the mountain district to be traversed before reaching Santa Fe, the most serious disasters usually occurred during the winter. Rumors started circulating that he was the first to dig into the not-so-scrumptious meal consisting of his fellow settlers, that he killed others for their meat, and that he preferred human meat to beef. Indian Attack on a Wagon Train by Charles Marion Russell The first notable tragedy on the Santa Fe Trail connected to stage coaching occurred almost with the first effort to establish the line. He had his full share of narrow escapes. Five of the emigrants died before reaching the mountain camps, 34 at the camps or on the mountains while attempting to cross, and one just after reaching the settlements. The 22 people with the Donners were about six miles behind at Alder Creek. The rest of the pioneers stayed at what would become known as Starved Camp.. Generally, the first fire from the Indians killed one or two horses and tumbled a soldier or two off the top of the coach. The heavy snow made trailing almost impossible, yet the scouts discovered signs and, amid much suffering, followed the Indian trail for nearly four hundred miles and finally located the village. 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. Murphy, Idaho. The Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Salt Lake City, Utah, who used two-wheeled handcarts to transport their belongings. He found a camp of 15 people, including five dead who had been partially eaten by the starving living. Details emerge in tragic wagon train accident 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 October 5that Iron Point, two wagons became entangled and John Snyder, a teamster of one of the wagons began to whip his oxen. Everything was made ready for a charge when Major Greer suddenly decided to talk with the Indians before commencing to fight. Satisfied, the emigrants rested for a few days at the fort, making repairs to their wagons and preparing for the rest of what they thought would be a seven-week journey. As the conversation ensued, the controversy grew so heated that suddenly the two leaders exchanged shots, the chief sinking on one knee to aim and Bell throwing his body forward and causing his horse to rear. Of the 81. Let's talk about why, in the least gross way possible. From start to finish, it took between five and six months, and it's hard to imagine today. Major threats to pioneer life and limb came from accidents, exhaustion, and disease. Antonio, Patrick Dolan, Franklin Graves, and Lemuel Murphy soon died and in desperation, the others resorted to cannibalism. Animals could cause very serious injury to their owners. Obviously adventurous, the brothers decided to make one last trip toCalifornia, which unfortunately would be their last. Led by Elijah Utter (sometimes written "Otter"), the group included four families, 21 children, and a few former soldiers. The Donner Camp has been the site of recent archeological excavations. On the Trail - The "IKENBERRY" Party - 1849. Imagine taking your entire family across the country with only what you can pack into a minivan, and no rest stops or Taco Bells along the way. While at Fort Laramie, Reed had been warned against attempting the route by an old friend from Illinois who had just completed the west-to-east journey through Hastings Cutoff, but the group chose to press ahead. One of their number, Gib Ryker, is a sociopath who enjoys antagonizing young Barnaby West. One member of the party, Charles Stanton, snow-blind and exhausted was unable to keep up with the rest of the party and told them to go on. There were a few reasons for it, and Brian Altonensays part of the problem was the saline-alkaline waters of the Platte were the perfect breeding ground for cholera left behind in settlers' waste products. A shot was fired from beside the trail, and the men inside the coach instantly discharged their guns toward the supposed ambush. Twelve of the emigrants were dead and of the forty-eight remaining, many had gone crazy or were barely clinging to life. On August 30, after gathering as much water and grass as they could carry, they entered the Great Salt Lake Desert. 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. There were two coaches loaded with mail and nine men, the leaders being Lem Flowers, a division agent, and the conductor named Brown. Burials often were done right in the middle of the trail, where wagons could roll over and animals trample it down in order to erase the scent so wolves could not pick up the scent. Another memorable raid was made all along the 200 miles between Julesburg, Colorado, and Liberty Farm, at the head of the Little Blue River in Nebraska, in August 1864. 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. A large, well equipped wagon train rolled toward California in 1846. Road agents also became very much in evidence, and the robbery of stages was not uncommon. ", He spent two months in the cabin, surrounded by the bodies of his dead friends, with wolves scratching to get to the meat inside. According to The Plains Across, Fort Laramie became a major trading post. October 28th, an exhausted James Reed arrived at Sutters Fort, where he met William McCutchen, now recovered, and the two men began preparations to go back for their families. As was their custom, the Indians attacked at dawn, and the whites were compelled to run their coaches alongside each other, pile mail-sacks between the wheels, and throw sand over them for breastworks. Ironically, on the very day that theIllinoisparty headed west from Springfield, Lansford Hastings prepared to head east from California, to see what the shortcut he had written about was really like. Yet, even more, a summer hailstorm was to be dreaded, for nowhere else do such ice-chunks descend from the sky. But treachery worked their ruin. This setting oneself as a sort of target was a disagreeable and dangerous duty, but the soldiers performed it without murmuring. and brush to protect themselves from the harsh conditions. The wagon train encountered riders urging emigrants on the road to travel down to Fort Bridger and take a shortcut called the "Hastings . By the time the Donner party reached the Humboldt River, where Hastings Cutoff rejoined the main California Trail, it was late September. Two men who had joined the party at the lake also died. About 55 miles of the telegraph line was destroyed, stage stations razed, and employees killed, for long distances east and west. You don't have anything on the seven Sager orphans. On the far side of the desert, an inventory of food was taken and found to be less than adequate for the 600-mile trek still ahead. Event image of various prairie wagons in use. In the end, five had died before reaching the mountains, thirty-five perished either at the mountain camps or trying to cross the mountains, and one died just after reaching the valley. Sounds great, right? Reed had recently read the bookTheEmigrants Guide to Oregon and California, by Landsford W. Hastings, who advertised a new shortcut across the Great Basin. Ever feel like you have the worst luck on the planet? At Fort Laramie, James Reed ran into an old friend fromIllinoisby the name of James Clyman, who had just traveled the new route eastwardly with Lansford Hastings. Mormon Handcart Tragedy of 1856 - Legends of America Photo courtesy of Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop https://www.hansenwheel.com .