The storm-clouds were already brewing upon the mountains, only a few miles distant. The ascent was ominous. Thick and thicker grew the clouds, outstripping in threatening battalions the now eager feet of the alarmed emigrants, until, at Prosser creek, three miles below Truckee, October 28, 1846, a month earlier than usual, the storm set in, and they found themselves in six inches of newly-fallen snow. On the summit it was already from two to five feet deep. The party, in much confusion, finally reached Donner lake in disordered fragments. Frequent and desperate attempts were made to cross the mountain tops, but at last, baffled and despairing, they returned to camp at the lake. The storm now descended in all its pitiless fury upon the ill-fated emigrants. dreadful import was well understood as laden with omens of suffering and death. With slight interrup I's 'The Donner Party' was organized in Sangamon the fatal act. county, Illinois, by George and Jacob Donner and James F. Reed in the spring of 1846. In April, 1846, the party set out from Springfield, Illinois, and by the first week in May had reached Independence, Missouri, where the party was increased until the train numbered about two or three hundred wagons, the Donner family numbering sixteen, the Reed family seven, the Graves family twelve, the Murphy family thirteen. These were the principal families of the Donner party proper. At Independence provisions were laid in for the trip and the line of journey taken up. In the occasional glimpses we have of the party, features of but little interest present themselves beyond the ordinary experience of pioneer life. A letter from Mrs. George Donner, written near the junction of the North and South Platte, dated June 16, 1846, reports a favorable journey of four hundred and fifty tions the storm continued for several days. The animiles from Independence, Missouri, with no forebod-mals were literally buried alive and frozen in the drifts. ings of the terrible disasters so soon to burst upon Meat was hastily prepared from their frozen carcasses, them. At Fort Laramie a portion of the party cele- and cabins rudely built. One, the Schallenberger brated the Fourth of July. Thereafter the train cabin, erected November, 1844, was already standing passed unmolested upon its journey. George Donner about a quarter of a mile below the lake. This the was elected captain of the train at the Little Sandy Breen family appropriated. The Murphys erected river, on the 20th of July, 1846, from which act it took one three hundred yards from the lake, marked by a the name of 'Donner Party.' large stone twelve feet high. The Graves family built "At Fort Bridger, then a mere trading post, the theirs near Donner creek, three-quarters of a mile fatal choice was made of the route that led to such further down the stream, the three forming the apex fearful disasters and tragic death. A new route via. of a triangle; the Breen and Murphy cabins were disSalt Lake, known as 'Hasting's Cut-off,' was recom- tant from each other about one hundred and fifty mended to the party as shortening the distance three yards. The Donner brothers, with their families, hundred miles. After due deliberation the Donner hastily constructed a brush shed in Alder creek valley, party of eighty-seven souls-three having died-were six or seven miles from the lake. Their provisions induced to separate from the larger portion of the were speedily consumed, and starvation with all its train (which afterwards arrived in California in safety) grim attendant horrors stared the poor emigrants in aud commenced their journey by way of Hasting's the face. Day by day, with aching hearts and paraCut-off. They reached Weber river near the head of lyzed energies, they awaited, amid the beating storms the canyon in safety. From this point in their journey of the Sierras, the dread revelation of the morrow, to Salt Lake, almost insurmountable difficulties were hoping against hope' for some welcome sign. encountered, and instead of reaching Salt Lake in "On the 16th day of December, 1846, a party of one week, as anticipated, over thirty days of perilous seventeen were enrolled to attempt the hazardous travel were consumed in making the trip-most pre-journey over the mountains, to press into the valley cious time in view of the danger imminent in the for relief. Two returned, remaining fifteen, including rapidly approaching storms of the winter. The story Mary Graves and her sister, Mrs. Sarah Fosdick, and of their trials and sufferings in their journey to the several other women, pressed on. The heroic C. T. fatal camp at Donner lake is terrible; nature and Stanton and noble F. W. Graves (who left his wife stern necessity seemed arrayed against them. On the and seven children at the lake to await his return) 19th of October, near the present site of Wadsworth, being the leaders. This was the 'Forlorn Hope Nevada, the destitute company were happily re-provis- Party,' over whose dreadful sufferings and disaster we ioned by C. T. Stanton, furnished with food and must throw a veil. Death in the most awful form re mules, together with two Indian vaqueros, by Captain duced the wretched company to seven-two men and Sutter, without compensation. five women-when suddenly tracks were discovered imprinted in the snow. "Can any one imagine," says Mary Graves in her recital, "what joy these foot "At the present site of Reno it was concluded to rest. Three or four days time was lost. This was Death once more stared them in the face, and despair settled upon them. But assistance was near at hand. James F. Reed, who had preceded the Donner party by some months, suddenly appeared with the second relief party, on the 25th of February, 1847. The joy of the meeting was indescribable, especially between the family and the 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 Donner lake. There the scene prints gave us? We ran as fast as our strength would ered. Twenty-three members started, among them carry us." Turning a sharp point they suddenly came several women and children. Of this number two were to an Indian rancheria. The acorn-bread offered compelled to return, and three perished on the jourthem by the kind and awe-stricken savages was eagerly ney. Many hardships and privations were experienced, devoured. But on they pressed with their Indian and their provisions were soon entirely exhausted. 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, when relief was sent 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 could tell, no pen portray, the awful suffering, the terrible and appalling straits, as well as the noble deeds of heroism that characterized this march of death. The eternal mountains, whose granite was simply indescribable; starvation and disease were 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 through 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 famishing people or lay down my life.' fast claiming their victims. March 1st, according to Breen's diary, Reed and his party reached the camp. Proceeding directly to his cabin, he was espied by his little daughter, 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 composed this party. Half "Nothing could be done, in the meantime, for the starved and completely exhausted, they were comrelief of the sufferers at Donner lake, without securing pelled to camp in the midst of a furious storm, in help from Fort Sutter, which was speedily accom- which Mr. Reed barely escaped with his life. This plished by John Rhodes. In a week, six men, fully was 'Starved Camp,' and from this point Mr. Reed, provisioned, with Captain Reasin P. Tucker at their head, reached Johnson's ranch, and in ten or twelve days' time, with provisions, mules, etc., the first relief party started for the scene at Donner lake. It was a fearful undertaking, but on the morning of the 19th of February, 1847, the above party began the descent of the gorge leading to Donner lake. "We have purposely thrown a veil over the dreadful sufferings of the stricken band left in their wretched hovels at Donner lake. Reduced to the verge of starvation, many died (including children, seven of whom were nursing babes), who, in this dreadful state of necessity, were summarily disposed of. Rawhides, moccassins, 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 the prolonged 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 party melted at the appaling sight, sat down, and wept with the rest. But time was precious, as storms were imminent. The return party was quickly gath 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 the three companions were overtaken by Cady and Stone, and on the night of the third day reached Woodworth's camp, at Bear valley, in safety. The horrors of Starved Camp beggar all description, indeed, require none. The third relief party, composed of John Stark, Howard Oakley, and Charles Stone, were nearing the rescue, while W. H. 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 in a starving condition, and nine of the eleven were unable to walk. By the noble resolution and herculean efforts of John Stark, a part of the number were borne and urged onward to their destination, while the other portion was compelled to remain and await another relief party. When the third relief party, under Foster and Eddy, arrived at Donner lake, the sole survivers of 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 But and How it Happened—Communication of the Discovery to Sutter-Isaac Humphrey-Mormon Island---California Press in Regard to the Discovery-Don Andreas Pico's Exploring Expedition - Captain Charles M. Weber's Expedition-Jonas Spect on the Yuba-Major P. B. Reading in the Northern Region-News of the Discovery of Gold Reaches Monterey-The Governor's Trip to the MinesOfficial Forwarding of the News to Washington-Table of Mining Products of California. waiting for the fourth 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, but she refused. Nothing was more heart-rending than her sad parting with her beloved little ones, who wound their childish arms lovingly around her neck, and besought her with mingled tears and kisses to join them. duty prevailed over affection, and she retraced the weary distance to die with him whom she had promised From the time that Cortez, in his letter to his monto love and honor to the end. Such scenes of anguish arch, Charles V of Spain, dated October 15, 1524, are seldom witnessed on the sorrowing earth, and such wrote that the great men of Colima had given him acts of triumphant devotion are among the most information of an island of amazons, or women only, golden deeds. The snowy cerements of Donner lake abounding in pearls and gold, etc., through about enshrouded in its stilly whiteness no purer life, no three centuries the people of Spanish nationality, under purer heart than Mrs. George Donner's. The terrible Spanish as well as under Mexican government, were recitals that close this awful tragedy we willingly omit. dreaming the golden dream, and the opinion that the "The third relief party rescued four of the last five country abounded in precious metals seems never to survivors; the fourth and last relief party rescued the have died out entirely; but the realization of the last survivor, Lewis Keseberg, on the 7th of April. dream did not come, and no gold or other metals had Ninety names are given as members of the Donner ever been discovered by the people of that nationality, party. Of these forty-two perished, six did not live to and Mexico finally was satisfied with the trivial sum reach the mountains, and forty-eight survived. Twen- of $15,000,000 for the abdication of California and ty-six, and possibly twenty-eight, out of the forty-eight New Mexico, none of the peace-making parties. survivors are living to-day-several of them residing having an idea of the richness of the country they in San Jose, Calistoga, Los Gatos, Marysville, and in were treating about, notwithstanding Marshall's disOregon. covery was actually made a short while before the meeting of the commissioners at Querataro. "Thus ends this narrative of horrors, without a par. allel in the annals of American history, of appaling disaster, fearful sufferings, heroic fortitude, self-denial and heroism." The very first knowledge of precious metals was the discovery of silver at Avizal, in Monterey county, in 1802. The following letter is an important document, showing that Jedediah S. Smith was not only the first white man to come overland to California, but that to him is due the first discovery of gold in California: "GENOA, CARSON VALLEY, ) September 18th, 1860. S "EDMOND RANDOLPH, ESQ., S. F.: "FRIEND RANDOLPH-I have just been reading I have About two weeks before the Donner party found the way across the mountains barred with snow, another emigrant train passed in safety; among these emigrants were Claude Chana, now living at Wheatland, Yuba county, and Charles Covillaud, one of the original proprietors of Marysville, who married Mary Murphy, of the Donner party, from whom the name of Marysville was derived. The widely different ex-your address before the Society of Pioneers. periences of those two parties, in crossing the Sierras known of the J. S. Smith you mentioned, by reputaover the same mountain route, gives a striking illus- tion, for many years. He was the first white man that tration of the sudden changes that, inside of a few ever went overland from the Atlantic States to Calidays, by means of one single storm, may appear in fornia. He was the chief this region, and that traveling in, or over the moun-American Fur Company. tains in the winter season, under any consideration, is company on Green river, a venturesome enterprise. CHAPTER XIV. DISCOVERY OF GOLD. trader in the employ of the At the rendezvous of the near the South Pass, in 1825, Smith was directed to take charge of a party of some forty men (trappers) and penetrate the country west of Salt Lake. He discovered what is now known as Humboldt river. He called it Mary's river, from his Indian wife, Mary. It has always been known as Mary's river by mountain men since-a name it should retain for many reasons. Early Discoveries of Gold-J. S. Smith, of the American Fur |