As Abigail Van Orman and others discovered to their dread and to their cost, sometimes the Indian menace was real. Even so, such souls were unlucky to die by an Indian’s hand. According to historian John Unruh only 362 overlanders were killed by Indians between 1840 and 1860, out of an overall death toll on the trail of 10,000. Where blood flowed, it tended to come from Native American bodies. (The settlers probably inflicted 426 violent deaths on the Indians.) The usual form of Indian retribution was not an arrow but a sneaky pilfering of horses, mules and just about anything else on four legs. Writing to his wife in 1849, Henry Page penned words which summed up the typical overlander’s experience of Indians: “We are & shall not be, in any danger of our lives from Indians – the only trouble is to keep them from stealing . . .”
Going the Plains Across
Indian attack or no, it was a wonder and an achievement to have crossed overland to the Pacific. Many emigrants understood that they were taking part in one of the great happenings of history, and dutifully put quill to diary. Nearly 800 such pioneers’ diaries have been found and preserved. William E. Taylor’s is a classic, laconically listing the suffering, awe, boredom, travail and excitement of going the “plains across”. Taylor went overland to California in 1846 with the Craig–Stanley party, one of the first to take wagons over the Sierras:
Monday April the 20th 1846 We this day lef home for Oregon and proceeded 5 [15?] miles to Elk horn whare we got some work done on our waggon Our company consisting of Craig Shreve and myself
Tuesday, the 21. We Left at 10 O’clock and Standlly’s wagon Broak 2 miles from Elk horn whare we continued all night
Wed. 22. Left at 12 O’clock after having finished all the repares our waggon proceeded about 3 miles This day one of our Crowd (Shreve) took his [illegible] Mr. Lad Joined us
Th. 23. went 12 miles
Friday 24. passed plattsburg travailed 12 miles
Sat. 25 traveled 20 miles
Sund. 26. got to St. Josephs, traveled 3 miles
Monday 27 Tuesday 28 we remained at St. Josephs
Wen. 29 we Left St. Josephs went to parrots ferry 5 miles above town. Weather fair wind high
Th 30 Remained In Camp Wind prevents us from Crossing
May 1 Crossed over the river which was very hig for the season we find an abundance of grass for the oxen
2 Remained in camp
3. Struck our tents and proceeded to wolf River whare we had some difficulty in getting over went 14 mils
4. Started Early passed the Iowa Agency, distance 25 [miles]
5. Left camp Early travled 15 miles
6. We overtook 18 waggons at the Nemihaw River crossed over found 6 wagons encamped making 27 waggons and 50 men. A view from the prairie hills of this Little River is very sublime and beautiful it Surpasses any thing I have yet seen
7 we traveled about 20 miles the road verry undulating and the Land of the Richest kind Scarcely any timber or Water Some symptoms of discord in camp owing to all not being present at the Election of officers
8 we traveld over Level wet prairie 18 ms
9 we traveld 2½ miles Crossed one fork of the Blue. Staid all day found we were wrong
10 Changed our course Crossed over the other fork of Blue came to Independence trail we are ahead of all distance 16 miles
11 traveled 14 miles Camped in a small grove on a tributary of Blue
12 Camped on Horse Creek 7 miles
13 Travailed 7 miles Camped on Blue
14 Camped on Sandy a tributary of the Blue after travling 20 miles
15 Camped on the blue 16 miles verry warm The Mercury stands 76 at noon in the shade
16 traveld up Blue 16 miles Stanley killed a deer Mercury Stood at 86 at noon in the shade
17 traveled 4 miles
18 we went But 2 miles owing to the indisposition of Mrs Munkerass who brough an increase in to the emigration
19 travailed 8 miles
20 traveled 16 up Blue
21 Arrived at the Nebraska, travailed 17 miles
22 to day we saw a party of pawnees some hunters quite friendly distance 18 miles
23 traveld 8 miles
24 traveld 20 miles Saw and killed some Buffalo
25 traveled 18 miles thousands of Buffalo
26 Traveled 18 A sevier h[a]il storm in the Evning.
27 ″ 16 miles quite Cool Mercury at 57
28 ″ 23 another hail Storm Reached the South fork of platt
the 29 travaled 16 miles first used the excrement of the Buffalo for fuel
30 Crossed the South fork which is one mill wide with an average depth of 18 inches dis. 12 miles this evening we had the most sevier storm I ever saw
31 Lay by all day owing to incessant Rain and intense Cold with Some Snow Tem. 48 Fah[renheit]
June the first today there was quit a snow storm passed over to the Ash hollow distance 25 miles Tem. 38 deg. Fah.
2 Staid here all day
3 went 10 miles Camped out of the Rain Tem. 57 deg
4 travelled 20 miles Saw wild horses
5 travaled 20 miles. Came in sight of Castle Rock also the Chimney Rock Crossed Sandy
6 passed the Chimney Rock dist. 25 miles
7 passed Scotts Bluff Beautiful Scenry dist 18 miles
8 Company divided distance 19 miles
9 Travelled 15 miles Temp. 90 deg of Fah
10 Went 7 miles came to Laramie. Tem. 100 deg of Fah
11 Lay By. mercury at 100 Fah.
12 travelled 20 miles through the Black hills Camped on the Bitter Cotton Wood a Smal Stream
13 Came 20 miles camped on horse Shoe Creek
14 camped on Butte creek distance 20 miles
15 camped on Black Creek dist 20 miles Red Rock
16 travelled 18 miles camped on deer creek
17 traveled 16 miles Tem 90 deg of Fah.
18 Came to the Crossing of platt not fordable met some Return emigrants Tem. 81 deg. of Fah.
19 Remained trying to cross our Cattle
20 Do Do 16 more waggons Came up
21 got all over Rafted the waggons Swam the Cattle
22 passed the Red Butt[e]s dist 12 miles a good Spring
23 Came to the Willow Spring distance 20 miles
24 20 miles Braught us to the Rock Independence
25 Passed the Kenion on Sweet water saw mountain sheep travelled 16 miles
26 Went 18 miles, passed a party of men
27 traveled 25 miles Thousands of buffalo
28 Lay By all day
29 Traveled 20 miles a plain view of the wind River mountains Covered with snow Bad roads Some Sick
30 Came to the South Pass at 16 miles
July the 1 23 miles Braught us to Little Sandy extremely sterile country in sight of eternal snow on the Bear River mountan
2 Broak a waggon a man sick dist 10 miles Camped on Big Seany [Sandy] Mr L W Hastings visited our camp
3 travelled 18 miles Tem. 29 deg. of Fah.
4 crossed the colorado of the west a stream of 40 Rods wide 2 feet deep dis. 16 miles
5 traveled 15 miles camped on Blacks Fork near half the company confined by sickness
6 traveled 2 miles Lay By on account of the sick Tem 90 Deg. of Fah.
7 Lay By Sick get worse Mr. S Sublett & three others staid with us they ware from California Wrote home By them. Tem. 105
9 16 miles Braught us to Bridger Shoshone in abundane
Mr Joseph Walker et al from California
10 Lay By Indians visited us in great numbers
11 traveled 18 miles Cam[p]ed on muddy a bad camp
12 traveled 18 miles Camped at a good Spring
13 Crossed the Bear River mountain Rain 25 miles
14 16 miles Brought us to Smiths fork
15 traveled 22 verr[y] Bad Roads hard Rain
16 traveled 14 miles more Rain
17 21 Braught us to the Soda Spring
&n
bsp; 18 Lay By Rain thunder and Lightning
19 Left our company with our 2 waggons alon never shall I forget the deep Regret at a Leaving our friends passed the old Crater travaled 12 miles
20 our oxen sensable of the impropriety of Leaving their as well as our friends Left camp and ware overtaken 3 miles from the Soda Spring so that we only got to portneif River 7 miles
21 traveled 22 miles Crossed divers streams
22 traveled 21 to the Blue Spring 5 miles from fort Hall
23 passed Ft hall traveled 14 miles to portneiffe River.
24 traveled 18 mils passed the American falls of Snake or Saptin River.
25 travelled 18 miles to Casua Bad Road
26 Left the Oregon Road traveled 22 miles up the casua or Raft River good Road
27 traveled up casua 18 miles Rain Lightning and thunder
28 20 miles Braught us to a good Spring Road Bad Crossed over to goose creek [deleted: 10 miles]
29 we came 10 miles
30 travelled 15 miles
31 we came 18 miles Tem. 30 deg. Fah morning
August the 1 traveled 17 miles
2 passed a verry hot Spring 20 miles Struck the head of Marys River
3 met Black harriis and applegate who had Been to view a new Road to oregon and designed meeting the emigrants to turn them into it travelled 20 miles Tem 88 of Fah.
4 Traveled 17 miles down Marys Rive. Tem. 90
5 This day we came 20 miles sevral diggers [Indians]
6 passed sevral Remarkabley hot Springs 20 miles
7 Came 14 miles
8 ″ 17 miles hot Springs
9 ″ 16 miles
10 ″ 20 miles quit steril[e]
11 ″ 23 miles ″ ″
12 ″ 18 miles Natural Soap
13 ″ 18 miles Salaeratus visited by Large party of Indians
14 Travelled 22 miles (Rain Lightning
15 ″ 20 miles. divergence of new oregon road
17 ″ 25 ″ to day we Suffered for water as the Road Left the River for 14 miles Rain
18 Lay By Joined By Col. Russell of Mo. & 8 others packing Tem. 42 morning 96 noon
19. 20 miles Braught us to the Sink of Marys Riv Vegetation entirely disappear water verry bad
20 traveled all day and all night passed some Boiling Springs quite salt distance 40 miles making 60 miles that 8 of us had 12 gallons of Water Extreme suffering Reached Trucky
21 Lay by all day Tem 100 of Fah.
22 Entered the Siera Nevada or Cascade mts up Trucky vally 15 miles Tem 87 deg of Fah.
23 Traveled 18 miles Bad Road
24 ″ 10 miles came to timber Tem 94 deg Fah
25 Crossed a spur of the mts 12 miles Tem 84.
26 travelled 12 miles good Road Tem 32.
27 ″ 8 miles Trucky Lake Tem 30
28 travelled 1 mile up the worst mountain that waggons ever crossed sevier frost Tern 28
29 got up the mts. Distance 2 miles
30 travelled 3 miles Lay by the Ballance of day
31 ″ 15 miles on top of the mt. Bad Road Tem 22 at day Light & 60 at Sun down
Sept 1 travelled 7 miles Bad Bad Road Bear sign Tem. 40 deg morn
2 traveled 7 miles of distressing Road
3rd ″ 8 miles ove if possable worse Road
4 Lay by to Rest our oxen
5 travled 16 miles principally upon the top of a high Spur of the mountain our Oxen are worn nearly out we have but three that are able to Render service and we have as steep a hill befor us as we have Left behind us Heaven only knows how we are to get Along Our Oxen are almost perishing for food and nothing grows in this hateful valley that will sustain life.
6 Lay by to day as yestardys Long drive has well nigh done for the oxen. We cut down Oak Bushes and trees, for them to Brows on, or such of them, as are able to Stand on their feet.
7 the indians drove off two of Mr. Stanley’s ablest Oxen; tho’ we succeeded in Recapturing one of them We unloaded our waggons and packed the Load near a mile on our horses We then took four of the best yoaks of Oxen and put to the empty waggons with a man at each wheel and by such exertions as I have seldom saw used we got the wagons up one at a time and proceeded about 5 miles grass verry Scarce and dry Our oxen are as near gone as I ever saw oxen to be driven at all
8 This morning we found that the Indians had taken off another one of Stanley’s oxen, it was seen by following the trail that they had taken him up a steep hill and carfully Covered Evry track for the distance of a mile he was taken probably whilst I was on guard. I do not know how he managed to affect this Roguery it must have been very Sly W[e] travelled 11 miles and Stoped at a Small patch of dry grass and no water for the Cattle or horses
9 we traveled 3 miles and Stoped for the day at a Little grass and a hole of water one of Mr. Craigs Best oxen has gave out; the hills have got much Smaller and the Rocks are not so much in the way as on any part of the Road Since we Struck the waters of Trucky River
10 Lay by all day our oxen are so near worn out and our provisions are getting scarce
11 Started on slow went about 6 miles today we had to Leave an ox on the Road
12 we traveled 7 miles and Stopt we are in five miles of the first settlement today we left another ox we have but two oxen to our waggon
13 We this morning got into the Valley and stoped at Cap. Wm. Johnsons Whare we ware Recieved in the most Kind and hospitable manner We made several trades Bought a beef swaped our broak down oxen for fresh ons this day our company Lay by and so for several days distance 5 miles
So Ends my Diary
The Donner Tragedy
“Never take no cut ofs and hury along as fast as you can.”
This advice, penned in an 1847 letter from an overlander to his eastern kin, was based on terrible experience. The writer was one of the emigrant party led west by George Donner in the summer of 1846 with California their goal, but tragedy their eventual destination.
It started easily enough. Although the emigrant party took the name of George Donner, its captain, it was originated by James Reed, a businessman of Springfield, Illinois, who was descended from Polish nobility (his family surname was Reednoski). Reed had been a private in the same company as Abraham Lincoln during the Black Hawk War of 1832, when Illinois troops had driven Sauk Indians from their tribal lands and slaughtered them in the Bad Axe Massacre. Afterwards, Reed had become a manufacturer of cabinet furniture, a farmer and railroad speculator. His wife, Margaret, suffered from “sick headaches”, and it was because of these that he decided to go west, hoping that the climate of California would improve her health. When Reed told his ageing Springfield neighbours the Donner brothers, George and Jacob, that he was heading west, they invited themselves along. So did Hiram Miller and Gersham Keyes. Nine wagons in all left Springfield in early 1846, rolling to Independence, Missouri, their jumping-off point for the wilderness, without incident.
On 12 May 1846 the emigrants, with George Donner as their elected wagonmaster, left the frontier for the trail west. Chimney Rock, Red Buttes, Courthouse Rock and other landmarks came and went in carefree miles. More recruits were picked up along the way, and by the time the Donner party reached the Little Sandy River in Wyoming in late July it numbered some 60 wagons and 300 souls. Here the plans were laid for the remainder of the journey. The Donner brothers had read the Emigrant’s Guide to Oregon and California by the land speculator Lansford W. Hastings, and wanted to take the author’s advice: depart the regular California trail at Fort Bridger, “thence bearing west southwest, to the Salt lake; and thence continuing down to the Bay of St Francisco.” Hastings modestly called this route – which he estimated would reduce the travelling time to California to 120 days – the “Hastings Cutoff”. At the meeting on the Little Sandy, mountain men guides argued against the new trail. As a result, the train split in two. The majority took the usual route via Fort Hall in Idaho; 88 others, under George Donner, headed for Fort Bridger, where Ha
stings had promised to join the Donners and lead them along the Cutoff.
When the party reached Fort Bridger on 3 August 1846, they found that the adventurer was leading another group westward, but had left word that he had marked the trail for them. For good measure, George Donner hired a Fort Bridger guide named Juan Baptiste to pilot the emigrants around the southern end of the Great Salt Lake and to the head of Weber Canyon. There they found a note from Hastings stuck on a stick. It asked them to wait until he could lead them through the Wasatch Range.
So began the first of many fateful delays. After eight days, George Donner sent a messenger to find Hastings. The messenger returned without Hastings but with his instruction to proceed along a new trail. At this point, Juan Baptiste refused to accept any further responsibility and returned to Fort Bridger. After pushing past countless, time-consuming boulders, the party emerged onto the blinding white alkali flats of the Great Salt Lake Desert.
According to Lansford W. Hastings, this parched wasteland would take two days to cross. It took the Donner party almost a week. Behind them in the sand they left most of their valuables, four wagons, and 300 head of oxen and cattle. Paiutes began to raid the stock and the wagons, making it dangerous to leave the train’s vicinity. Hunting had to be abandoned. With food low, it was decided on 18 September to send two men on to Sutter’s Fort in California for supplies. Charles Stanton and William McCrutchen volunteered, and left on fast horses. The rest of the party struggled onwards to the distant Sierras.
By now the emigrants were weak in body and morale. Old man Hardcoop was struck by illness and left to die by the side of the road. Arguments and bickering broke out constantly. A man named Wolfinger was murdered. James Reed quarrelled with the driver of another family, John Snyder, when their wagons became entangled on a grade. Snyder attacked Reed with his whip; Reed drew a blade in self-defence and killed him. Reed was banished to the desert alone, unarmed and on foot (although his family and friends secretly supplied him with a horse and rifle).