Breen diary: "monday 14 fine morning sunshine cleared off last night about 12 Oclock wind E.S.E. dont thaw much but fair for a continuance of fair weather"
KEY: [Day -2] = Day 0/0 = Daily miles/Cum. miles Weather: Clear and fair, rather warm; wind ESE, little thaw; had snowed 5 days straight Dec 9-13: 8' deep
Hunger pangs, urge to do something but snow was simply too deep (8'). Also waiting for compass. So waited another day.
Enter story info here
Breen diary: "Tuesday 15th still Continues fine W.S.W" In her 1891 article Across the Plains in the Donner Party in Century Magazine, Virginia Reed wrote: Baylis Williams, who had been in delicate health before we left Springfield, was the first to die; he passed away before starvation had really set in.
Again, little thaw, snow too deep and still no compass so continue to wait.
Enter story info here
Enter story info here
Sarah Fosdick, Mary Graves, William Foster, Sarah Foster, Charles Stanton, William Graves, Sr., Jay Fosdick, William Murphy, Harriet Pike, Lemuel Murphy, Patrick Dolan, the Miwok Indians Luis and Salvador, Mrs. McCutchen, William Eddy, Antonio, and Karl "Dutch Charlie" Burger. [Two of those without snowshoes, Dutch Charlie and young, 10-year-old, William Murphy, turned back the first day.]
Breen diary: "wed’d 16th fair & pleasant froeze hard last night & the Company started on snow shoes to cross the mountains wind S-E looks pleasant" Reed: Dec 16, 1846.--Started from the cabins, in all, fifteen persons, (the names of the persons were as follows: Mr. Graves, Patrick Dolen, Jay Fosdick, C.F. Stanton, Antonio, a Mexican, Lemuel Murphy, Lewis and Salvadore, Indians, Wm. H. Eddy, Wm. Foster, Mrs. McCutchem, Mrs. Fosdick, Miss Mary Graves, Mrs. Foster and Mrss Pike,) on snow shoes, for the California settlements;--traveled four miles, and arrived at the head of Truckey’s lake. Sinclair: On the sixteenth of December, expecting that they would be able to reach the settlements in ten days, Messrs. Graves, Fosdick, Dolan, Foster, Eddy, Stanton, L. Murphy, (aged thirteen,) Antonio, a New Mexican; with Mrs. Fosdick, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Pike, Mrs. McCutcheon, and Miss M. Graves, and the two Indians before mentioned, having prepared themselves with snow-shoes, again started on their perilous undertaking, determined to succeed or perish. Those who have ever made an attempt to walk with snow-shoes will be able to realize the difficulty they experienced. On first starting, the snow being so light and loose, even with their snow-shoes, they sank twelve inches at every step; however, they succeeded in traveling about four miles that day. Thornton described their departure: The night previous to their departure was exceedingly cold. Their friends were in a state of extreme suffering and want. The hollow cheek, the wasted form, and the deep sunken eyes of his wife, Mr. Eddy told me he should never forget. Oh, said he, the bitter anguish of my wrung and agonized spirit, when I turned away from her; and yet no tear would flow to relieve my suffering. ... Charles Burger was missed, and it was supposed that he had gone back. They struggled on until night, and encamped at the head of Truckee lake, about four miles from the mountain. On May 22d, 1847, twenty year old Mary Graves wrote a letter to Levi Fosdick, the father of her brother-in-law Jay Fosdick: On the 16th of December 15 of us had snow shoes prepared; and we started with 8 pounds poor beef each, to endeavor to cross the mountains to reach the settlement, and procure assistance. The distance was 150 miles. Mary Murphy, who was thirteen at the time, gave an account many years later to Mr. S. Hunt of Marysville: A few weeks later Mr. Graves came to our place to talk with Mother. I remember him saying, I’ve just finished making seventeen pairs of snowshoes out of wagon bows and oxhide. If the strongest set out on foot, we could make it. That will leave what food there is left for the children and the weaker company members. Are there any in your cabin, Mrs. Murphy, that want to go? It is our only choice. Of the eight of us in the cabin, Mother, who was going blind and needed attention, nevertheless dispatched Sarah, Harriet and Lemuel, leaving us babies as well as Mr. McCutcheon’s child, for she was going to join the party. On February 9, 1896, William Murphy gave a lecture at Truckee, as reported in the Marysville Appeal: History states how the Forlorn Hope Party started to find the way across the mountains, after several great snow storms; how I started with them, making sixteen souls, besides another who came back and how I could not keep on top of the snow without snowshoes. They thought that as I was so small and light, I could walk in their snow shoe tracks. It soon became manifest that I could not, so I went back. Thirteen year old Virginia Reed wrote a letter on May 16, 1847 to her cousin Mary: it would snow 10 days before it would stop thay wated tell it stoped & started again I was a goieng with them & I took sick & could not go on--thare was 15 started
The accounts of Eddy/Sinclair, Reed and Thorton differ somewhat, with Thornton differing the most from the other two. I include the Reed and Sinclair versions for each day, supplemented by details from Thornton and other sources.
Firm crust on snow surface, fine, clear day. This is what they were waiting for in order not to become burdened down in the deep powder. Donned heavy flannel, linen shirtsm woolen coats and cloaks. Wool socks and battered boots. Some with wool trousers, shirts and hats. All had scarfs too. Makeshift packs with blankets, coffee, sugar, tobacco, 8 lbs dried beef for each; six days of provisions required to reach Johnson's Ranchm, believed to be 40 or so miles away [actually was 75M following Overland Trail]. Charlie Burger and William Murphy with no snowshoes give up and return to camp. The rest camped at base of Donner Pass in the forest beneath the boulders above.
Firm crust on snow surface, fine, clear day. This is what they were waiting for in order not to become burdened down in the deep powder. Donned heavy flannel, linen shirtsm woolen coats and cloaks. Wool socks and battered boots. Some with wool trousers, shirts and hats. All had scarfs too. Makeshift packs with blankets, coffee, sugar, tobacco, 8 lbs dried beef for each; six days of provisions required to reach Johnson's Ranchm, believed to be 40 or so miles away [actually was 75M following Overland Trail]. Charlie Burger and William Murphy with no snowshoes give up and return to camp. The rest camped at base of Donner Pass in the forest beneath the boulders above.
Enter story info here
Baylis Williams was an employee of the Reeds, as was Milford Milt Elliott. Noah James was one of the Donners’ teamsters.
Enter story info here
Enter story info here
Next day they faced the pass itself. With their snow-shoes, their wintry costumes, and the packs on their shoulders, they reminded Mary Graves, toiling in the rear, of some picture she had seen of a Norwegian fur-company on the ice pack. The climb was heart-breaking work, but sometimes they could get along without snow-shoes as they worked gingerly up the bare, slick rock-surfaces where snow would not lie. At the top some one jested, a bit grimly, that they were about as close to heaven as they could get. Nevertheless, some of them admired the magnificent scene which lay unrolled as they looked back to the east over the now frozen lake, past the smoke of the cabins, and on to the distant mountains beyond. A few steps westward, and that whole vista sank from view. That night they camped, exhausted, a little west of the pass, estimating that they had made sue miles. The snow was twelve feet deep.
Easy going the first mile, but moving through large boulders and deep drifts [10-12' deep] proved challenging. As grade steepened they stopped more frequently gasping for air. Tough climb and softening snow led to heavy perspireing and soaking clothes. Plus snow blindness becoming an issue. By late afternoon they cleared the pass. Just west of the summit they built a fire and stopped for the nite.
Breen diary: "Thursd. 17th Pleasant sunshine today wind about S-E bill Murp returned from the Mountain party last evening Bealis died last night before last Milt. & Noah went to Donnor 8 days since not returned yet, thinks they got lost in the snow J Denton here today" Reed:17th.--Crossed the great chain. Sinclair: On the seventeenth they crossed the divide, with considerable difficulty and fatigue, making about five miles, the snow on the divide being twelve feet deep. Thornton wrote: The day following they resumed their painful and distressing journey; and after traveling all day, encamped on the west side of the main chain of the Sierra Nevada, about six miles from their last camp. They were without tents. Sinclair’s five miles or Thornton’s six miles would have brought the snowshoers to the west end of Summit Valley. More likely after ascending 1,200 feet of deep snow and crossing the divide they camped in the east end of the valley, a distance of three miles. Sinclair’s statement of February, 1847, included the snowshoe party’s account of the missing Milt Elliot and Noah James, and of the Donners at Alder Creek: During the interval between this last attempt and the next, there came on a storm, and the snow fell to a depth of eight feet. In the midst of the storm, two young men started to go to another party of emigrants, (twenty-four in number,) distant about eight miles, who it was known at the commencement of the storm, had no cabins built, neither had they killed their cattle, as they still had hopes of being able to cross the mountains. As the two young men never returned, it is supposed they perished in the storm; and it is the opinion of those who have arrived here, that the party to whom they were going must have all perished.Baylis Williams was an employee of the Reeds, as was Milford Milt Elliott. Noah James was one of the Donners’ teamsters. Sinclair’s statement of February, 1847, included the snowshoe party’s account of the missing Milt Elliot and Noah James, and of the Donners at Alder Creek: During the interval between this last attempt and the next, there came on a storm, and the snow fell to a depth of eight feet. In the midst of the storm, two young men started to go to another party of emigrants, (twenty-four in number,) distant about eight miles, who it was known at the commencement of the storm, had no cabins built, neither had they killed their cattle, as they still had hopes of being able to cross the mountains. As the two young men never returned, it is supposed they perished in the storm; and it is the opinion of those who have arrived here, that the party to whom they were going must have all perished. In about 1880, Mary Graves wrote a letter to C.F. McGlashan describing this day: We had a very slavish day’s travel, climbing to the divide. Nothing of interest occurred until reaching the summit. The scenery was too grand for me to pass without notice, the changes being so great; walking now on the loose snow, and now stepping on a hard, slick rock a number of hundred yards in length. Being a little in the rear of the party, I had a chance to observe the company ahead, trudging along with packs on their backs. It reminded me of some Norwegian fur company among the icebergs. My shoes were ox-bows, split in two, and rawhide strings woven in, something in form of the old-fashioned, split-bottom chairs. Our clothes were of the bloomer costume, and generally were made of flannel. Well do I remember a remark of one of the company made here, that we were about as near heaven as we could get. We camped a little on the west side of the summit the second night.
Enter story info here
Enter story info here
Enter story info here
On the third day they had the advantage of a slightly downhill course. Nevertheless, the strain of two days of constant labor without sufficient food was beginning to tell on them. And they now faced another enemy, for as they crossed the treeless expanse of Summit Valley the white surface dazzling in the sun brought on snow-blindness. Brave little Stanton was the worst affected; he was the weakest, too, and gradually fell behind, out of sight. The emigrant trail was of course buried deep under the snow, but even though Stanton failed, the Indians knew the way. Who could miss it in any case? For the great, broad valley of the Yuba ran straight ahead toward the west. Snow flurries broke upon them with a cold wind blowing furiously. Again they estimated six miles when they camped without Stanton. An hour later he struggled in.
Slogged thru valley/meadow in deep powder. Moving SW past valley, skirted a high granite peak then descending slowly towards a cluster of frozen lakes. By late afternoon Stanton begins to lag behind. Reach cluster of conifers and start a fire. Stanton straggles in last, snow blinded and exhausted.
Six miles would have brought the snowshoers through Summit Valley, south of present Old Highway 40,and along the ridge to present Cascade Lake. Today this section of the Emigrant Trail is part of the Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Area, and the groomed trail is still called Emigrant Trail. It leads from the upper end of Summit Valley across Soda Springs Road and along the County Road to a warming hut just above Cascade Lake.
Breen diary: "Frid. 18 beautiful day sky Clear it would be delightful were it not for the snow lying so deep thaws but little on the south side of shanty saw no strangers today from any of the shantys" Reed: 18th.--Descended Juba creek about six miles; commenced snowing; wind blowing cold and furiously Sinclair: The next day they made six miles Thornton’s account: On the 18th they traveled five miles, and encamped. Mr. Stanton became snow-blind during the day, and fell back, but came up after they had been in camp an hour.
Enter story info here
Enter story info here
Rosen: Five miles would have brought the snowshoers down the slope from present Cascade Lake to the Yuba River at Donner Trail School (west of Kingvale), and along the Yuba Bottoms to present Hampshire Rocks campground.
Enter story info here
The fourth day repeated the third. Fierce squalls of snow swept down on them; it grew so cold that their feet started freezing. Stanton still lagged. In their weakened condition they began to fall prey to hallucinations. Mary Graves saw haze in a gorge to the right. The others assured her that it was merely mist, but she insisted that it was smoke, and even made them fire the gun for a signal. Five miles was the most that they could do. By this night they were down somewhere near Yuba Bottoms, under the high dome of Cisco Butte.
Snow ceases by noon, clear skies and snow blindness again an issue. To the south glaciated granite peaks and to the north the Yuba River. Trudge due W following the sun. In PM stumble down into deep blue shadows lying alongside the frigid bottomlands beside the Yuba River and made camp. Stanton is dazed and exhausted and arrives an hour after everyone else.
Breen diary: "Sa.td 19 Snowd last night commenced about 11 Oclock Squalls of wind with snow at intervals this morning thawing wind N. by W alittle Singular for a thaw may Continue, it Continues to Snow Sun Shining cleared off Towards evening: Reed: 19th.--Storm continued; feet commenced freezing. Sinclair:... and, on the nineteenth five, it having snowed all day. Thornton’s account: December 19.--Although the wind was from the northwest, yet the snow which had fallen the previous night, thawed alittle. Mr. Stanton again fell behind, in consequence of blindness. He came up an hour after they were encamped.
Enter story info here
The fifth morning was clear with a cold wind from the northeast. They left the river and struggled uphill four miles to the divide. Stanton came in about an hour late, as before. On this fifth night they were camping not far from the place at which Reed and McCutchen had turned back five weeks before, and there they were only about five miles from the cache of beef and flour which the two fathers had left at Curtis’s wagon in Bear Valley. But they of course knew nothing of all that. So far they had got along well enough, and had made the five miles a day upon which they had counted. But they must now have begun to realize that even at Bear Valley they would not be out of the snow. From its depth at the place where they were, they could only suppose that the snow belt must still extend ahead of them for many miles. They saw about them, even from points of look-out, only heavily forested mountains, deep in snow. Their packs contained food for only one more day.
Enter story info here
Rosen: Sinclair’s eight miles would have brought the snowshoers down the Yuba River past Cisco Butte, where the Trail left the river and ascended to the south side of a peak overlooking the river (shown as point 6241’ on the USGS topo map), and past present Crystal Lake to Sixmile Valley. The mileages may be reconciled if Reed’s four miles is taken as the miles after leaving the Yuba. A more important discrepancy is that Reed does not record Stanton’s disappearance until the next day.
Enter story info here
Party moves down the Yuba River as Sarah and MaryAnn hang back to fix problem with MA's snowshoes. As MA leaves she sees Stanton sitting back against a tree, smoking his pipe calmly. MA asks if he is coimng. He replies, "Yes, I'll join you shortly." He did not get up and was never seen again. His bones were found 5 mo. later in a hollow stump near the same spot. The party traveled down Yuba toward Cisco Butte. There they left the river, turning S to climb and cross E flank of another peak, then turning W again. Crossed bridges of snow 12-15' deep over streams. Pass springs laying 20-25' deep at the bottoms. In PM finally descended into flat piece of terrain now called Six Mile Valley. Made camp setting fire to dry tree, wondered when Stanton would arrive and if they were still on the correct path. A huge storm was brewing in the upper atmosphere unbeknowst to them.
Breen diary: "Sund.20 night clear froze alittle now clear & pleasant wind N W thawing alittle Mrs Reid here. no account of Milt yet Dutch Charley started for Donnghs turned back not able to proceed tough times, but not discouraged our hopes are in God Amen [Dutch Charley was Karl Burger the Keseberg’s teamster.]" Reed: 20th.--Left Juba; traveled four miles. Sinclair: On the twentieth the sun rose clear and beautiful, and cheered by its sparkling rays, they pursued their weary way. From the first day, Mr. Stanton, it appears, could not keep up with them, but had always reached their camp by the time they got their fire built, and preparations made for passing the night. This day they had travelled eight miles, and encamped early; and as the shades of evening gathered round them, many an anxious glance was cast back through the deepening gloom for Stanton; but he came not. Thornton agrees with Reed about Stanton:The wind on the 20th was from the northeast. In the morning they resumed their journey, and guided by the sun, as they had hitherto been, they traveled until night. Mr. Stanton again fell behind. Thornton’s statement that they were guided by the sun suggests that Stanton’s letter of December 9 to the Donners was carried by the missing Milt Elliott and Noah James. In the letter Stanton asked to borrow a compass, which likely was with the missing men. Today, the trail past Crytstal Lake is part of the NACO West campground trail system south of Yuba Gap. The trail to the camp in Sixmile Valley is part of the Eagle Mountain Nordic cross-country trail system. At Cascade Lake, nine miles east of Sixmile Valley, a sign states that Charles Stanton’s grave is nearby, but this is incorrect. According to all three versions of the snowshoe party, Stanton camped with the party along the Bottoms of the Yuba River which is past Cascade Lake.
Enter story info here
Enter story info here
From the west end of Six Mile Valley, the trail descended almost due west to a small valley below a low spot on a ridge, Emigrant Gap. The ridge separates the American River drainage (on the SE) from the Bear River drainage (on the NW). A short climb to the Gap would have brought the Snowshoe Party to the obvious 700’ descent into Bear Valley. As noted by Reed, the Snowshoers did not keep to the west, but turned south, towards the NF of the American River. The Snowshoe Party most likely descended the NF of the North Fork of the American River, and camped in or near present Onion Valley.
Enter story info here
Reed: Went down the mountain in a southerly direction; provisions exhausted; Stanton snow blind; he did not reach camp at night Sinclair: Before morning the weather became stormy, and at daylight they started and went about four miles, when they encamped, and agreed to wait and see if Stanton would come up; but that night his place was again vacant by their cheerless fire, while he, I suppose, had escaped from all further suffering, and lay wrapped in his ’winding sheet of snow’--’His weary wand’rings and his travels o’er.’
The morning of their sixth day broke. It was Monday, the twenty-first of December, the shortest day of the year. Christmas week! That morning Eddy dug into his little pack to see if there were not something which he could leave behind to lighten his load still further. To his amazement he found half a pound of bear’s meat. To it was attached a bit of paper bearing a note written in pencil and signed “Your own dear Eleanor.” She had robbed her own insufficient stores to save her husband, and in the note she urged him to cherish her gift for the last extremity; some feeling told her, she wrote, that it would be the means of saving his life. But by this sixth morning one member of the company was finished. Little Stanton, who had once been in the warm, safe valley of the Sacramento, who had come back that the women and children might be fed, who had three times led the way across the pass in the snow—Stanton was through. Fatigue, snow-blindness, and slow starvation had worn him down. He had made his mistakes, but he had lived as a hero; it remained to die as a gentleman. That morning as his companions were setting out, he sat by the camp-fire smoking his pipe. Mary Graves approached, and asked if he was coming. “Yes,” he said, “I am coming soon.” They went on. Stanton’s chivalry had spared them any qualms about deserting him. Nevertheless his loss almost immediately brought difficulties. He had doubtless trusted to the Indians to guide them through, but to follow an unmarked trail across snow-covered mountains, especially when they had traversed it only once before and then in the opposite direction, was entirely too much of a task for these half-civilized Indians of the plains. Moreover this section of the trail followed no river course or marked ridge, but worked along and across the valleys of small streams. Each of these began by flowing west and looked as if offering the proper route, but they all soon bore off subtly to the south, leading not toward Bear Valley, only a day’s march distant, but toward the canyon scarred, tangled country along the American. It was a perfect place for getting lost. And almost immediately they made a mistake. Instead of keeping well up on the slope and working along it, they turned off and went downhill toward the south and away from Bear Valley. On this day they used up the last of their provisions. At night Stanton did not come in.
Luis & Salvador hold westward direction. MA Graves looks down into deep gorge to north, see smoke in the air. In PM, discuss turning back; leave westward end of SMV, approached low ridge to NW, turned left (mistake) to south, skirting ridge and following terrain leading invitingly downhill. Sunset 4:39p
Enter story info here
We'd love to hear from you. Please send questions or feedback to the below email addresses.
Before contacting us, you may wish to visit our FAQs page which has lots of useful info on Tiki-Toki.
We can be contacted by email at: hello@tiki-toki.com.
You can also follow us on twitter at twitter.com/tiki_toki.
If you are having any problems with Tiki-Toki, please contact us as at: help@tiki-toki.com
Close