Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-08-04
Emigration to California.

The Western Expositor, of Wednesday
last, contains a letter written by Peter
Quivvey, Of Jackson county, who went out
last year with a company of emigrants to
California. This letter is dated on the
Gath of March last, at Lower Puebla. The
writer arrived at the first settlement in Cal
ifornia on the 18th of October, after very
long and tiresome journey. Very soon of:
ter their arrival in California, hearing of
the revolution, and that the American col
ors were raised, these emigrants enlisted
as volunteers in regiment formed under
Col Fremont, with the promise of twenty
five dollars per month-sergeants, thirty
five. He speaks very favorable Of the
country over which he has passed, and says,
that if he were now back in Missouri with
his family, and with his present knowledge
of the coantry, he would not hesitate to
move there. The charms of the country
must be very great to counterbalance the
difficulties which the emigrants encounter
in getting there, and of which he gives
some account in this letter. He went out
with Moran and Boon, who changed their
minds on the"route, and went to Oregon.
Gov. Boggs reached California about the
same time Mr.. Quivvey did, after much
difficulty, having lost his cattle. A party
Of emigrants, who went out or started with
Col. Russell, suffered almost incredible
hardships in the mountains last winter,
having been prevented from crossing them
by the snow. This company was COM
posed of twenty three wagons, and left In
dian Creek on the 18th day Of May, 1916.
About month previous to the date of
the letter, five women and two men arrived
at Captain Johnson's, the first house of the
California settlements, entirely naked, and
their feet frost bitten. They stated, that
their company had arrived at Truckey's
Lake, on the east side of the mountains,
and found the snow so deep they could not
travel. Fearing starvation, sixteen Of the
(eleven males and five fernales)
agreed to start for the settlements on foot
after wandering about a number of days,
bewildereded, their provisions gave out.
Long hunger made it necessary to cast lots
to see who should be sacrificed, to make
food for the rest; but at this time the weak
er began to die, which rendered the taking
of life unnecessary. AS they died, the
went into camp and made meat
Of the dead bodies Of their companions.
Nine of the men died, and seven were eat.
en-. One Of the men was carried to John
sons on the back of an Indian. From
this statement it would seem that the wo-
man endured the hardships better than the
men, as none Of them died. The company
left behind numbered sixty souls, ten Of
them men, the others women and children.
They were in camp about one hundred
miles from Johnson's. Revolving Us it
may seem, it is stated that one of the wo-
men was obliged to eat part of the dead
body of her father and brother, and another
saw her husbands heart cooked! 1t ought
% be very fine country to justify an ex-
oosure to such suferings and horrors.
Benjamin Hudspeth had been appointed
Captain of a company in the California
Battalion, with salary of $l20 per month.
This writer says that Gen. Kearney was
hen Governor and Commander-in Chief
If Upper and Lower California
Louis Republican.