The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-08-17
WHOLE NO. ss7.
EMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA.

| EMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA. g.s
The Western Exposition, Of "Wednesday
last, contains letter written by Peter Quiy-
vey, Of Jackson county, who went ont last
year with a company of emigrants to Califor-
MIA. This letter is dated on the 9th of
March last, at Lower Puebla. The writer ar
rived at the first settlement in California on
the 18th of October, after very long and
tiresome journey. Very soon after their ar
rival Ia California hearing of the revolution,
and that the American colors were raised,
these emigrants enlisted as volunteers in a
regiment formed under Col. Fremont, with
the promise of twenty-five dollars per month
-sergeants, thirty-fve. He speaks very ia!
vorable of the country which he has passed,
and says, that if he we're now back in Mis-
souri, with his family, and with his. present
kpowedge Of the country, he would not hes
itate 10 move there. The charms of the
country must be very great 10 counterbalance
the difficulties which the emigrants encoun-
Ter in getting there, and Of which he gives
some account in this! 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 emf
grants, 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 composed oftwenty-three
wagons, and left Indian 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 Cal
ifornia 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. Fear
ing starvation, sixteen of the strongest (elev-
Ell males and five females) aggreedto start
TO the settlements on foot, after wandering
about number of days, bewildered, 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 az
this time the weaker began to die, which
rendered the taking of life unnecessary. As
they died, the company went into camp and
made meat of the dead bodies of their COM
panions. Nine of the men died, and seven
were eaten. One of the men was carried to
Johnson's on the back of an Indian. From
this statement it would seem that the woman
endured the hardshps 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 as it may seem, tits
stated that one of the women was obliged
to eat part of the dead body of her father
and brother, and another saw her husbands
heart cooked! 1t ought 10 be very fine
country to justify an exposure to such suffer-
ings and horrors.
Benjamin Hudspeth had been appointed
Captain Of company in the California Bat
talon, with salary of $l20 per month.
This writer says that Gen. Kearneylwas
then Governor and Commander-in-C Chief OF
Upper and Lower Calfornia.-St Louis Re-
publican.