The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-20
Horrible Suffering upon the Plains.


Mr.. John NJ. Guthrie returned from Salt
Lake City few days since, and gave the
UeekEv Platte 4rqus the following account
of the horrible sufferings which he and his
companions had endured from the cold
weather on the plains and in the mountains:
Mr.. G.. left Salt Lake City on the 9th of
November with the mail on packed animals,
in company with G.. A. Beardly, of New
York 1t had been showing for seven or
eight days before Mr.. G. left the valley
The snow was from one to six feet deep in
the Big Mountains and they had to tramp
the snow to pass with their animals. Second
day out the snow was SO deep that the COM
pany got lost and lay out all night and the
men in charge of the mail had their feet and
hands frozen, and the boots had to be
cut off their feet the next morning.
The third day they made Bridger at SIM
set, and after travelling about twenty miles
got lost again, and were compelled again to
lay down in the snow till morning. Fourth
day they made Big Sandy Station, and tra-
veled twenty miles, wind blowing from the
east. The storm increased SO as to prevent
them from seeing FIVE feet ahead, and COM
PEELED them again to lay up. They camped
in a hollow, and during the night snow
drifted on them to the depth of three feet.
Here the whole company almost troze.-
Mr.. G.. states that his feet and legs were so
numb as to be almost unable to stand up.
The mail men having no bedding were COM
pelled to walk around all night to keep
from freezing. Fifth day-left early in the
morning-traveled eight miies-one of the
mail men face and hands froze, and the
other was SO far troze as to bealmost asleep.
Mr. G. here finding that the men would
freeze, took them off and made them walk.
They then turned and went back twenty
eight miles to Big Sandy. The next day the
wind ceased, and they started in company
with Mr.. Ashton, the mail agent. They
reached the South Pass at dark.
Here the wind raised again. the snow
being driftcd from five to ten feet deep, and
they again became lost-for three or four
hours they wandered around in hope to
find the road, and their only hopes was to
face the wind in order to reach the Sweet
Water, which they did. They then attempt
ed to travel down this stream but the drifted
snow was so deep as to be impassable-
They camped, and Mr.. Ashton froze one of
his feet while in the bed
In the morning they left mules, mail and
all, and took it afoot down Sweet Water on
the ice. Mr.. Ashton begged to be left in
the bed, as they had to cut the boots off his
| feet. Mr.. G. pulled off his buffalo moca-
sins and put them on Mr. Ashton leaving
his feet with only deer skin mocassn on.
| The whole company concluded their time
was growing short, but, like heroes, made a
desperate effort-part of the time carrying
| Mr.. Ashton. They reached station about
! ten miles distant. They then had some
| hope of making the trip, although the Their
mometer stood twenty-seven degrees below
zero. Mr.. Sanders, the surveyor on the new
| road south of Laramei, had Mr.. Miller sta
| toned ut this place, with Barometer and
| Thermometer, in order to take notes of the
weather. The oldest mountaineers-on i'll
! particular who lives close by the station,
states that it was the cOldest weather they
had experienced for thirty years.
They ilett Mr. Ashton after laying over
three or four days. While here the st. Jo-
seph mail arrived-Mr. Garvis, the Indian
agent for the Snakes, coming through with
| it. They had nine mules frozen around
their camp fire, some within two feet of the
fire. The men had all their hands and feet
frozen, and lay four days within eight miles
| of the station, unable to get in. Here Ma
jors and Russell had ten men frozen to death
They attempted to follow the train, and be.
| came lost and froze. While here the Sal
Lake mail of Dec. 4th, overlook Mr.. G.
and having no men to send with the mail
Mr.. G. took charge of it and brought it to
Laramie, where he met an agent having
men. Mr.. G. took the coach, in company
with four other passengers below Laramie
they had but little snow, and the roads
were good most OF the time. They fount
men at almost every station on the road
frozen.