Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-07-22
DELAWARE, OHIO, FRIDAY, JULY %. 1870.

vas heart-slckening and wofulin the ex
rene; while the living, with their hol
Ow eyes and shrunEen forms, appearet
more like spectres than human beings
fhastly skeletons, stripped of flesh, an,
jodies half devoured, lay strewn arounC
he dismal cabins, from which issued
tifling fetor. Not only were their bod
IS enfeebled and emaciated to the las
iegree, but with many the very soul hac
1ecome a desolation. While some vel
,oned their deliverers with ecstasies O
oy, others, gloomy and cadaverous, re
.arded them with a COldness amountin;
tlmost to Indifference, they having be
come not only reconciled to their canni
nalistic diet, but preferring it to whole
some food when set before them. Mons
-rous as It may seem, to such an eXten
| lad the natural tastes of some of thesf
people become perverted that the,
pushed aside the -four and bacon ten
iered them, choosing rather to partakt
IF the horrid feast to which they had 81
long been accustomed Parents wert
seen feeding on the remains of their chill.
| dren, and children on those of their par
| snts. Here wife was broiling on tht
Goals the flesh of her husband and else
where company were making a repast
upon the roasted limb of a dead com
panion. All ilial and parental affection
seemed dead, the one instinct of self
| preservation reigning- supreme. Rapid
| ly some of those most wretcled Great
ures were being transformed into ghouE
and demons, having already lost many
of the diviner traits of humanity Hag-
gard and attenuated, they spoke but lit
| tie, while their looks and demeanor were
wild and unearthly
| Too incredible for belief are the sto
| ries told of the ravenous greed exhibited
! by some of these starving wretches, one
of whom is said to have eaten the entire
body Of child during the course of a
/ single night while another insisted on
| appropriating TO his own use the hearts
| and other viscera of his dead compan
/ ions. On the other hand, many refused
to touch the flesh of those who had per-
ished until the very last and then par
took Of It sparingly, and with evident
feelings of horror. The different phases
which the sufferings of these people ex |
hibited, and the manner in which they
met their doom, wele peculiar to each. |
Some, bowling in meek resignation, pass !
ed calmly away. Some, their counte- |
nances radiant with divine aspirations. |
died singing songs of triumph and praise
Some bewailed their hard lot with loud |
lamentations and tears of anguish; while |
others, shrinking from notice, perished !
in stolid and gloomy silence A few |
rayed wildly, reproaching themselves, |
upbraiding others, or impiously cursing |
God for their fate. Some, arousing from |
dreamy stupor would talk incoherent-
ly of the bountiful tables and the green |
fields they had seen; or perhaps, address |
absent friends as present, in the most
tender and affectionate language In /
some cases, Just before death, the men /
tai faculties would appear to expand and /
attain to a wonderful exaltation. The |
things of earth faded softly away, and in
their place delectable visions arose in
unclouded splendor. All that had per
picked them in years gone by was mi
raculously explained, and the things of |
the long-forgotten past brought viyidly
before them. The pangs Of hunger
seemed already allayed-the soul having
become SO nearly disembodied as to no
longer recognize the wants of its earthly /
tabernacle.
Unable to take all with them, the res
cuing party selected such as were most
desirous of going, or as seemed to have
the strongest claims on their sympathy, /
and started on their return over the |
mountains, leaving twenty-uire behind
all of whom, or at least as many as were
still found alive, were afteTward taken
out by other parties sent in for the pur-
pose, and the first of whom reached the
snow-beleaguered camp of the sufferers
on the Ist day of March. This party,
taking with them seventeen of the immi-
grants, selecting them as had been done
before, hastened back with all expedi-
ton. A snow-storn coming on, they
were compelled to leave all but three
children on the road, these having been
packed out on their shoulders.
As soon as the weather would permit,
the company left behind was sent for
Three of their number were dead when
the relief-par reached them, and the
remainder were found sustaining their
lives on the flesh of those who had per-
ished. These, together with the remnant
before left in camp-exCepting three Of
their number-were now properly fed
and cared for; after which they were
safely conducted over the mountains,
into California.
The three persons left behind consist
ed of George Donner, Captain of the
emigration party his wife, Mary, and
Louis Keisburgh-the two men being
too weak to travel over the mountains.
OF all the incidents connected with
these terrific sufferings, the parting of
Mrs. Donner with her children is de-
scribed as having been the most deeply
affecting. The last rescuing party had
arrived at the camp where she, her hus-
band, and their children were stopping.
Mrs. Donner, naturally vigorous, and in
the bloom of life, was still strong, and
well able to travel, as were also her
children But the husband and father,
owing to the exertions he had made to
save others, was now so completely pros
trated as to be unable to stand, or even
sit up ; and his deliverers had no means
for carrying him. He must therefore,
necessarily, be left behind. And now
the wife and mother had to choose be-
tween remaining, and perishing with him,
or accompanying her children to place
of safety and abundance. 1t was repre-
sented to her that but little food could
be left for the use of those remaining,
and that it would be a long time before
any more could be sent in from Califor-
MIA. To stay there was to die; while to
90, was to abandon one to whom she
was bound by the strongest ties of duty
and affection, in the hour Of his direst
extremity.
There was no time to be lost-none
for dalliance or delay. The provisions
of the relief-party were scanty, and the
days were short. Already the noon was
passed, and the shadows of the great
Sierra were beginning to fall over them.
The winter climate, in these elevated re-
gions, was tickle, and, even then. the old
nountaineer who headed the party dis
covered in the atmosphere the signs of a
gathering storm. They must, therefore,
up and away. The children must be
mounted on the backs of the men, and
the adults hurried off. 1t was necessary /
that this poor woman should make up
her mind quickly Her children clung |
to her; and her husband counseled her
to go. If she remained, it would only |
be to sacrifice her own life, without be-
ing able to save his and their children
would need her care and her presence. |
She was almost persuaded that it was
her duty to go with them. But how