The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-31
STARVED ON THE PLAINS.
THE MEWORIBLB DONNER- REED
ENpEUIIION or 1919.
Spovhaund in the Sierra- The Trrnchrr0us
vnruu ,z-Trsiug TO KccrO-s the Moun-
tniu.- Dtnry OF "a sufferer Cunuibnli-ni--
forty Emigrnnta Dying at Hunger.

tnius- Diary Ot "a SUFFERER I NHNinHil-Ht-
forty Emigrnnts Dying al Humger'
1,on no San iyancisco c1roRtie
Probably no event OF similar character
ever 81 red the feelings uf tho earlier sVttlcts ~
the west. and particularly chose living in IN.
noia ,nn did tne TRAGIC en0inR of the iiced and
DINNER expectation to C,lifurul IN lsj. he
pecd and Ceorge nd Jacob Donnrr KIND ami
open hearted men, vet ut TOLD nj cnerg, tc
dispositions, lhey hnd come win th'if nli0
into Illinois or snort time after i's hnui,-
canon county, not lar from Sirinehcid. ~ lot'
vsrue reports would Occasion lly fe en- th,t VI
OF the climate of the FAR West. and especially OIL
tho land known as California, ana these began
TO create a restless spirit among the settler.
Peed and the Donncrs called meetings OF their
neighbors, and induced many To- JON the pro
posed expedition. winch iin Nv leit Sptii Rhcih
on the morning ~ April II, 1915. The parry mum
bpred about forty persons. twO-thifds OF whom
Al Indeoendence Mo-, the nnal preparations
! for crossing the plains we're to he made IhcV
were Joined there by plru from il'dn3 l ioWn,
y Tennessee. Missouri, aud ono, ~, lilng the
q original number to nearly one hundred rttson~.
As all know, II was necessary al that perioa Tor
persons crossing the pltins 10 traVel IN larHe
bodies. As the Indians were very hostile. Again.
n WAS never safe TO set Iorth ON such Journey
until the grass was OF unicient growth TO .hord
sustenance for the Stock. Every hing being In
readiness. extra W lgons nllcd with provisions,
&c, the company depTtcd from Independence
early on the morning OF May II. 1876 upon their
long and weary journey.
All went well until they arrived at point a
few miles above the mouth 81 the Big Bluo
river. the spot where Manhattan. Kansas. now
stands. The party continued its journey up the
Platte river valley. On. sing Fort Laramie. aud at
last reached Fort BridgVr without serious mis-
hDp. SO far the tfip had occupied the entire
summer, aud the month Of September was well
AZ Fort Brideer the expedition tarrIcd four
days to rest man and beast. IL WIS nero that
they met with an act ~ TIRE lcherv which un-
inent guide OF that period, one llastings, had
discovered more direct toute to California.
known "a Hastings Cut-ol IL passed through
Wa,,r g.An 10, ttsaa - a.
about where salt Lake CITY now stands. and
was 800 or 4D miles snorter than the old roHte.
But 1t was fraught with SO many difficulties and
dangers that II WIS safer 10 travel by the north.
wes ern trail 1t was the intention OF the Reed
and Bonner party To take the old route nut
one Vasqusz, who was in command OF the fort,
and who was in some manner connected with
the Hastiug Cutoff, urged Reed and his party to
take the new route. telling them that II was
much safer and that they would reach their
destination many weeks earlier. Reed and his
friends agreed upon the Hastings route, and
started once more upon their journey.
Reaching the present site " salt Lake city,
the first great obstacle presented itself. There
was no road at all. the country being one dense
mass OF forest aud under1rush: mere vas 40
other course but to literally cut and new their
way through to the outlet OF Salt l. Ike. now
termed the River Jordan. THIS stupendous
task was the indirect cause OF several deaths ia
the party, and brought about mucn b ID blood
among its members, the indictments charging
Reed with the entire blame OF the pfeNaliiK
state Of affairs, IA he bad been rather urgent ia
having the party take the II stings route. The
dissatisfied ones at last oieuly declared that
Reed or they should leave the company, or
Dloodshed would follow. So 1t proved; IN an
alteration with Reed soon after the ngleader
of the grumbers. one Patrick lireen, VINO mad
come from Iowa struck him Hereby over the
mead with the QUIT end II a loaded * = d. cut
ting him severely. lie was bout t. r. peat tho
blow when Reeds wife, who was witness Of
the affair, sprang IN between the two men, to
prevent further trouble. Ia his madness Breen
struck the women to the ground WITH the whip
handle rms made Rec almost insane and Ia
amoment he had cut his opponent IN two with
"a butcher knife which he carr it q then drawinx
a brace of large divers, Jared any of me dad
fripnua a r. p No
his friends prevented further Outchery, ana the
anair. for tho time. was ended. This tragedy
east gloom over the entire parry.
Two Or three days travel from tue scene OF the
disturbance brought them to tue springs where
they were to provide water anu grass for Hoss-
ing what was known as Hastings desert
alkaline region destitute OF water or vegetation.
that it WAS less than nfty miles wide. while It
proved IN fact, more than eighty II Was under
stood that they must travel Gay and night. sn.y
stopping t. feed and water tue cattle. When
about twO-thirds OF the way across the stock
manifested signs 81 exhaustion. and toe CONF
pany u,rectsn n,t isesI L. i 10 tSfwdd UNI, he
1t IN ABOUT twenty miles, and was on his way
pack to camp when he met MS eailst-rs. about
eleven O'Clock at ngat. driving the cattle. hAv-
teamsters one Of tner horses sank down IN the
road. aud while they were endeavoring to raise
water and made for II. They were never found
and there was Reed and ms family, with ali their
supplies out on desert hundreds Of mi es from
any human hhbitatlon' ahu tAe winter very
nearly at hand. Inc other members Of tue eX-
petition drove their teams much lurther. ana
some succeeded IN reaching wafer. Reed
not receiving any Information, and tneir
Reed started with his family on foot az
r,ing the Youngest child IN Lis aru :. In the
course OF the nlshi Tue children became eX,
blowing. and they were forced to move OH, al
though the suferngs OF the children were IN
tens. Near daylight. To their great J)N, one OF
jacob D1uuer's wagons " 5 reached, wricn
proved 70 contain the l,ttets fanny. bonner
kindly conveyed the unto. tunnte imhy TO
where the Others we're camped. wnere they re-
manned a week trying to hud Reeds cattle but
the search ftuitless. tie then divided his
proNisons, borrowed a yoke OF oxen, and, ledv
Ing his seven wagons in the desert moved on
with the others.
some lays further on It was found that the pro-
visions were running short Reed proposed that,
If two men would 20 forward to Capt. suffer,
in California, he would wrlte him (~utter) let
ter, asKing Tor provisions aud animals 10 assist
the puty 10 IT, destination. None WIS eager to
undertake journey iraught with 50 many dan
gers. out huaiS Two meme consented To 20.
These two were WIN. McCutcHeon, who had
Ton, OF Chicago, man Of the most daring
bravery aud one whose noblene-s Of en- n
was slow, and week after week elapsed
without any udinE, from them. Affairs
camp; lie food Wa Wen Iieh exhausted
lhe expedition was camprd IN tue mountains,
and II was Impossible to proceed further at that
seison 81 inc year on account OF the heavy
BnOwn. Here the parry would have to remain
until spring. II was hnally agreed that Reed
should Z" forward O. ASCERTAIN what had become
OF stanton ana McCutcn, on. and hurry uu ,ur-
Tiles. 50, aYhg Ia. vile and i've cAildrun IN
gar ~ lrcuds' n' . Hei out on hor-en1cN.
The Bonner brothers wts. canued a mile ur
Two H. advance # tie man body. aud with
ttcm wa. 90 u,an ~ tht n iis pf Water Heron,
VINO. when Reed ioncncd them. volunteered to
- with Inn, waich Reed agreed TO. Having
has onr horse. they rode 10 turu-. int e course
Ola week their provision gave out. and they
travelled for days WithIu' food. ,ytcIt Wild
go'-e nd o,uer game, wnirn they were
de pernte as to PROPOSE the Killing Of the h5rse.
Reed. knowing a NDUiI NJ me- % .i