The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-05-17
The Rescue of the "Donner Party

Readers of Bret Harte's "Gabriel
.Conroy" will remember the following
foot note which occurs in connection
with the authors description OF scenes
in Starvation Camp: "..-,
81 fear must task the incredulous
readers further patience by calling at
tention to what may, perhaps, prove the
most literal and thoroughly attested
fact of this otherwise fanciful chronicle.
The condition and situation of the ILL.,
famed sDonner Party then an un-
known, unheralded cavalcade Of immi.
grants-stsrving in an unfrequented
pass OF the Sierras, was first made
known to Captain Yount, Of Nape, in
a dream. The Spanish records of Cali
fornia show that the relief party which
succored the survivors was projected
upon this spiritual information"
In the thorough scrutiny to which
everything relating to the heroic age
of California has been subjected, there
are, probably, few beyond the noun
tains who are not familiar with the
details of the abeve expedition. There
are many in the East, however, who
will be Interested i'm Captain Yount's
own version Of this strange occurrence,
as related by him to the Late Rev. DR..
Horace BUSHNELL. We quote from
"Nature and the Supernatural ~: -. =.
As I sat by the fire, one stormy No
vember night, in hotel parlor, in the
Napa valley Of California, there came In
q most venerable and benignant look
ing person, with his wife. taking their
seats in the circle. The stranger, as I
afterward learned, was Captain Yount, a
man who came over into California, as
trapper, more than forty years ago.
Here he has lived, apart from the great
world and its questions, acquiring an
immense landed estate, and becoming
kind of acknowledged patriarch in the
country. His tall, manly person, and
bis. gracious, paternal look, as totally
unsophisticated in the expression as II
he had never heard Of philosophie
doubt or question in his life, marked
him as the true patriarch. The conver-
sation turned, I know not how, on
spiritism and the modern necromancy,
and he discovered a degree OF inclina-
ton to belieye in the reported mys-
teries., His wife, a much young u and
apparently Christian person, intimated
that probably he was predisposed to this
kind of faith by very peculiar expert.
ence of his own, and, evidently desired
that be might be drawn out by some In
telligent discussion of his queries. - p
At my request, he gave me his story.
About six or seven years previous In q
mid-winter's night he had dream, in
which he saw what appeared to be q
company of immigrants, arrested by the
SHOWS Of the mountains, and perishing
rapidly by cold and hunger. He noted
the very cast of the scenery, marked by
a huge perpendicular front of white
rock cliff he saw men cutting off what
appeared to be tree tops, rising out OF
deep CULTS of snow; be distinguished
the very features of the persons, and
the look of their particular distress. He
woke, profoundly impressed with his
distinctness and apparent reality OF the
dream. 1t length he fell asleep, and
dreamed exactly the same dream again.
In the morning he could not expel it
from his mind. Falling in, shortly,
with an old hunter comrade, he told
him the story, and was only the more
deeply impressed by his recognizing,
without hesitation, the scenery of the
dream.
This comrade came over the Sierra, by
the Carson valley pass, and declared
that spot in the pass answered exactly
to his description. By this the unso-
phisticated patriarch was decided. He
Immediately collected a company OF
men, with mules and blankets, and all
necessary provisions. The neighbors
were laughing, meantime, at his creduity.
"No NATTER" said he, "I am able to
do this, and I will, for I verify believe
that the fact is according to my dream. "
The men were sent into the mountains,
one hundred and fifty miles distant, d.
rectly to the Carson valley pass. And
there they found the company, in ex-
actly the condition of the dream, and
brought in the remnant alive.
A gentleman present said: " You
need have no doubt Of this; for we Cali
;fornians all know the facts, and the
names of the families brought in, who
now look upon our venerable friend as
a kind of savior" These names he
gave, and the places where they reside,
and I found, afterward. that the Cali
fornia people were ready, everywhere, to
second his NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for
April.