Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-11
STARVING ON THE PLAINS.
An incident of 1S63-How q Party Of
Emlnrants were Relieved.
Lakeport Call Bee.

Lakeport Call Bee.
Many of the readers of the Bee were
doubtless among the number of those
who ''crossed the plains" and still retain
a vivid recollection of the perils of the
overland route. If the stories of all of
them were to be collected and published
they would make a very interesting chap
ter in history, and furnish another proof
of the trite saying, ''Truth is stranger
than fiction" While talking not long since
with an old Californian, he related the
manner in which a party of Missourians
were saved from starvation in the fall of
1862 or 1868. At that time the war was
in progress and the Indians were partic.
ularly troublesome. This party, number
ing in all-men, women and children
some thirty.fve souls, were surprised
near Gravelly Ford, IN their way to
Humboldt, and lost all their stock. Not
a horse nor a mule was left, and the par
ty were compelled to make their way on
foot to the nearest settlement. Many of
the party were omen-some with babies
in their arms-and tho terror of that
Journey across the arid alkaline sands of
the forty-mile desert may be more easily
liildHillCo Cidh oOnCilDOus ioul VI biO
young men of the party were sent off in
advance for relief and reached Virginia
City more dead than alive, and made
their report to Provost Marshal Van
Bokelen. He at once started out to
obtain subscriptions to send aid to the
sufferers. but as he was personally un-
popular. did not gather in the ducats
very rapidly. An old miner who was
himself a 49er, impatient at the delay,
went at once to a livery stable, hired a
couple of mules and o wagon and drove
to the principal stores and asked for pro-
visions. They were readily given He
then went to a dry goods store and OBJ.
tanned a box of shoes of assorted sizes,
and called upon the only females, who at
that time were found in any considerable
numbers in that city, for contributions of
feminine wearing apparel. With the
proverbial warm heartedness of their
class, they generously responded, and in
reached the city and long before the
Provost Marshal had got around his sub
scription list, the team was on the road.
A driver having volunteered to take
charge of the mule team, thu miner who
had organized the relief corps, procuring
a horse, went on ahead of the team with a
lantern, for it was dark before the team
started. ALI night the team was urged
forward, and at daybreak the next morn.
ing a campfire was seen, which proved
to be a government wagon containing
rations which had been sent out from
Fort Churchill the proceeding evening,
but which bad stopped for the night at
that camp. Without accepting the invi-
tati' n of the officer in c)mmand to stop
a I'd take breakfast, theVirginia city supply
tr ain pass I'd On and met the sufferers at
the abandoned overland station called
Ragtown. 1t was fully four hours be-
fore the government wagon appeared on
the scene, and when it came it had been
entirely superseded by the Virgins City
supplies. The miner who organized and
led this relief party was one of the
~locators OF the Savage mine in the Com
stock lode, and was subsequently a
Deputy United States Marshal in Wyo-
ming aud sergeant-at .arms of the Arizona
house OF representatives. He now lies
in our Jail accused of murder. His
name is Elisha r. McCurdy.