Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-10-17
STARVING ON THE PLAINS.
An Incident of IS63-Row Party of
Emfgraafs Were Relieved.
Iakeport Cali Bee-Democrat.

I4akeport Cali Bee Democrat
Many of the readers of the Bee
Democrat were doubtless among the
mum ser of those who crossed the
plains and still retain a vivid recol
lection of the peris of the overland
route. If the stories of all of them
were to be collected and published
they would make very interesting
chapter in history. and furnish an
other proof of the trlte saying.
Truth is stranger than fiction"
While talking not long since with
an old Californian, he related the
manner in which party OF Missouri
ans were saved from starvation in the
fall Of 1852 or 1868 At that time the
war was in progress and the Indians
we're particularly troublesome. This
party, numbered in all-nen, women
and chIldren-some thirty-five souls,
were surprised near Gravelly Ford,
on the Humboldt, and lost all their
stock. Not a horse nor mule was
left, and the party were compelled TO
make their way on foot to the nearest
settlement. Many of the party were
women-some with babies in arms
anu IIlt lcTTOTS Ol tudI Jul iSSS
the arid alkaline sands of the Forty
Mile Desert may be more easily lmag-
ined than described. -Four of the
young men of the party were sent on
in ad vance for relief and reached Nlr-
giria City more dead than alive, and
madetheir report to Provost Marshal
Van Bokkelen. He at once started
out to obtrain subscriptions to send
aid to the sufferers, but, as he was
personally unpopular, did not gather
in the ducats very rapidly. An old
miner, who was himself 49er I'M
patient at the delay, went at once to
livery stable, hired a couple OF
mules and wagon and drove to the
principal stores and asked for pro-
visions. They were readily given.
He then went to dry goods store and
ATTAINED a box of shoes of assorted
sizes, and called upon the only
females. who at the time were
found ia any considerable numbers
in that city, for contributions of fem
inlne wearing apparel. With the pro
verbal warm heartedness of their
class, they generously responded, and
in less than an hour from the time the
news reached the city and long before
the Provost Marshal had got around
his subscription list, the team was on
the road. A driver having volunteer
ed to take charge Of the mule team,
the miner who had organized the re-
lief corps, procuring horse, went on
ahead of the team with a lantern, for
it was dark before the team started.
All night the team was urged forward,
and at d2ybreak the next morning a
camp fire was seen, which proved to
be a government wagon containing
rations which had been sent out from
Fort Churchill the preceding evening,
but which had stopped for the night
at that camp. Without accepting the
invitation of the officer in command
to stop and take breakfast, the Vir-
ginia City supply train passed on and
met tho sufferers at the abandoned
overland station called Ragtown. 1t
was fully four hours before the gov
eminent wagon appeared on the scene,
ana when il came it had been entirely
superseded by the Virginia City sup
pies The miner who organized and
led this relief party was one of the
locators Of the Savage mine in the
Comstocl. lode. and was subsequently
deputy United States marshal IN
Wyoming and sergeant at arms OF the
Arizona house of representatives. He
now lies in Jail accused of murder.
His name is Elisha P. McCurdy.