The Donner Party Essay Research Paper DAVID — страница 9

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States. With the fighting over, James Reed rushed to San Francisco to raise money and men for the relief of his family and friends. At sunset on January 17th in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Harriet Ritchie heard a knock on the door of her family’s cabin. In the doorway stood a bleeding skeleton of a man. In a faint voice he asked if he could have some bread. Harriet burst into tears and helped William Eddy into bed. The six other survivors of the ”forlorn hope” lay a short way up the trail. Only two of the ten men had made it through. All five women had survived. When he was well enough to speak, William Eddy told a hellish story. He spoke of the camp of death and of wandering 18 days more, lost in the deep mountain snows; of Sarah Fos*censored*, who had to watch her

husband die, then see his heart roasting on a stick; of the bloody footprints that led them to where the Indians Lewis and Salvadore, who had fled as far as they could, were lying side by side in the snow, too weak to move; how William Foster, insane, shot each of the men through the head and how the starving survivors used the murdered men for food. The alarm went out. DANIEL RHOADS: ”February 3rd. They gave the alarm that the people would all die without assistance. It was two weeks before any person would consent to go. Finally, we concluded we would go or die trying, for not to make any attempt to save them would be a disgrace to us and California as long as time lasted.” NARRATOR: On February 5th the first small relief party left Johnson’s ranch and struggled slowly up

into the snowy mountains. A second party led by James Reed was two days behind them. PATRICK BREEN: ”Friday, February the 5th. Peggy very uneasy for fear we shall all perish with hunger. We have but a little meat left and only part of three hides. Mrs. Reed has nothing left but one hide and it is on Graves’s shanty. Eddy’s child, Margaret, died last night. Monday, the 8th. Spitzer died last night about 3:00 o’clock. We will bury him in the snow. Mrs. Eddy died on the night of the 7th. Wednesday, the 10th. Milt Elliot died last night at Murphy’s shanty. Mrs. Reed went there this morning to see after his effects.” VIRGINIA REED: ”Everyone had gone to bed, but I could not sleep. Looking up through the darkness with my hands clasped, I made a vow that if God would send

us relief and let me see my father again, I would be a Catholic.” NARRATOR: One afternoon Peggy Breen motioned Margaret Reed outside to tell her that her daughter, Virginia, was dying. They were all dying. On February 19th, 1847, seven freezing, exhausted men of the first relief party struggled over the summit and came within sight of the lake. DANIEL RHOADS: ”At sunset we crossed Truckee Lake on the ice and came to the spot where we had been told we should find the emigrants. We looked all around, but no living thing except ourselves was in sight. We raised a loud hello. And then we saw a woman emerge from a hole in the snow. As we approached her, several others made their appearance, in like manner coming out of the snow. They were gaunt with famine and I never can forget

the horrible, ghastly sight they presented. The first woman spoke in a hollow voice, very much agitated, and said, ‘Are you men from California or do you come from heaven?’ ” NARRATOR: The rescuers were shocked by what they found. Twelve emigrants had died and bodies lay everywhere on top of the snow, covered with quilts. Forty-eight still clung to life, but some had gone mad and others were too far gone to be revived. Somehow, Margaret Reed had managed to keep all her children alive. So had Peggy Breen and Tamsen Donner. So far, none of the survivors at the lake had been forced to eat human flesh. There was no time to waste. The rescuers could take only 24 of the starving emigrants out with them. The Breens agreed to wait for the next relief party. So did the Donners.

George was too sick to move and Tamsen would not leave his side. On February 22nd, the first relief party started back. There was almost no food to spare for the 31 desperate people left behind. PATRICK BREEN: ”Friday, February the 26th. Hungry times in camp. Mrs. Murphy said she thought she would commence on Milt and eat him. I don’t think she has done so yet. It is distressing.” NARRATOR: The ordeal of the Donner Party was far from over. For two more months four relief parties battled the terrible snow and cold of the Sierra Nevada to try to save the starving emigrants. The scenes enacted in the mountains during those two months would never be forgotten. When the first relief party left the lake, eight-year-old Patty Reed volunteered to stay behind to care for her