What Happened To The Donner Party

The Donner Party had a total of 89 members which included men, women and children. They entered the Sierra Nevada Mountains in October of 1846, which was very late for traveling in the pioneer era. Brothers Jacob and George Donner attempted to take a supposedly new and shorter route through the mountains (Dowd). How was it possible that a few people’s decision affected the lives of so many, forcing them to experience such horrific and life changing events, resulting in them making unimaginable decisions.

Lansford Hasting is the developer of the Hastings Cutoff, the shortcut, recommended to the Donner Party in 1846. The Party was originally taking the California route, but Hasting told the party that route was dangerous and to wait until he

returned(History). They waited for nearly three weeks until finally getting a letter recommending the take Hastings Cutoff. With low supplies already and days away from catching an upcoming storm, they continued on to the Hastings Cutoff. While traveling they approached a river, where it took two tries to cross. The result was them losing the rest of their supplies (Worrall).
Short on supplies, and behind on their travels by three weeks, the Donner Party was only a few days from exiting the mountain pass when the storm in mid-November stranding them in their tracks.

As the snow came down, and the temperatures dropped, hypothermia set in. Nothing was available to eat, hunting wasn’t productive and parents watched in horror as their children began to starve. During this time of desperation people began eating the family pets and other small animals they were able to catch. Other members ate bones, hides, twigs, and string. Many letters and journals contained very gruesome details about what happened that winter. The emigrants discoverd that bones could be eaten if they were boiled long enough

(Viegars).
December 16th-18th, Jacob Donner and three others die from hypothermia. Three more before the 27th of Decembers, that same day, some of the members resorted to cannibalism. It was reported that Jacob Donner’s body was almost completely consumed. With his heart and liver removed, and his limbs cut off. As the horrors continued, Salvador and Luis, Native American’s in the party, decided to leave. William Foster followed them and killed them, using their bodies as food. Rumors soon began to spread and more people continued to do the same.
“Lewis Keseberg was made into the master villain of this whole tragedy” (Quoted Worrall).

It was noted that he once took a boy to bed, to comfort him, but was later found dead. The boy was found the following morning, hanging on the wall, and was later eaten by Keseberg. He was later given the nickname “the Human Cannibal,” by sources. It was also told that when he was found, he was surrounded by bones and had a cauldron filled with human flesh (Worrall). Some of the members were ashamed of having to resort to cannibalism but others found enjoyment. y

Two men decided to leave in search of help, returning two months later to the tragedy (McGlashan 11-14). February 22nd, the first relief party leaves with twenty-three, leaving twenty-one members in the harsh conditions. They were left behind because of poor health, unable to travel and keep up with the relief party (McGlashan 35-36). With no more hope left, the members started to kill people again for food, making everyone anxious.

The second relief party arrived in early March, but got caught at the camp in a harsh snowfall. When they left, they only took the three Reed Children, leaving the rest. Not long after, the third relief party arrived and rescued eleven, they leave Tamsen Donner with her dying husband. She found Lewis Keseberg at his camp, but she didn’t survive the night (Japengaa). April 17th, the fourth relief party arrives, finding Lewis Keseberg, the only

survivor.
With poor decisions, lack of resources and harsh weather conditions, the Donner Party was headed into a dangerous situation. If they took the original route, they would have made it out of the mountain weeks before the heavy snowfall. This gruesome event would be a story to tell for generations. The term ‘Donner Party’ had became synonyms with one of humanity’s most ingrained taboos” (quoted History).