The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride

On the morning of July 5, the Graves family left Fort Laramie. As they journeyed through Nebraska and Wyoming, they approached South Pass, where a critical decision loomed: whether to head for California or Oregon. Initially, some families were set on California but reconsidered after hearing James Clyman’s warnings about it and learning about the official state of war between the US and Mexico.

Around July 11, the families began encountering a lone traveler named Wales B. Bonney, who carried a letter from Lansford Hastings. Hastings, having met Bonney at the Sweetwater River, discussed the Hastings Cutoff in the letter, urging everyone to hasten to Fort Bridger, where he promised to guide them to California via his shortcut route.

By July 18, the Donner and Reed families, upon reaching South Pass, were faced with a crucial decision: turn right toward Fort Hall or left toward Fort Bridger and the Hastings Cutoff. Unaware of its impracticality for wagons, they chose the left-hand path toward the Hastings Cutoff, and George Donner was elected as their captain. The Donner Party was notably diverse, comprising members with varied cultures, economic statuses, and religious beliefs. It included large families like the Breens, an Irish family of nine, and the Murphys from Tennessee, led by the widow Levinah Murphy and her extended family. The Eddys, the Kesebergs, the McCutchens, and the Wolfingers represented smaller family units within the party, which also included bachelors like Charles Stanton, Patrick Dolan, and Samuel Shoemaker. Within this large and diverse group, most of the Donner Party was enthusiastic about the Hastings Cutoff. Tamzene Donner, George’s wife, was the sole voice of dissent regarding the decision to take Hastings Cutoff.

About a week behind the Donner Party, Sarah and her family reached the fork and also chose the left-hand path toward Hastings Cutoff and Fort Bridger, arriving there on August 3. At this juncture, the Graves family parted ways with the Ritchies and the Tuckers, who opted to veer northwest toward Fort Hall.

On August 5, the Donner Party navigated through Echo Canyon, and by August 6, they approached the end of Weber Canyon, a challenging passage into the Wasatch Mountains. Here, they discovered a note from Lansford Hastings, left just two days prior, warning of poor road conditions through the canyon and advising against entering with wagons. Upon collecting the note, some men of the group, including James Reed and Charles Stanton, volunteered to ride ahead to find Hastings. Meeting them partway, Hastings showed them an alternative, albeit theoretical, route before returning to his group. Meanwhile, Reed went back to relay this information to his party, while Stanton and others stayed behind to rest their horses.

By the time Reed returned, the Graves family had caught up with the Donner Party. That evening, despite the evident challenges of the Wasatch canyons, Reed convinced the rest of the party to follow what he believed was a feasible route through a mountain gap, which he optimistically named “Reed’s Gap.” Initially, the path appeared manageable but soon became overrun with brush, halting the wagons’ progress by August 15. The men were forced to clear the brush and navigate the wagons around a large boulder to finally reach the Salt Lake Valley, significantly delaying their journey and putting them far behind schedule.

As the Donner Party crossed the Utah Salt Flats, their situation deteriorated significantly. Oxen either collapsed from exhaustion or wandered off during the night, with James Reed’s family particularly affected, forcing them to abandon many of their belongings and borrow oxen from others. By September 10, the first snows became visible on the horizon, prompting the party to take inventory. This revealed a critical shortage of food supplies for the journey through the Sierra Nevada and to California. In response to this shortage, Charles Stanton and William McCutchen volunteered to go ahead and seek assistance from John Sutter.

Continuing on, the Donner Party and their wagons followed Hastings’s tracks through eastern Nevada for two weeks. On September 26, they reached the Humboldt River’s main fork, rejoining the established emigrant trail and completing their detour via the Hastings Cutoff. This roundabout journey took 68 days, compared to the 37 days it would have taken via the established road, significantly delaying their progress.

On October 5, an incident occurred that has been variously interpreted by historians: James Reed killed John Snyder, the bachelor traveling with the Graves, during a dispute that erupted while their competing wagons were ascending a hill. Snyder was popular within the group, whereas Reed was less so. Consequently, the Donner Party decided to banish Reed, leaving him without provisions or weapons. In the cover of darkness, Reed’s family managed to secretly provide him with some supplies. With Reed gone, the party, now facing nearly depleted provisions, continued along the Humboldt River. Margaret Reed faced the difficult decision to abandon her wagon, and the Graves family generously offered one of theirs. The Donner Party then endured a grueling 40-mile trek across the flat alkali desert, traveling day and night. By October 17, they reached the Truckee River, yet the Sierra Nevada mountains remained out of sight.

As the party approached the mountains, they reunited with Stanton, returning alone with seven mules loaded with supplies from Sutter’s Fort; McCutchen had fallen ill and stayed behind. Stanton brought unexpected news: On his way back, he had encountered James Reed in the Sierra Nevada.

By October 20, the Donner Party reached Truckee Meadows, the area known today as Reno. By October 30, the party was camped near Truckee Lake, now Donner Lake. They were now confronted with a daunting landscape of granite cliffs and rock walls that seemed utterly impassable for wagons, and, to worsen matters, snow had begun to fall. As they attempted to cross over the mountains, the snow reached the oxen’s chests, forcing them to turn back near the summit. Despite a second attempt, they remained unsuccessful. That night, they camped on the eastern side of the summit, just as another storm enveloped the mountains.