Cannibalism in the Sierra Nevadas: The Donner Party
by Contributing Editor on Jul.26, 2010, under Forensics
Article written by Angela Burroughs Kelly, MA
When most people hear the words “the Donner Party,” the story of the wagon train members who ate each other in order to survive their trek across the Sierra Nevada Mountains comes to mind. However, new evidence from archeologists suggests that the cannibalism might not have been as grisly as initially reported.
History
One hundred sixty years ago, in April 1846, the ill-fated Donner Party (sometimes known as the Donner-Reed party) made its way to California in pursuit of a better life. The party originally consisted of two families from Springfield, Illinois: the Donners and the Reeds. The grand total of the traveling family members was 31 (Johnson, 2006a). Eventually, other families joined the party as the wagon train headed into the vast West; these families included the following: Breens; Eddys; Graves and Fosdicks; Kesebergs; McCutchens; Murphys, Fosters, and Pikes; Wolfingers; and the Teamsters (Johnson, 2006b).
In June the party had made it to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where discussion occurred about taking a new route, Hastings Cutoff, to California. Lansford W. Hastings had written a book titled, The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California, to serve as a guide for emigrants heading to the West, but also to draw attention to his new route, Hastings Cutoff. The emigrants were cautioned by James Clyman about taking Hastings Cutoff because of the long stretch of desert and lack of water supply. Clyman warned, “take the regular wagon track and never leave it—it is barely possible to get through if you follow it—and it might be impossible if you don’t” (OregonCalifornia Trails Association, 2006).
However, on July 4 part of the party, which was known as Bryant-Russell, decided to go ahead and take the Hastings Cutoff. A few days later, while camping at Independence Rock, the remaining wagon party, which was known as the Boggs Company, received a letter from Lansford W. Hastings stating that he would meet them at Fort Bridger and lead them on his cutoff (Johnson, 2006a). On July 19 decisions were made in the Boggs Company. Part of the party decided to go ahead and take the Hastings Cutoff, while the remaining emigrants decided to take the normal route via Fort Hall. The group heading toward Hastings Cutoff elected George Donner to be their captain, thus giving them the name the Donner Party.
The Journey to the Mountains
It seems the Donner Party started its tale of unlucky events when the decision was made to take the Hastings Cutoff. Hastings stated that this new route was only about 40 miles long, which would have shortened the emigrants’ route incredibly. However, the route was actually 65 miles long. The Donner Party was supposed to meet Hastings at Fort Bridger; however, he left before they arrived, and the party was assured by others at the fort that the cutoff was passable. By early August the Donner Party reached Weber River (in Utah) where Hastings had left a note for them not to follow him. A few members of the party went ahead on the trail and met up with Hastings, who gave them more a specific route to take (Johnson, 2006a). This resulted in the emigrants having to make their own trail and, therefore, the party only went 39 miles in 18 days (Oregon-California Trails Association, 2006). Eventually, the emigrants kept going and followed the grueling Hastings Cutoff through the Great Salt Lake Desert and arrived at the junction of the California Trail at the end of September.
By this time the Donner Party had lost a crucial 3 weeks by following the Hastings Cutoff. As they began their journey over the Sierra Nevadas an early snowstorm stranded half of the party at what is now called Donner Lake, and the rest of the party (mainly the Donner families) at Alder Creek, approximately 6 miles away (Wikipedia, 2006b). The two encampments periodically sent small groups back and forth to check on each other. In early November more snow had accumulated, and all attempts to cross the mountains failed. Realizing that their supplies were quickly diminishing, a group of emigrants from Alder Creek and Donner Lake decided to go over the mountains in snowshoes. (This group has become known as the Forlorn Hope.) Unfortunately, the group encountered more snow, and several died; those who survived resorted to cannibalism (Wikipedia, 2006b). Eventually, members of the party reached the other side of the mountains in January 1847—only 7 of the 15–16 survived the journey.
The Journey to the Mountains
It seems the Donner Party started its tale of unlucky events when the decision was made to take the Hastings Cutoff. Hastings stated that this new route was only about 40 miles long, which would have shortened the emigrants’ route incredibly. However, the route was actually 65 miles long. The Donner Party was supposed to meet Hastings at Fort Bridger; however, he left before they arrived, and the party was assured by others at the fort that the cutoff was passable. By early August the Donner Party reached Weber River (in Utah) where Hastings had left a note for them not to follow him. A few members of the party went ahead on the trail and met up with Hastings, who gave them more a specific route to take (Johnson, 2006a). This resulted in the emigrants having to make their own trail and, therefore, the party only went 39 miles in 18 days (Oregon-California Trails Association, 2006). Eventually, the emigrants kept going and followed the grueling Hastings Cutoff through the Great Salt Lake Desert and arrived at the junction of the California Trail at the end of September.
By this time the Donner Party had lost a crucial 3 weeks by following the Hastings Cutoff. As they began their journey over the Sierra Nevadas an early snowstorm stranded half of the party at what is now called Donner Lake, and the rest of the party (mainly the Donner families) at Alder Creek, approximately 6 miles away (Wikipedia, 2006b). The two encampments periodically sent small groups back and forth to check on each other. In early November more snow had accumulated, and all attempts to cross the mountains failed. Realizing that their supplies were quickly diminishing, a group of emigrants from Alder Creek and Donner Lake decided to go over the mountains in snowshoes. (This group has become known as the Forlorn Hope.) Unfortunately, the group encountered more snow, and several died; those who survived resorted to cannibalism (Wikipedia, 2006b). Eventually, members of the party reached the other side of the mountains in January 1847—only 7 of the 15–16 survived the journey.
Help Is on the Way
Meanwhile, back at the camps, provisions continued to become scarce. James F. Reed had left the group earlier at Iron Point to get more provisions after being banished because of a confrontation with one of the teamsters, John Snyder (which resulted in Snyder’s death). Reed, realizing the dire situation in the mountains, eventually formed a relief party to get to the entrapped emigrants in the
mountains. While Reed was forming his relief party, another relief group, known as First Relief, made its way through the mountains to the camp of emigrants at Donner Lake (Johnson, 2006a). When they arrived at the camp in mid-February, 12 people at Donner Lake had died. This relief party took 23 survivors who were able to travel and planned to come back for the rest (Johnson, 2006c).
Three more relief parties were formed to rescue the survivors. On the Second Relief, about 1 week later, the rescuers noticed possible signs of cannibalism, and by the time the Fourth Relief arrived at the camps, they recorded a horrific sight. The rescuers, according to the Fourth Relief Diary, “Expected to find some sufferers alive . . . . Entered the cabins, and a horrible scene presented itself—human bodies terribly mutilated, legs, arms, and sculls [sic], scattered in every direction” (Johnson, 2006d).
Tales and descriptions such as these have led to the infamous legend of the Donner Party. Only 46 survived their experience in the mountains (Wikipedia, 2006b).
Fact or Fiction: Cannibalism and the Donner Party Cannibalism has been recorded throughout history from the Biblical siege in Samaria to the tragedy of the 1972 Uruguayan rugby team whose airplane crashed in the Andes Mountains. There are numerous reasons why cannibalism occurs ranging from survival cannibalism (cannibalism in order to survive) to cannibalism as part of a ritual or right (Wikipedia, 2006a).
Psychologists have debated to determine the exact cause of cannibalism, especially criminal cannibalism. One theory for criminal cannibalism is that the person experienced a traumatic event during childhood, such as being weaned from the mother’s breast, which caused fear and anxiety, therefore, resulting in the child wanting to eat his or her mother (Cannibalism, 2006). Other theories for criminal cannibalism are that the individual had a sudden experience of traumatic stress (e.g., Jeffrey Dahmer, whose first cannibalistic experience happened after a traumatic family event), the individual has a eating or sexual disorder, or that the individual may have a psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia (Cannibalism, 2006).
However, when discussing the Donner Party, survival cannibalism is the topic at hand. Survival cannibalism usually occurs when people are stranded without food. In such circumstances they must choose between dying of starvation or eating the only food on hand: another person (Shipman, 1987). Evidence of survival cannibalism has been recorded in many instances. This evidence has come from archaeological findings such as pot polish human bones, which are bones that have been boiled in order to obtain the marrow from them for nutrition; these bones appear to be smooth or “polished” from rubbing against the side of the pot while boiling (Viegas, 2006).
Researchers and archaeologists have asked numerous times whether the Donner Party actually resorted to cannibalism. Recent evidence suggests that the usual depiction of these emigrants may not necessarily be true.
The Donner Party Archaeology Project, conducted by Dr. Kelly Dixon of the University of Montana and Dr. Julie Schablitsky of the Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, has made some interesting discoveries. After a hearth was unearthed in the summer of 2003, Dr. Dixon and Dr. Schablitsky took a research crew to the Alder Creek site to determine if remains found near the hearth were human. The team used canine detection methods (dogs trained to locate human remains) to search the site. Additionally, genetic archaeology (a combination of forensics and archaeology in which DNA testing—including mitochondrial DNA testing—is used on artifacts, such as bones, found at archaeological sites [Schablitsky, 2003]) was used to determine if bones found at the Alder Creek site were indeed human remains and if those human remains were members of the Donner Party (Stanik, 2006).
Historical documents from the rescuers indicate that survival cannibalism occurred during the winter of 1846-1847 in the Sierra Nevadas. Fragments of small bones were discovered during the archaeology project; however, human bones were not conclusively identified in the remains tested for DNA because the bones were so decomposed that DNA could not be gathered from them. That human remains were not found in this collection of bones does not mean cannibalism did not occur. The scientists did find that the small bones were from the Donner’s livestock and wild game. Another researcher involved with the project was Shannon Novak, an assistant professor of anthropology at Idaho State University. She looked for pot polish marks on the bones, and when the research team analyzed them they found the bones to be “sawed, chopped, as well as polished,” implying the group was starving at Alder Creek as they were trying to get all the nutrition they could from the bones (Stanik, 2006). Conclusions from the archaeology project have been that the party at Alder Creek was in an extreme situation, but that evidence pointing to cannibalism is not definitive. It is believed that if cannibalism occurred it was in the later part of their stay in the mountains. Additionally, this new research helps to relieve some of the stigma associated with the Donner Party and helps to shed some light onto what actually happened to them (Stanik, 2006).
So, if cannibalism in the Donner Party was not as severe as everyone once thought, why did the survivors and rescuers report such ghastly tales? Perhaps, their tales were somehow distorted due to the traumatic events in the mountains, or perhaps the cannibalism did occur and the media at the time sensationalized it. Regardless of what happened 160 years ago, the answer to whether the Donner Party resorted to survival cannibalism might in time be answered with additional research, genetic archaeology, and historical documents.
–Published by Dr. Robert O’Block
