The Donner Party: Journey of Sorrow. Online Quiz | History

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1. The Donner Party left Springfield, Illinois on April 14, 1846. Where was the wagon train headed?

Answer: California

Believing a better life awaited them it seemed justified to the pioneers of the day to pack up their wagon's and make this dangerous journey in the hope of building a better life for themselves in California.

2. What name was given to the path that cut through the Wasatch Mountains, then across the Salt Lake Desert that was supposedly a quicker route for the wagon train?

Answer: Hastings Cutoff

Hastings Cutoff actually added about 130 miles to their journey because the wagons which were ill-equipped to cross the 40-miles of the Salt Lake Desert. It should have taken just two days to cross the desert but with several wagons bogged down in the salt-crusted mud it would be five days before they saw the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the snow had already started to fall.

3. On October 6th, 1846 James Reed, got into a fight with another man resulting in Reed stabbing him to death. What was the victim's name?

Answer: John Snyder

The animals were slow or dying and this frustrated Snyder who started to beat the animals with his whip. When James Reed, tried to intervene Snyder turned the whip on him. Fearing for his own life Reed stabbed the young man in the chest. A few of the pioneers wanted to hang Reed for murder.

However, his wife Margaret Reed intervened, asking them for mercy. He was banished from the camp as punishment and leaving his family behind he headed towards Sutter's Fort to await their arrival.

4. Which member of the Donner party killed a Paiute warrior after he shot nineteen oxen with poison arrows?

Answer: William Eddy

After crossing the Salt Lake Desert, the pioneers had suffered several attacks from groups of Indian warriors resulting in the killing of 21 oxen and the stealing about 18. With not enough oxen to pull the wagons they had to abandon some of them. On 25th October, a Paiute warrior attacked the pioneers once again, killing more of the oxen with poison arrows. William Eddy killed him.

5. The Donner party reached the slopes of the Sierra Nevada in early November. By using Hastings Cutoff a month was added to their journey and snow was already beginning to fall. What was the name of the lake in which the Donner party made their camp?

Answer: Truckee Lake

The Donner party were forced to make camp at Truckee Lake (now called Donner Lake) when the route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains became too treacherous for the wagons to use. They took refuge in the abandoned cabins beside the lake and also makeshift tents were quickly erected to wait out the winter.

Most of the livestock was either lost in the snow storms or died on the trail. Their food supplies were also quickly diminishing, and it wasn't long before the pioneers were dying of starvation and hypothermia.

6. On the 28th, October 1846 after being banished from the wagon train an exhausted James Reed reached which fort?

Answer: Sutter's Fort

James Reed crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountain, just ahead of the early snows that trapped the pioneers. Reed tried to return with food supplies a few weeks later but was hampered by soft deep snow. It was March 1st when Reed finally made it through to Donner Lake with the second relief party.

7. On December 15th, 1846 Balis Williams died of malnutrition at the Truckee camp-site. This prompted a group of fifteen men and woman (and one girl) to attempt the 100-mile trek to Sutter's Fort hoping to get help for the remaining pioneers. What was the name of the group?

Answer: Forlorn Hope

William Eddy was the leader of the group of 17 men and woman who made the final attempt to get over the mountain pass and bring back help. Weakened by the high altitude and blinded by the snow blizzards they quickly become lost, it wasn't long before the group succumbed to frostbite. When the food ran out it was suggested they kill and eat the two Indian guides. This, however, was rejected at first but the group did eventually resort to cannibalism as members of the party died from cold or exhaustion.

8. How many pioneers of the Forlorn Hope survived?

Answer: 7

The survivors of the Forlorn Hope party made it to the safety of a Miwok camp. Their journey from Truckee Lake camp had taken over a month, and they had survived by eating the flesh of their dead companions. Five women, Sarah Ann (Murphy) Foster, Sarah Graves Fosdick, Mary Ann Graves, Amanda Henderson McCutchen and Harriet Frances Murphy survived, along with two men, William McFadden Foster and William Eddy.

9. On what date did the first of four relief parties from Sutter's Fort finally reach the camp at Truckee Lake?

Answer: 18th February 1847

The first relief party set off on January 31st. It took 20 days, to reach Donner Lake and they found the camp completely snowbound. The pioneers were elated to see their rescuers who fed them as best they could. (They only had what food they could carry). They and began evacuating them but it took a further three rescue attempts before all 45 survivors were brought to safety.

10. On 17th April 1847 the fourth rescue party brought down the last survivor. There was a lot of controversy concerning this man at the time of his rescue. What was his name?

Answer: Lewis Keseberg

When the fourth and final rescue party arrived at Donner Lake to take the remaining group of people to safety, only Lewis Keseberg was alive. Upon entering the cabin the rescuers, saw human remains spewed around the cabin. William Eddy's young son was one of the dead used by Keseberg for food. Tamsen Donner was believed to have been murdered by Keseberg after the third relief party stated she was in reasonably good health when they saw her last but she refused to leave her dying husband.

Source: Author lindybarr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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The Donner Party: Journey of Sorrow. Quiz

The Donner Party remains one of the most poignant episodes in the history of the American West. The disaster they faced and the desperate steps they took to survive.

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