Daniel James Brown

Yes, I think there was some hope at that point.

They had sent a man named Charles Stanton ahead, realizing that they were in trouble as they crossed Nevada.

They sent Charles Stanton ahead over the mountains to Sutter's Fort, and he returned with a number of mules carrying several hundred pounds of flour and supplies, and also accompanied by these two young Native American Miwok young men

Luis and Salvador, who were to act as guides through the mountains going forward from that point.

So that was a kind of ray of hope.

All of a sudden, there were these mules for carrying stuff and then some additional provisions.

So as they actually entered the Sierra Nevada Mountains, start working their way up the Truckee River, that's the situation.

George Donner cuts his hand, slices his hand open, trying to repair this axle.

And it's a bad wound.

And at the same time, this monster snowstorm rolls in.

So the rest of the party proceeds another five and a half miles to the eastern end of what we now call Donner Lake, what was then called Truckee Lake.

But the Donner family, George

Donner and Jacob Donner and their families get bogged down short of Donner Lake.

So they, as the snow starts coming down, they hastily try to erect just some shanties, brush shanties to take some shelter in.

Because George Donner's hand is so badly injured, he's unable to do much physical work.

I have to cut trees and try to make actual

The rest of the party gets as far as, say, the eastern end of Donner Lake.

It's snowing heavily now.

They decide they better try to get over the pass while they can.

So they start up this boulder-strewn rock wall that is Donner Pass at the other end of the lake.