Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds examine The Donner Party
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
America we are setting out on tour in twenty twenty two are: first,
it is a may twelfth in Boston. Then we had to New York City on May thirteenth and then Washington DC may fourteenth and then good Philadelphia, throw some batteries address on May fifteenth, then
They had a medicine on June. Second, we D Milwaukee on June Third Chicago on June forth and Saint Paul
June fifth, and they
We have to Seattle on June, seventeenth and Portland on June, a team to get tickets at dollar podcast.
at cop that is this year, twenty eight
wanting to.
hello, Sacramento,.
Or as I like to call it, the nation's capital.
You're listening to you, the dial up by weekly american history by gas. Each week I owner of Larry the dog you mean the whenever Rebecca driver of electric car.
Men with nipples awful Dave, Anthony Regis driver american history to his friend Gareth Reynolds, who has no idea what the topic is going to be about
This is one of the most requested dollars. It's a story. Everybody knows even
he pops yeah, hey, shall we say real, quick just that we have added a second show in London yep. So if people want to go on their UK tour, there's another show in the.
And now we have another podcast, it's pretty much like this broadcast. It's called the die.
England in the UK, and the stories are pretty fucking banana, so less than that.
May twenty second eighteen fourteen.
I
how do I know this year of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you.
YO hand. Ludwig Christian Keseberg was born in a bird in the kingdom of Prussia. Ok,
Shall I take a knee yeah, it's as Germany, people, oh Frederick, was his dad. Frederick was a lutheran clergyman and little is little else is known about the family. In eighteen, forty, two, twenty eight year old, Johan married nineteen year old, Elizabeth, Philip Zimmermann, okay, they had twin girls, Matilda Elise and Julian Coraline, who they called ADA Cute. So far, yeah it's a nice story. Yeah you can quintuple a twin daughters, cute cute cute little names.
The oppression in the empire has gone through a lot of our people. You know everyone's just so fucking shit show you don't need to tell me what's going on impression, approval.
No that so in eighteen, forty four!
Keseberg headed to the United States, where Johan started going by the name. Louis, ok, sure why why why do you look like a little kid is about to get his picture taken you so happy. I just love that no one knows what it is. Yet they settled
You look so laden with yourself. They settled near Cincinnati. He was. He worked as a brewery distiller one of the twins, Matilda Guide, but it's that you know it's a damn.
kids going to die in the first couple of minutes. That's just like that.
But twins were in the eighteen. Forty here like that means we got one for sure. I lock you want.
It was the bad why, whatever they look alike, we're here
call you by the ones.
That we liked is that ok with you you're her now now your ADA, your aid, is that ok, yes, it does
ACT like Matilda. Take the Good NEWS taken
News, ADA yeah:
you're a good man.
As destiny was was happening in America? Americas were encouraged to move west because of Divine Providence, national superiority and exceptionalism. Thank God that went away yeah we're fucking assholes so, but getting to places like California, not easy sure. I mean it's kind of like what we went through today. Yup, just no getting weird looks at Harley David yeah, the triple a m p M's yep, multiple. The trip took forty six months by wagon last hundred miles. You had to go through the tall, steep Snowy, Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Nightmare they are here tonight. They love the some people, just love mountains. Yeah timing was so funny that they sit all the way in the back to their like. We love elevation and.
Timing very crucial on this trip. You leave too early literally get bogged down. My my
in the spring rains sure leave little lady gets note in share like Edward, so the castle bergs.
headed west in eighteen. Forty, six,
several wagons that a party and nine people Louis his wife, whose now pregnant
You want to get the wagon and had I work for share my
just pop out here you won't even notice,
ETA, who is now three
the german immigrants, an old belgian man named hard coop. Well, I think either way, if you're making cuts to the party a nine its higher goop goes.
we're not making cuts yet more make ever make it cut early and our group the way
driver, everyone called Dutch Charlie, even though he was german
the dutch Charlie baby right there and I give a shit.
Lois Lois is six feet. Tall is one hundred and eighty pounds. He speaks four languages, Jesus yeah! Ok, it's a bear. It's a big lad for back then yeah we have plus four languages. Yep, Arthur Arthur, Arthur, Arthur C F Mcglashan described him, as quote, he has a distinct rapid mode of an initiation, a loud voice and a somewhat excited manner of speech in conversing. He looks one squarely and steadily
I and appears like an honest, intelligent German. It's literally only the last word that makes it weird every other part of it is like yeah. Of course he looked at you when you talk, that's not abnormal. It's like he looked at me
when I talk for a german euros, and so in MID may a hundred miles west of independence. They were joined by two larger groups. The redo party
James readers, an Irishman, he was heading where's because he hoped California climate. We help as wives, terrible migraines. Ok said why pray
It recently declared bankruptcy also served during the black HAWK war with Abraham Lincoln Share, and they became really really good friend.
Lincoln wanted his family to go with the reeds on this journey, but Mary Todd Lincoln was pregnant and she was like fuck. No
but meanwhile there were pregnant people on the wagon journey. Germans right right, jerk,.
There's that word image or like I got this and they just fucking to do what I and don't let it slip out, push your legs together, cross them, give it a clothes. Pin it's fair to be disgusted by that,
There is a causal leggins than that Mary Todd Lincoln came down and in a way whereby, as they were driving away, so the other big group that
them. Besides, array party or known as the Donner Party
Three.
What's amazing is that I was like I was genuinely started to be like if I don't
this I will be embarrassed about, although this one as like, what does it? Click in ok, there's the family name. I
before
now Louis, was actually not easy to like on the trip he was known for absolutely terrible behaviour and the very bad temper he would plunder native american Burial sites on the journey. That's just I mean
yeah like we ve done enough, the idea of aid, it has been a prank like to fuck off they have stuff. We will take it that
one emigrants, and I like I got the flowers
I'm all ears,
I'm german leather year. I you're right
Other european native american burial site is flowers
like some of my goes one emigrants, I'd, look
Took a buffalo robes from a grave and price of flowers
Talk by the way, I love in your mind, their fresh graves or.
With the sewer stopping by and putting flowers down. That's the one! I'm thinking you know like we did with my grandpa or another person on the trip called Lewis quote: eccentric, antisocial and someone predisposed to derangement of the mind. Jesus Christ, James Reid's eldest daughter, claimed Louis hit a little girl who came to play with his daughter and scarred
for the rest of the journey. Well, what sounds like she had a comment like what were you going to just fucking roll up on my wagon to be like? Is your daughter available to play you're going to get hit? Wait, everything you've said sounds ok, so far, so can she play no? Ah, the nerve
now who legs example: greater buffalo, robes.
so Louisen Reed, we're constantly fighting red cap confronting Louis when he beat his wife or neglected, is kids Jesus Christ, which apparently have enough
so I'm Louis was like let me be the worst.
The party which wailing in May? Eighteen, forty, six and Lilburn bogs to control. He was a former Missouri governor. What's his name, Lilburn
six Lilburn Lilburn like a cartoon character. Lilburn Milburn, not a big burn, Lilburn Melbourne, retouch pants too hot Gilbert.
So because he was a big fancy ex governor because already done because he was
they fancy ex governor. They started calling it the Bogs party. Ok, they arrived at
Fort Laramie Wyoming in June now there was this a failed lawyer named Lansford Hastings, who was a huge adventure kind of guy, and he wanted to take California from the Mexicans and establish an independent republic with him. As the ruler, okay, so he's an ambitious seekers, got big ideas. Yeah
nothing wrong with the big idea. Man. Now he thought if he could convince enough Americans to settle in California, the mexican population would be overwhelmed and it would result in a bloodless revolution which happened right yeah
Cool, so they get people to go to California. Hastings made the trip sounds super easy so, but just ran into the cellar another one
it's just is just like. Oh you're, gonna love. It couldn't be easier. It's like take her guests, led down, it'll, be fun and you're just like
people die and you're like? Why am I a liar? I'm sorry, everyone died. I really I will I don't care about the feelings of others. He wrote a book called the immigrant's guide to Oregon and California.
Was full of absolute bullshit, for example? Here
claimed that travellers would not have to worry about native Americans, because quote the desolating. Were ravages of intertribal war have been achieved, causes of now abandoned villages which are covered in human skulls
Wait that's to make people feel better
The real version does now
you go there, no don't mind
The skulls it's just like us, don't pathway and and that the wilderness and timidity of these tribes are such that upon the appearance of white persons at their villages, all of the males, both old and young, immediately.
Fleet in the utmost confusion, but but woo like running into each other, bow and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and their name,
to the surrounding hills and mountains, while females remain and comments of the most doleful moaning and crying.
so they see signs, gray, civil. So the ideas that have your white and you walk in that area. The man don't know what to do and just
run around like Benny Hill and the women fall down and start crying. Yes sure that sounds pretty logical.
Its motivated actions. So
of pioneers were into Hastings Book, including the reeds and the donors. Jacob Donner passed his copy around to ever us in the group and he would discuss it. Often one big lie in the book was about the Hastings cut off, which is supposed to be a short cut. That Hastings had discovered
Looking at a map is then, how one finds the short cut. That's right.
They missed a year, not real
I was there either there's a thing. Look. I can make my
finger? Do this?
I'll, be easy on foot based
the drip just with wheat,
that was easy.
but a short cut was actually a hundred and twenty file five miles longer than the usual route
it's a wee shortcut sure its value
Georgia and Hastings that never travelled it up.
Well, I'm starting to I mean I kind of forgive him now a little bit. He really was just like you go that way, fuck off get in there later now
while they were their red, ran into it.
Friend who was a season. Mountain man and guide been all over the west, but that's pretty lucky and he said that Hastings Book was fucking bullshit.
A hasty was a scammer and he met him and he had no idea how difficult the journey was, and they told Red absolutely do not take the Hastings cut off now Dave. Why don't we just go to the next sense, where you tell me that they took the eighth things. Has that south who needs it experienced mountain man? What some guy was like you got there.
Then you don't need a guy and I found a piece of paper a guide. What he did. A guide for he's got knowledge. Take this paper, so
The party spoke all night with the experience guide and some take us warnings and kept going on, be proven, rob but others like the reeds and the donors did not cause. I told me to take the regular wagon track and never leave it told them of the great does
and the roughness of this year's, but he quickly responded, there's a higher route and it is
of no use to take such a round about course, man, it's gonna, be fine.
Yeah. I know what the little knowledge I have. I know it will be fine, so the parties
At one party on the original route, while reading the others, including the Casper Exe, follow the Hastings cut off, this group was officially now called the Donner Party enjoy joy, your enjoy your fingers ways they're serving fingers tonight,
I believed you for wait too long and a lot at the Sweetwater River in Wyoming
a party was given a letter from Hastings Good NEWS.
I found it even a shorter route right there at Fort Bridger and it warned of us are they're going to Fort Bridger. It warned of pop possible mexican attacks. Instead, if, if they met him at Fort Bridger, he would personally lead them on the Hastings cut off across the desert and mountains. Okay, that's nice! It's
despite its total bullshit in some way for sure what they arrived at Fort Bridger on July. Twenty seventh Hastings just left,
ah to join another party, damn it what they were, what they were not told was a lot of previous travelers at Fort Bridger had left letters to warn other emigrants to not go on the Hastings cut off
where are the letters well, but the owners of the fort didn't want to lose any business, so they hit the letters- oh my god,
am, I don't know, I think that's going to affect the cafe business along all them letters that so dont go this way. I just order the case. A coke.
Welcome to survivors CAFE Sudan
party was now seventy four people Jesus Christ.
Weber? River,
However, whatever in Utah on August Sex, they found a message from Hastings on a stick.
You gotta feel good about that. They, like those worried for,
Minute but then we got the stick notes
Gimme, Madame average, we agreed unhappy with what's happening over here
there's a letter on a stick, we ve got another branch book.
it said the canyon was impossible and drew a new route over the homepage. Ok, so if you're going from book to note on a stick.
Not as good you like wait, there's been an update. Thank God. We felt this note stick. Otherwise we would have been fucked
He also said to send someone to catch up with them, so we could show them the up alternative route
read into Med, went ahead and caught up with Hastings, ok, and then he talked Hastings into writing back to the Donner camp. Sure too, to talk to these people.
But Hastings Little ways out had second thoughts and said he felt really bad about banning the other group he was leading, so he just show
read the route. I guess on the ground.
It's like, I don't know how that's gonna settle that works. It's just like drawing up a mirror in there and you're fine you're this and then you just keep going you'll figure it out. Just keep going down
the row was so vague that Reid just ended up picking his own trail. Well, that's not good right! Now! It's fun! Now! Okay! Well, I actually know it not to be fine. We don't know that I'll be lies here, haha. What if everybody
fine. Now, while there are waiting.
Now. Why they're waiting even more people join? The darker Donner Party was now eighty seven people.
now they are headed out on reads path.
Some are whether they are now that he's just sort of like improving path now,
I think that it is highly providers are. I think he came back and said it's this way. Also. He is just like a really gonna talk with major. That's fine! It's right over here. Let's go this way. Summers now over! That's a good sign
One young traveller, dried up can died of consumption loses. Wife gave birth to a baby boy, that's a good time. He was named Louis Junior.
It took them three weeks to reach salt lake. Instead of the couple of days that Hastings, it promised that's good, so today's three makes sure
water, the water there was undrinkable, so they had to gather water and grass before heading into the desert, which delayed the more ok pasting said the desert was about forty miles wide. He said the desert was forty forty miles wide, ok, eighty miles, why a gay within two days, the cattle and horror,
Just started dying, they couldn't pull the wagon some broke free and ran off. Those are the real that the by the way it feels like that's the last good moment of the episode. Just general vibe feels like this. The last time we
happiness for those cows or like go go.
Oh.
Before.
Without their horses, the red family had to abandon most of their wagons and they had to carry what they could now walking through the desert. So I we at the point where you're like that Hitchin son of a bitch points,
now, this is a great, really close, great short cut. Super shark relay cows, the daughters and Keseberg also had to abandon a wagon each once across the SALT Lake Valley they took inventory and found, they didn't have the supplies to make it the California. Well, that's.
the problem, so they sent two men ahead to get help from Sutter's fort in Sacramento, where they found gold. Here you go you probably you expect a bigger applause on that you were like this is a beer time. No, I think all these people play are bored etc.
They all went there as a pilot on like three field trips there. As a kid and they're like okay, I get it gold book. I got gold easy, my dear what you say, fuck someone.
Fuck John sat factually jaunts out. Are you fucking we'll get to that later? That's a date!
That's it every episode, but let's put China's added and I think, John Centre, worse than Larry Little Bit,
On September thirteen the party can't at a place called Red called the mad woman camp.
And he's just ripping right he's like got no idea. What's going on, we wrote that is diary, because quote all the women in the camp were mad with anger. Yeah
but not because of the location clause of the experience boy
about this area that makes women go coup bananas?
So
or die at our ears which by jus we are. I just can't imagine the wives dislike I've bought by the way you fucking. What
hey, guess, my hey states fucking, who guess what's gonna, make all the wives happier naming hit after that
God you guys are so fucking crazy. I've gotten this mad wife ally to you, mother fucker. He goes. I know you
yes, but I want to let you know kind.
No marginal in honour. On September, twenty fifth apart party finally completed
Hastings cut off told you told you
job easier! So
your family's dead, so much closer than we were. It ticks
sixty eight days way way longer than it should have. You know. Sometimes
that's our shorter. I don't think I know that, but they're not always
their back on the original route by
insanely behind schedule, they're back at me, a route.
good work, it's amazing
Tensions ran high between members of the party, the Red family, teamster and
graves family teamster got into an argument, as their wagons became tangled together. Well, that'll get em untangled red tried to make peace during the men and pulled out his knife to cut the tangled ropes on the wagons, one of the Teamsters curse at Reed and hit,
on the head. With his whip, handle repeatedly giving read a wide wide, deep cuts on his face. Wait he whipped him,
intimate that the handled pistol whip, I'm familiar with. You hit him with the handle of the his whip, whipping
we're panel yeas whip me like
demeaning beating the universe.
made not really meant you with a but my whip. You a little bit this latin and not much, but it's really out the amount of time its volume was
you deserve the other end step.
they like a man, no little baby buzzer. So then that was happening so reads: wife rushed into help. Oh that's
help his case leave my husband alone. I'm going to beat him further with the butt
Louis is like european area. So then the
hey mister step toward the wife and red thought. The teamster was going to attack as wife, so I'm he's in whip caused by the way not show it's going on, so he stabbed the teamster in the chest. Jesus Christ there's simpler places to start with that move the teamster blood out pretty quick and died.
All the guy was just hitting a guy in the face with the handle of a market.
We look? We all her weird favorites. Teamster too was my hero.
even though it was self defense. Many in the party turned against red, but it wasn't really self defence. It was like
it was kind of kind of defence. Sort of e was the been beaten with the butt of a whip, so he was a little woozy, but then it was like.
It don't touch her because fuck you fuck it. I was gonna hugger. I just try to sort of approach. People already didn't like the reads, because they were wealthy and started out with a ton of supplies and animals plus reed was stubborn and arrogant. Okay, so the group met and discussed it. Some wanted to take read to the law one.
the Reach- California, ok, others wanted months away. The others wanted immediate justice, Louis Hey,
and why they get no red wanted Louis,
eight of them and wanted him hung immediately in front of his friends and family what they may come on German, let it be horrible
Now don't lose your job, we should do it in front of his friends and family at Sapa and will say this is your dinner and then we'll make them eat them into goulash. There are two children.
One of the parties that Lewis began to quote convert a wagon tongue into makeshift gallows almost immediately. Why wait so so? Some german psychopath just ears like a bit of that does like I'll, make the gallows
Equipment we haven't nobody signed off on anything just yet it's a hang. It gets a hanger. Don't worry! I made an iron maiden. I got a whole setup over here. Didn't take
long EDA serves pretty quick sway.
Was it long ago, just I think there were damaged and all his blood at this and we feed
not sure I've made a lot of stuff there's a lot of options for so many options. We could do
Are we going to want? I don't know, that's our farmers make a day of it. That's what I said in front of his friends and family. I said after beta too has to be that for our part, I want to see the look in his daughters, eyes.
What is done is I got up and down at a shot up, look at what I've done a pop up,
got me.
Instead they decided to banish Reed and they allow them to
a single horse, and that was it the gallows guys. I I mean all care.
What I said yeah give a horse good call who did the servants package for.
Most saw this as a death sentence, but read just road nonstop until he caught up with
honours who were two days ahead.
Guys. What are you doing should find back?
well, let's hustle up hustle slept on with you. They said it's a race and we need to beat them by the way. Imagine catching up with the Donner Party be like laughs.
I'm home again.
so red and another man from the Donner Party Road ahead to centres for with a letter asking for a team of oxen and supplies to survive until California on October. Seventh, someone noticed the old belgian man hard coop.
was boys. A gap doesn't help his name and either was missing. I mean I'm not going to lie I'd pretty much forgotten about her goop, so he's been missing,
for me for quite a while. Now he was in Lewis's wagon and Lewis said he had no idea where he was yesterday, and I don't know why it's just some old belgian named Belgian him hard goop just walking around last year.
so someone backtracked several miles and found hard group on the side of the trail, hello. I keep going
his feet were bloody and are a sign of Europe leading so swollen they were split open. That's they ve got a real kind of bisected quality. Now.
He said, Lewis had kicked him out of his wagon to lighten the load and left him on the side of the road days. Before all right now I, like Bahar, goop, now poor little horror goop with his penguin feet and.
flap and out about their. He said to stay here, but I will get over here.
So he got your feet, they really are. It's like watching gravel walk. So he brings us back to the group, but no family would take our group in their wagon.
So they just left him again.
yes, we sure did our group
Fortunately, gas
I know it. When I remember what I found you you're a very dehydrated unearthly them is. Yes,
and you're worth once again to have a belgian turn, then that well all.
Er goop. Let me let me do some of the talking are lawful. I just I'm so crazy. I know I understand I mix up pancakes. Of course. Yes, yes
those are just I'm in this area, because we really need to jump right here right now. You got yeah, of course, target group
No, no, no, no, no add by the way that would be called a hardware. Plugin! No, and let me Titus, I I did you
fantastic and I love everything about what's going on in the new year, I think you're feeder fantastic. I really do
going to school. No point them near me. What I'm trying to say is that, unfortunately, after pitching some of the families about taking you in their wagon and fortunately, there's just no takers, so we're gonna have to those twenty wagons, it would appear to be so. But again I mean I can't I can't I can't Jamie and the one of em. I can't that's just not my role here. My answer, I can't do anything so sadly, this is kind of a second goodbye.
One yeah why wow just cause fuck yeah well, and I don't like the attitude shift for the fucking shit as his comeback from a fucking target target target, I'm not going to be ready to die. I'm not going to end on a sour note with you, because you're a bunch of fucking shit, asses fucking dire need each other. Fucking bow! Wow, look look well
well, someone's English is coming along. A certain way up to the Kurds have gone. Ok right, are you dont go? We tried and I was very nice- you an ear. Take these guys
in some broader. My foot hundred dollars you live are allowed. That's ADA, she's
how much better than that pledge Matilda poor Coop,
so he just died out in the middle of nowhere.
It died out in the middle of nowhere. They're like okay, bye, bye, hey, we can be catcher by you, can now die further from the spot you were in before, which I think is really nice for you.
Tougher fourteenth MRS Wulf fingers husband was missing
ok, everyone assumed Louis killed him for his money
Was busy like low s? What I didn't kill another fucking guy. I am ninety percent. I did that.
Where's, even now they were not
Percentages yet
They didn't do things in Avonlea proofs on October, sixteenth,
on our party arrived in this year about us. That's when the
on actual of the Donner Party wagon broke and George.
Cut his hand very badly, making a new one it slowly began to gangrene. Is this where the expression the wheels coming off come from? Has that's part
quickly deteriorating where we lost a whale he's got gangrene. Oh my god. Five minutes ago, the Donner started lagging behind the party.
By now, many families had lost most of their cattle to starvation or native American Thebes food into
eyes were decreasing rapidly.
In early November, the Donner Party moved with urgency chair, hoping to make these steep crossing before the snow came, my God, yes, Patrick Brain quote, the weather was clear, but a large circle around the moon indicated and approaching storm eight inches of snow fell. That night can be found.
That is not good. This was when Reid arrived at Sutter's fort over weeks, he put together a group of three men, many horses, food and supplies to head to where he helped. The Donner Party would be when the party arrived at Truckee.
lake in Northeast California, the snow was several feet deep.
They decided to set up camp around the lake and hold on through the winter, they set up camp right near the lake. Well, yeah, there's, actually a bandit there's abandoned cabins around there, for whatever reason why it makes more sense, so some of them took the cabins. Others just had to make shelters. It's kind of like the beginning of a reality show where everyone picks rooms-
except your life depends on some made lean, two's Louis
despite his lean to Jerry, lean, something up against Weber for country or another building, and then you cover it and that's what you're in relax
survivor, expert you're, the one who not watches naked afraid I'm gonna have to watch. It
Beg, and while I want that Joe and terrified.
Only when a larger Joe is naked and afraid too, I watch it outside on an Ipad and the cold naked poorhouse he's with me. Asshole.
so Louis, despite his injured and infected foot built, they shed for his family.
The Donner Party settled on the other side. What is that kind of like a dig at heart? Goop, like he's, got a fucked up foot like I'm building a shelter. I don't remember why he got the fucked up foot did I say he just fucked it up. Somehow
Okay, so the Donner Party said all night on the other side of the lake in another cabin snow starts, falling harder and harder. Snowdrifts are growing, taller and taller. The wet firewood is impossible to burn just feels like you're, using aerial.
Food when on food, when I click, does not the right thing,
they have had enough food was not cooked. Things to eat were roasted mice.
Fatty glue like broth from boiling cowhides. I can see you can either eat mice, origin.
Pink glue. These are the options yeah fuck it and a welcome to winter. I'd rather be hard goop. At this point, yeah
In December, snowshoes bunch of made snowshoes out of the remaining cattle hides
There are other make seventeen and they gave him to the strongest and healthier members of the party. The hope was they could make it over the mountains and get help at a settlement. Ok, so they set out with six days of rations.
Ok on December seventeen to return to the lake exhausted. It's not good news at all. We just left we left
it's really hard to get up. There had to choose a ruined.
So five and nine men and and a twelve year old walked on twelve year. Others, like I want to die. I am ready to be.
Fuckin boring.
Yes, I see this though package
Shut up dad, how great would it be to be able to take here, twelve year old, put him in this situation for just ten minutes
why did you go to that? Yeah upset about the I bet. Would you use your imagination, Todd and just think of stuff you're out here in wonderful nature? Take it in we're dying, fuck fuck, you dad yeah. I said fuck,
dad. I've been you. I you tat, daisies cut off because it made sense
it's a shortcut. It was only one hundred and twenty eight miles out of our way that one day your eyes- oh, I doubt that probably maybe might have happened, love you, son, who alluded to the.
On December, twenty as a breakthrough for you.
Under similar twentieth, they reached uber bottoms, Manitoba Uber was that the original mammal uber
But some you me.
but some snowshoers have now gone missing. Patrick brain wrote quote tough times.
at the end of the journal? Entry for the day you know you're, fucked, Rodya, tough, tough times, but not discouraged
Our hopes are, in God, a man, a man.
You are you're the guy right now, God is great.
The idea that God it's just
God won't. Let us die. No, he will it'll be remember hard cope
Never I grew up.
slap it on the rocks like a newborn penguin yeah, it's over.
On December twenty first, the rations ran out Charles,
Christmas
Stan was too weak to head back to camp and he sat down in the snow, pulled out his pipe and his last bit of tobacco and told the others to go on without him? Oh man, that's by the way, that's pretty that's a pretty great way to go to just be like I'm just going to smoke and die, but go ahead. I'm just going to have a bit of a pipe and then I'll just out here have a good day. It's
His final words were quote: yes, I am coming soon. He was never seen again
my visitors on December. Twenty six, the group was completely lost and frost bitten. They drank melted snow, the men.
Aren't you return to Donner Guy water by the way tat. The man wanted water, docile, melted, snow, technically water. The molecule separate sort of France
So the men wanted to return to Donner can't by the women angrily oppose demanding that they find help silly rationality, then they all became so hungry. They started hallucinating and then someone suggested they eat
of them an idea, so they are tripping my ideas,
Frank is I'm fucking Hungary this why we should have kept argue around
but you cannot get offended in the horror, goop story in this audience right now, so they're desperate and they talk about it and they agree to draw straws and decide who will be eat. What's what
But what about the dude, who just smoked his pipe or died? Why not go back and be like this? Dude is still reading that those five days ago. They walked away from my timelines off, obviously yeah I mean okay, so so Jesus Christ, I'm also surprised
extra existed that, but then they couldn't do. They can bring themselves to do. They couldn't cut the small one
so they decided to wait until one of them died and then they would just eat that person within three days, Patrick Dolan style.
it was eaten first Jesus Christ day. This is their slow down. Three people died.
I Patrick was eaten first because he wasn't related to anyone the idea of some sort of categorizing of this. Ah okay, so they go on and heroin one of the minority eat them. First, that's awesome! Congratulations! You guys! First
What are some what heartbeat ago was a history is a history teacher and he came here- and I know that you know about it. He's like now and now he's gonna get.
What a turnaround a Cinderella story so
Patrick Way, away you're this line Dave. It says a lot about where we are that uses that today, Patrick Socially, my uncle's name, which is worse, buys you leaving
You can't get far older man as EU other.
Cargo
yeah, so they excuse him on sticks over a fire. Well, that's at least a nice way to do it yeah! Well. Are he going to do it? Yeah turn turn him rotating Patrick look good before, but he looks great now. It was a great guy too, which I think is going to really help yep. I really liked him. I've never had a connection like this to the food I'm going to eat. I've never know
this. Well, I had a chicken name Bob raised no sex where this is far different. What's that
the middle. Maybe hallucinating you ve, not you better, be you never know the ready
they didn't look at each other. Is the aid Patrick.
shame adds awkward, that's a hard meal.
What what are you gonna do like five guys, you mark guys try their dipping saw guy.
You feel pure shame:
a Anthony Bourdain you're like
Giving more glow give our glow idly by glow to powder downward
yeah,
They also didn't look at each other when they could then a twelve year old, Le Mule mercury. But that's like veal you're gonna me so.
This location would later be called the camp of death. Finally, a good name
so the meat from the bodies do not match last much longer. Can they be
and eating their shoes. What wait a minute who goes
Movement issue:
go shoot a human? What the fuck, what
well, our probably eat the other things we could say, Patrick at the teenager dead and in us.
What are our shoes.
I can really over another Patrick though we all tied down at last
die of natural causes
Now everyone ate their shows not deny geese right.
so much suggested killing and eating there to native American Guides, Luis and Salvador by the way that, of course, of course, of course, white people are like. Should we eat the navigation? Should we crazy
but another man was appalled by this and he warned the to native Americans who ran away into the forest. There we go. We ve got a real went where that guy's, the next to get eaten by the way Louis lives eat dips.
This is our or from a nearby me walk village, but they a few days later they keep wandering and they find louisen Salvador dying in the snow.
The guy who the first guy, who suggested they should eat people, shot them without hesitation, and then they sliced and dried, Luis and Salvador Packing Meat
another back in January seventeenth this notion,
Their eating a lot of people,
Our seventeenth snowshoe group reached Louisen Salvador me whacked, village,
We have seen em, I have your son, they were so
in the meanwhile thought they were goes and ran away by the way right,
Move entirely away are and run yes always run from white people, yet always rough. My bid for sir, please read like people what they shop gone
and tell your friends organic off. No, no,
we're not the regular assholes we're desperate,
So soon they realise that these were starving people and they actually cared for them until some recovered. They didn't have much. They mostly just had a corn bread, but they ve shared it with these people have been eating friends and shoes. They'll take ACORN bread,
After a week to native Americans, led William Eddie to Johnson's ranch was about fifteen miles away. The settlers Johnson's ranch were absolutely whore
I had when they saw Eddie and they quickly formed a party to go help. They followed Eddy's bloody footprints to the Miwok village. This is very clear. Actually it's a clear path, very clear. We call this a group.
Any road, Anne S who s letter to the magistrate of Sacramento, who then wrote one to the magistrate of San Francisco, but he's really passing the buck. Can you do something?
during all this tricky lake things had been super fact, people were dying of starvation, Louis Casper Junior died.
Joseph Reinhard died and right before he confessed to killing Mr Wharfinger, I held love.
I want to blame by Louis that's a good, but that's a good way to go out to be like and places where we have closer, at least with closure.
Now Reid is still read, is still out. Trying to get people to you know, go help sure he hasn't given up hope. His first rescue attempt failed, and he was now in San Francisco, enlisting volunteers. He raised fifteenth out of fifteen hundred to buy supplies, but on February Fifth, the first Rescue party left Johnson's ranch as rescuers and San Francisco kept organizing etc. For John Cetera.
I offered three dollars to anyone who had joined the relief parties yeah my way to where to go all the way there, John and a glass of water I mean melted, snow. Read then headed
in a Napa and Sonoma to recruit, so obviously everyone yeah clearly everyone's like no. No, no. I don't want to do a future wine country and he just goes on a tour. This is also good. Do you have a riesling I'm here to actually some of my friends are in trouble, but I actually want to really nail this down. This is let's get to Pino it'll, be said: Moscato
a little ferdy, I'm not crazy about. That is also why we yes soon, I should get back, but I really want to. I want to walk this down. Oh
Crackers, yea, I've, never gotten yum yum yum yum. I just spit on my Ipad, a rescuer quote. They gave the alarm.
People would all die without assistance. It was two weeks before any person would consent to go. Oh, my god.
That's pretty bad, we don't get up there all right where our just stop we're out. Finally, we
included. We would go or die trying for not to make an attempt to save them would be a disgrace to us in California. Has long time lasted so too.
later, like right as weapon.
I really do this so unfair. Weren t the first relief arrived at Donner, the Donner Parties, campsite quote no living thing except us
else was in sight, though we raised allowed hello, that's
hello, friends,
Then we saw a woman emerge from a hole in the
hello,.
Oh everything's,
on fire. As we approached her. Several others made their appearance
I true in like manner coming out of the snow or were dying where the snow people do. They were gone with famine and I never can forget the horrible gasoline
They presented the first woman spoke
hollow voice very much agitated, she said: are you men from cattle
for no do you come from Heaven,
may God, man, God
here. The urine this day, whether you're two options are. Are you from California Heaven there's no at between
what is at the clouds are thereby I will just go for news and that's why Davy these run
The governor of this state, the great state of California,
slogan is: let's eat the Patrick's down with the patriarchy, so the first relief rescued twenty three people and left thirty one behind that's all I get bring. I was twenty three well, I mean good Lord talk about lining up for
Now can I go with the first with the first group? No, ok, we're full
Lewis's, his wife and daughter ADA, were among the rescued Louis remained at the camp because of his injured foot. Eight died in route. Tamsin Donner would not leave her dying husband's side. She wouldn't leave George, who has the gangrene share and and the first rescue left her, but she sent her children away to be saved, but a storm came with the rescuer who had taken the donor children, so he left the kids in Louis' cabin on the other side of the lake, just the two of them. I think there's more than two okay, but it's just all
in one cabin yeah. She put them in that cab and he's like. I can't take you in this snow. So good luck, your children, it won't go well, see you later by the way, don't play with this guy's daughter. He hits them. Oh she's dead, never mind, oh no bear play weather them.
Two hard play with a dead friend is so Tamsin became worried. Why
And a man visited the other side visited the cabins on their side, looking to see, if anyone knew if the Donner John Children had reached safety over there, he found the Donna children in Louis's cabin and quote witnessed such scenes of horror and suffering that he believed their lives are in danger of a death more violent than starvation. So I think he's hitting them out
shit. I can't imagine I mean that's all I can okay, so Eliza Donner quote, I remember being awakened. While there were, I remember, being awakened, while they were by two little arms clasped suddenly and tightly around me- and I heard Frances say no, she shall not go with you. You want to kill. Her nearest stood Casper, the man with the bushy hair. What is going on right now in limping past our sleeping place, he had stopped and said something about taking me away with him, which so frightened my sisters, that they believed my life in danger and would not let me move beyond their reach. While we remained in that dungeon, we spoke in whispers suffered as much as the starving children in Joseph's time and were more.
Fray, then Daniel in the den of lions. So I think he wanted to eat them. Oh fuck. I think he was trying to take one to eat, eat, eat and the rest were like yeah you're, not eating are yeah, and so they were just holding
each other to try to keep, but that's I grew up like that.
This is horrible, facts need. I stayed here. One of you get to come with me.
Let's go outside and play acts they were, but there were rescued by the second relief again terms and refuse to go. She stayed with George. The third relief was led by William Eddie and William Foster, who came hoping their sons were alive when they arrived. Miss Murphy said a single word to them dead
Miss Murphy. How about a opener thought about hello dead? Dad? Oh hello, both of the boys had been cannibalized Jesus Christ, MRS Murphy, whose twelve year old was the one that died earlier. Missouri was one of the first at the camp to cannibalize her body, but she accused Louis saying he had grown impatient. Wanting the boys to die, took little George Foster to bed one night and killed them by morning
is carcass on the wall like a slab of game for FUCK's sake, both Eddie and Foster were outraged, but Foster then saw that Miss Murphy was out of your fucking mind and bland.
And believed Louis's claims of innocence.
Eddie another hands or he would kill Louis once all this was over. Just then terms in Donner stumbled into the cabin after walking miles, Eddie and Foster offered to take her in children, but once she saw her children were gone and alive in good hands. She returned to George. He died a few weeks later.
When the third relief mission was completed, they assumed George, Samuel, Donner and Missus Murphy had died, so sorry must be tempting, but just a chain, so George Thomson and Missus Murphy died. I think that's all that was left up. That's all they left their. That left a note to wait. I left hams and Louis is always a virus. Ok, so there's George say I thought I'd miss Movie Times and Louis. Those of this virus Non thought Louis was worth risking their
before finally, in terms and had already turned on three chances to leave, so they were going to go back for so they waited.
The weather clear up a month later, and then they went- and this was the fourth relief- and they just saw this as like a salvage operation to get all the belongings okay. On April seventeenth, the fourth relief arrived at daughter's family camp outside there was a kettle filled with human flesh. Jesus Christ.
left, overs George donors. By going to examine tomorrow, George Donors,
He was covered in a sheet, his head, butchered and brains removed.
We gotta get on that score in this girl. That's where the candy talking now stop everything you say swear that
Andy is
Thompson was nowhere insight when the group got two Louis's pad.
It's a crab. They saw him with tamarinds body preparing a meal of human lungs and livers. Jesus Christ, it
Louis was the sole survivor all around the king.
we're buys a couple pounds. Gonna shake up there,
Christmas way to Iraq?
right. Now it s the the other. What awaits Barbie family, the new I ordered a good learn Santa gave me stuff and mass, dug in the zoo
Louis also, two hundred twenty five dollars worth of gold from the tenant, from terms and in his waistcoat, so the rescue plan.
Interrogated Louis message quite Eddie, I'm sure Tommy about
all the body parts are everywhere? Well, I don't know what to tell you. He admitted that he'd eaten Tamsin. Okay, I chosen now has that to start
but he said he did not murderer. He waited to die of natural cause. I was
good guy about it. He confessed to taking the donors goods the their gold bundle or stolen silks jewels firearms, but he said Tamsin had asked him to gather the Donald's goods and give it to her children. Well, almost on April twenty first, the fourth relief left with Louis on April, twenty ninth eighteen, forty seven exact almost exactly a year from their departure. The last member of the Donner Party hobbled into Sutter's fort and was reunited with his wife, who ate in greater la immediately aid him of the eighty nine immigrants. Forty five survived. Thirty, two of them were children, the reeds and brains were the only families to survive without a single loss. On average the women survived months longer than the men.
Ok, that doesn't have to be. We did make gender lines William Eddie started searching for Louis to kill him, but James RE talked him out of it.
I was in Donner gained a court following and became the heroine of the Donner Party, her loyalty to George Lover, children or commended by men and women everywhere, not so much for Louis Casper. I just think what happened news of the Donner Party spread across the nation in newspapers, about
In the mouth, the cannibalism was shocking, though many members of the Donner Party, eight people, Lewis, CASS Burgh, took the heat because he was really eating people. He was like well regard those which are macaroni at the end of the buffet really good. Try him with a biscuit. You will not regret it. He was known, as quote the savage who ate humans for pleasure, journalist
TIM, the human cannibal and report, and he murdered terms and Donner, as fact it they human cannibal. I don't know shit.
Like this, this kind of all about my itself.
Good, I know, but it's really is got internet for word. It works its redundant
one more word. I think it works. I get
by words.
Aroma began that Louis went to bars and brag about eating people. What he was gap powers like you, know:
you guys like a paycheck Murphy skews these fucking great this negative
People want
you start you're like. Oh, this is fucking awesome. I e eight people like I did it up in the mountains, but now I'm just like yeah all the time like. So I hang out at the beach what and when people are
by I I buy them and I just dig a chunk other leg or whatever, and they can't get it back because it's a mud dumped home. You know what I mean:
I'll take another shot.
The nice bar is take a shot of flesh.
Human cannibal care when Egypt,
the poor get up.
The Roma was, he was going to bar saying human me was more delicious than California
Now you all know the shark imagine like, and I kind of I am not trying to I'm just going to say his head space. This is its head space. I try. I am now the guy who each humans I have now been. I am that that's what people see me they go. That's the guy. We tunes. Ok, I'm gonna linen that's what I'm gonna do I'm so sick of being categorized as a freak that I am now not no longer. Was it sir?
I will based solely this- is actually the better meet. This is the other white meat is obtained
We should get like a peal of arm yeah and raise people, and we should ship that outdoor again and see
I like it and have wagon right away right by the way the horror people feel up. For that. As organ will know, the note like if we were to eat people
haven't been fields, I'd be like hey. Let us out I like what cows do we have back like? We can see that they just don't
big English, but they are out there. There's some beautiful cow
Rachel really have the five gorge, isn't so happy
now so.
They also said the rumour was that he said Townsend's liver was quote the sweetest mortal
you never tighter guy who,
trying to own this, and then he said, then he looks at me and he goes Tampa. Was the sweetest morsel ever tape? I consider my face, which is what brings me to my cook
look how to age a pass. The
media bad. Have Europe
POW, Chile, Billy, appealing
so Louis was tried for murdering six emigrants but acquitted, because there's no evidence well, I mean get lost,
supper. I was there. I think you're no averages open when we're going to, but his reputation is
disaster. I wonder why he sued rescuer for slander and one, but only
did the dollar and damages and how to pay his court fees yet just cite a ranch in it
in forty eight John Sutter hired Louis as a captain on a merchant ships. Are people who follow this guy for sure.
Seven months later, Heinrich Heinrich Lionheart wrote
Finally, Sutter decided to replace Mr Kessel, because so many passengers complained that the boat travel
so slowly down the river that when they ran out of food, the captain who was accustomed to human flesh might kill passengers who were asleep and ate them.
I own feeling is that Sutter invented this story. I completely understand, but imagine where would you sleep easier
You know it's going slow, your spaghetti.
So after this Louis worked in Cinema for General Vallejo before running a boarding house at Centres Fort in eighteen, fifty one he bought a hotel in Sacramento that lab stop at this reinvention,
Finally, not going well and a rumour started in that's guys, just earring whispers everywhere it goes scale. Each people stop at one time for a year enough.
Lord of rumours, started in Sacramento that.
Running a restaurant. Ah yeah I mean look. This is the you for what you eat a bunch of people, sorry,
that's going to stick with. You didn't, there's only way to survive yeah, but it felt like he was revelling a little more than
Well, what else I mean if you're, the last man standing sorry you're just going to be the guy who people are like.
He saw the hotel, but it was destroyed by a fire. The night before the purchase was
sure so he got no money.
No hey, let's, let's not feel too bad for this fucking guy, no known cause of the fire. Next he ran the Phoenix Brewery and that became worth fifty thousand dollars, but it was destroyed by a flood okay. He was broke again and eighteen. Sixty six Lewis moved to Callista AGA and became a partner in a distillery. Life went well until his wife died in eighteen. Seventy seven
they had yeah. You know what we're just going to go ahead and do without a barry I'll take care I'll, take care of we figure the best way to save on some of these commissions commission fee you're talking about is to we will get rid of it on our own. The last thing we want to do is take up a plot or anything like that. We know a way that she will be with us forever and not. You know something's not sitting right classic her.
yeah nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag yeah even from a dummy, so they had four children and two of them were intellectually disabled. Okay, cf Mcglashan was writing and writing a history of the Donner Party set of loses. Children quote Bertha and Augusta live with the Father at Brighton Sacramento County, both
Children are hopelessly idiotic. Well, there's that empathy we've read about from the time. Bertha is twenty six and has never uttered an intelligible word. Augusta is fifteen and possesses only slight traces of intelligent. Both are subject to frequent and violent spouses or epileptic fits the state, provides form
Sane, but not for idiots they scream so loudly, while going into their spasms that he cannot dwell near other people. He therefore lives isolated in a plain little house back of his brewery here he lives the saddest loneliest, most pitiable creature on the face of the earth. What the fuck! Now you feel a bit bad form yeah. I do feel bad for him. Well, not for him, for the kids cannot know it's not good for anybody
yeah but yeah sure. So when Lewis was sixty five years old, he was living near Sacramento and this author Mcglashan found him and he said, Lewis was afflicted by quote misery and desolation tormented by enduring accusations that he was a cannibal. The writer got well to be fair, it's not even an accusation. Well, but they're saying he keeps doing it. I mean oh yeah for sure. Well again I mean you eat thirty people. Let's see now you're doing it. He didn't eat thirty people. He ate some people yeah. He had a good amount of people. Well, I dunno about thirty, though look dude, he won. He won
Sorry, sorry, this is the downside to living. That is actually what he said when they came to rescue. I want
What does.
Why
Ugh
millionaires are the right away Dave how long it
Others are realities of people eating other people for weight gain five years. You max
applause
the biggest winner, appealing other people, so.
the writer got Eliza, Donner and Louis together when he went
They saw each other Louis job to his knees and swore he had not murdered. Eliza mother Thomson Eliza said she believed him and that she felt no ill will. But people still about believe Louis and saw him as evil personified. We was told quote that camp has banned
the one burden of my life well yeah yeah the place where you ate a bunch of people yeah it's a fuckin burden wherever sometimes I feel like it defined me and a way I do. I know it's wacky
Wherever I have gone, people have cried stone him stone him. It's tough for sure that that's tough, that's tough, mortification, disgrace. Disaster and unheard of misfortune have followed and overwhelmed me. I often think the Almighty has singled me out among all the men on the face of the earth in order to see how much hardship, suffering and misery a human being can bear. Well, then, he takes a rip of a thigh.
As losers. Descendants changed their family name when they settled in the Napa area, though today there is only one person claim claiming to be related to Casper on file. He spent the rest of his life poor and died in eighteen. Ninety five at a hospital for the poor. His grave is unknown and unmarked to this day. But if you go over his grave, you can quietly hear. Why is the grave empty there's just a napkin with a bunch of bbq sauce on it, huh yeah Jesus Christ? You feel not hungry.
I mean you know when you, you know,
watch a movie that you watched like they used to love when you were a kid and you watch it as a grown up and you're like I didn't even understand the movie yeah like there's so many parts that I'd be like laughing at it and understand. That's what I feel like this is like. I know what the other party is, but it didn't know what the dinner party is.
One of these little teach it in school. I do not think they do do they do the busy teaching
The weight of the value of it is like the hardship of of you, know, travel, but which also more of an idiot taken the wrong path story that it is actually know what it is added the complications from doubling down on something that you know is probably stupid, which is kind of how we based our government, but.
Would you be able to eat a person, but there's a little fascist? I mean if I'm starving and you're a you're, a fucking dead meat thing, yeah hm I'm going to fucking cook,
I have is to have to eat the guy. If I was dying, I mean, do you have any doubt? I hope my dog eats me. If shit goes bad and he's you know he's going to live, would you want Hosea if he had serve?
I know that he would. I lay down what time I took it. Whatever I took, a nappy was eating me
Did my arms open, he was like, are tired and feel a pulse. I was like those are veins,
for ten minutes where saving itself, I thought I'd just start eating put up by my crazy.
If you- and I were in this situation- who do you think would
cause. I know a hundred percent one hundred percent you'd eat me. I would eat before you die yeah. You take the whip and beat me with a blunt with Dave. Now I think there's a fruit tree shut up. I want steak. I like meat, yeah, oh yeah, I'll, do that afterwards? Okay, I said: do you want a blow job now? Jesus Christ yeah? It's not that! I don't that's another story. I heard when I was a kid it's better to you,
When you're a kid that just recently fucking went up into the hills, the wrong time and ate each other that an attack, they don't tell the the backstory of like they went the wrong way and let's fucking Idiot and yeah yeah, it's it's full of the
as a second dollop morons guys like I want to California garbage able it's the first,
People like I know better, let's go their own way and then, of course, the women are not they hate this. It's I hate it. When we stop and ass for directions
man will figure it out: Num Num, Num, Num, Num, Num, Num, Num, Num, well,.
That was the one that was the about quantity, that one for long,
regulations on a great story for their town.
Bay Journey. Congratulations, sir! Why aren't you clapping come on get your fucking hands the other night Jesus Christ.
I was going to do a different one, but it's it's going to scare the fuck out of you, so I'll, just save it for what yeah it's bad, it's bad you're all going to be fucked! It's alright! It's fine
Thank you guys very much governor. We really appreciate Sacramento. Thank you to stay theories, mother. Thank you.
As we appreciate it.
I.
The sources for this episode are the diary. Patrick Brean, one of the Donner Party by Patrick Brain. It's his own diarrhoea, said that
The different stars above the harrowing saga of the Donner Party from two thousand fifteen. By doing James Brown, the x
as of the Donner Party and its tragic fate from making any seven by Elizabeth
Eliza Donner Hoddan,
the emigrants Guide to Oregon and California by Lansford Hastings Unfortunate
immigrants and there it is with the Donner Party by Christian Johnson
history of the Donner Party, a tragedy of the Sierra by CF, Mc Glass, Mcglashan.
From the desk of see if migration
Letters to Eliza Hoddan Donner Party survivor, investigative report of a massacred wagon train Chuckie, Tahoe adventures.
And a more by sea of migration, desperate passage there
parties, perilous journey west by Ethan, Araric Encyclopedia,
frontier biography volume to G o by
Dan wrap them
land under Heaven. The Donner Party in the age of manifest destiny by Michael Wallace,
the following articles:
how Louis Keseberg was branded the killer cannibal of the Donner Party by Michel, Deborah Zack,
on mental floss. How Louis Keseberg was branded a killer cannibal. I think I just did that. One
Tracking down the truth of what happened to the Donner Party LOS Angeles Times by Anna, and
Charles F Glass in Turkey,
the Ark in this year, s son by Mark Maclaughlan,.
John Cannibalism, the true story, the Donner Party, National Geographic by Simon,
war now and then a ton of a tender websites, you can check out the source list.
Transcript generated on 2022-05-12.