Donner Lake
Noble Mothers
Dying rather than Eat Human Flesh
A Mother's Prayer
Tears of Joy
Eating the Shoestrings.

James F. Reed encountered the most disheartening trials after leaving
the Donner Party. He and Walter Herron were reduced to the utmost verge
of starvation while on the Sierra Nevada. At one time they discovered
five beans in the road, one after the other, and at another time they
ate of the rancid tallow which was found in a tar bucket under an old
wagon.

Mr. Reed has told the rest in an article contributed by him to the Rural
Press. It explains so well the difficulties of getting relief to the
emigrants, that it is copied:

"When I arrived at Captain Sutter's, making known my situation to him,
asking if he would furnish me horses and saddles to bring the women and
children out of the mountains (I expected to meet them at the head of
Bear Valley by the time I could return there), he at once complied with
the request, also saying that he would do everything possible for me
and the company. On the evening of my arrival at the Captain's, I found
Messrs. Bryant, Lippencott, Grayson, and Jacobs, some of the early
voyagers in the Russel Company, they having left that company at Fort
Laramie, most of them coming on horseback.

"During the evening a meeting was held, in which I participated,
adopting a memorial to the commander of Sutter's Fort, to raise one or
more companies of volunteers, to proceed to Los Angeles, we being at
war with Mexico at this time. The companies were to be officered by the
petitioners. Being requested to take command of one of the companies,
I declined, stating that it would be necessary for the captain to stay
with the company; also that I had to return to the mountains for the
emigrants, but that I would take a lieutenancy. This was agreed to,
and I was on my return to the emigrants to enlist all the men I could
between there and Bear Valley. On my way up I enlisted twelve or
thirteen.

"The second night after my arrival at Captain Sutter's, we had a light
rain; next morning we could see snow on the mountains. The Captain
stated that it was low down and heavy for the first fall of the season.
The next day I started on my return with what horses and saddles Captain
Sutter had to spare. He furnished us all the flour needed, and a hind
quarter of beef, giving us an order for more horses and saddles at
Mr. Cordway's, near where Marysville is located.