spectacle
I never witnessed. The remains were, by an order of General Kearney,
collected and buried under the superintendence of Major Swords. They
were interred in a pit which had been dug in the center of one of the
cabins for a cache. These melancholy duties to the dead being performed,
the cabins, by order of Major Swords, were fired, and with everything
surrounding them connected with this horrid and melancholy tragedy were
consumed. The body of George Donner was found at his camp, about eight
or ten miles distant, wrapped in a sheet. He was buried by a party of
men detailed for that purpose."

To carefully lay out her husband's body, and tenderly enfold it in a
winding-sheet, was the last act of devotion to her husband which was
performed by Tamsen Donner.

With varying incidents and episodes, the immigrants all reached Sutter's
Fort. One very attractive young lady received a proposal of marriage
while doing her best to manage the rebellious mule on which she was
riding. The would-be lover pleaded his case well, considering the
adverse circumstances, but the young lady gave not her consent.

Twenty-six, and possibly twenty-eight, out of the forty-eight survivors,
are living to-day. Noah James is believed to be alive, and John
Baptiste was living only a short time since, at Ukiah, Mendocino County,
California. Besides these two, there are twenty-six whose residences
are known. William McCutchen, who came from Jackson County, Missouri,
is hale and strong, and is a highly-respected resident of San Jose,
California. Mr. McCutchen is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, was about
thirty years old at the time of the disaster, and has a clear, correct
recollection of all that transpired. Lewis Keseberg's history has
been pretty fully outlined in his statement. He resides in Brighton,
Sacramento County, California.

In May, 1847, Mary A. Graves married Edward Pile. He was murdered by
a Spaniard in 1848, and this Spaniard was the first person hanged in
California under the laws of the United States. In 1851 or 1852 Mrs.
Pile married J. T. Clarke. Their children are: Robert F., born in 1852,
who is married and living at White River, Tulare County Cal.; Mattie,
born in 1854, and now the wife of P. Bequette, Jr., of Visalia: James
Thomas, born in 1857; an infant, who died soon after birth; Belle, born
in 1860, and died in 1871; Alexander R., born in 1865, and Daniel M.,
born in 1872. Mrs. M. A. Clarke's address is White Riv