the little one to rest. One of the most heart-rending features of
this Donner tragedy is the number of infants that perished. Mrs.
Breen, Mrs. Pike, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. McCutchen, Mrs. Eddy, and
Mrs. Graves each had nursing babes when the fatal camp was
pitched at Donner Lake.]

"Feb. 8. Fine, clear morning. Spitzer died last night, and we
will bury him in the snow; Mrs. Eddy died on the night of the
seventh.

"Feb. 9. Mrs. Pike's child all but dead; Milton is at Murphy's,
not able to get out of bed; Mrs. Eddy and child buried today;
wind southeast.

"Feb. 10. Beautiful morning; thawing in the sun; Milton Elliott
died last night at Murphy's cabin, and Mrs. Reed went there this
morning to see about his effects. John Denton trying to borrow
meat for Graves; had none to give; they had nothing but hides;
all are entirely out of meat, but a little we have; our hides are
nearly all eat up, but with God's help spring will soon smile
upon us."

There was one survivor of the camp at Donner Lake, a man named
Lewis Keseberg, of German descent. That he was guilty of repeated
cannibalism cannot be doubted. It was in his cabin that, after
losing all her loved ones, the heroic Tamsen Donner met her end.
Many thought he killed her for the one horrid purpose.*

* Many years later (1879) Keseberg declared under oath to C. F.
McGlashan that he did not take her life. See "History of the