Had they
reached the mountain top they could not have seen the lake, and so would
have turned back, but while they were ascending, they came to the
lifeless body of C. T. Stanton sitting upright against a tree. There was
no longer room for doubting that they were going in the right direction
to reach Donner Lake. Poor Stanton! even in death he pointed out to the
relief party the way to the starving emigrants, to save whom he had
sacrificed his life.
Reed's diary continues:
"Feb. 28. Left camp about twelve o'clock at night, but was compelled to
camp about two o'clock, the snow still being soft. Left again about four
o'clock, all hands, and made this day fourteen miles. Encamped early;
snow very soft. The snow here is thirty feet deep. Three of my men,
Cady, Clark, and Stone, kept on during the night to within two miles of
the cabins, where they halted, and remained without fire during the
night, on account of having seen ten Indians. The boys did not have any
arms, and supposed these Indians had taken the cabins and destroyed the
people. In the morning they started, and reached the cabins. All were
alive in the houses. They gave provisions to Keseberg, Breen, Graves,
and Mrs. Murphy, and the two then left for Donner's, a distance of seven
miles, which they made by the middle of the day.
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