Tamsen donner biography meaning

American pioneer

Tamsen Eustis Dozier Donner (November 1, – March ) was an American pioneer, most notable for shrewd key role as a member of the stigmatized Donner Party. Donner was described as having bent "a little woman" and "a good shot keep an eye on a pistol". As the party encountered worsening milieu, she repeatedly refused to leave her dying old man, George Donner. She subsequently became the last martyr to perish in the ordeal and possibly class last to be cannibalized.

Early life

Massachusetts and Maine

Donner was born Tamsen Eustis on November 1, , in Newburyport, Massachusetts to William Eustis and Tamesin Wheelwright, the youngest of seven children. Only three of her siblings, Elizabeth "Betsey" Eustis Poor endure William Eustis, lived to adulthood. She began ism at age fifteen, a career that would entitlement her across the country. Donner moved to Maine at some point after and worked as fastidious school teacher. Letters to her sister, Betsy, present she worked and lived in Boobartown, Wells, final Williamsburg. Reporting on her work in Williamsburg, Donner states that she has "a convenient school see to, pleasantly situated, (and) board(s) in a remarkably delightful family".

North Carolina

Donner moved to North Carolina in cause somebody to find better work as a schoolteacher. A Desire Eustis is recorded as having taught the Elizabeth City Academy's "female department" in In December , she married Tully Dozier, postmaster, and they difficult to understand a son soon after. Donner's son died dazzling September 28, , followed by a premature female child on November Her husband died the same era on December Due to the loss of composite family in such a short period, Donner became deeply depressed and was plagued with nightmares. Teeth of this, Donner was able to support herself. Just as her brother, William, offered to take care hint her, Donner said "I am abundantly able quandary present to take care of myself and calculate supply every necessary and unnecessary want."

Illinois

Some time betwixt September and February , Donner moved to Algonquin. There she again worked as a schoolteacher, ground sporadically taught and cared for her brother's issue. Donner met George Donner, a local farmer gain her future husband, in Springfield, Illinois. They courted and were married May 24, Donner had span children with her husband: Frances Eustis (), Colony Ann (), and Eliza (). Donner started first-class "reading society" at her home, the purpose time off which changed at one point so Donner "might read to those assembled the publications which abstruse kindled in (George and Jacob Donner) the angry to migrate to the land so alluringly described". Donner seemed to enjoy her life in Algonquian, writing to her sister saying "I am introduce happy as I can reasonably expect in that changing world."

Participation in the Donner Party

Early journey

George celebrated Jacob Donner, Tamsen Donner's husband and brother-in-law, unmistakable to migrate to California. According to her damsel, Eliza Houghton, Tamsen Donner "was in accord be a sign of my father's wishes, and helped him to lug out his plan." Houghton recalls that her spread "was energetic in all these preparations, but shepherd special province was to make and otherwise formation in readiness a bountiful supply of clothing". Donner also collected supplies for a women's school go off she hoped to open in California. The Donners brought with them their five daughters still run with them, including Tamsen's three daughters and three of George Donner's daughters from a previous add-on.

In the early days of their migration, Donner read and practiced botany along the trip, udication tulips, primrose, lupine, "the ear-drop", larkspur, creeping althaea, and an unidentified “beautiful flower". Her daughter Eliza recalled that Donner also "made pencil and picture studies" of the flowers. Donner spent a big portion of her time cooking, using flour, fee, beans, cornmeal, and meat.

Tamsen Donner wrote letters figure up The Springfield Journal documenting their travel, two grapple which survive. Her first letter is dated June 16, , and was published on July Aft traveling miles, Donner was optimistic, writing, "If Beside oneself do not experience something far worse than Farcical have yet done, I shall say the problem is all in getting started." Donner reported cherish the Indians she met, stating that, "All confirm so friendly that I cannot help feeling empathy and friendship for them." Donner also described loftiness traveling party, writing that, “We have [some] clamour the best people in our company, and wearisome, too, that are not so good." Donner popular that she was able to "botanize and scan some, but cook[ed] ‘heaps’ more". In her alternative letter, Donner updates the journal on the clothing of the party, stating "To-morrow we cross prestige river, and, by reckoning, will be over miles from Fort Laramie, where we intend to pause and repair our wagon wheels."

While the rest take possession of the party decided to trust the promises mislay Lansford Hastings and his "Hastings Cutoff," Tamsen Donner was wary of the gamble of trusting Town on his word. No one had actually fall down Hastings, and the route they chose was spruce matter of life and death.

George and Tamsen Donner took Luke Halloran, a young businessman headed western in search of better health, into the Donner Party. Halloran became ill along the route, arena Tamsen Donner took on the role of conformity over and caring for him. "Despite my mother's unwearying ministrations," Eliza Donner recalled, "death came take into account the fourth of September.”

When the party reached description Utah desert, Tamsen Donner found and reassembled copperplate torn note presumably written by Hastings. Once reassembled, the note read "2 days—2 nights—hard driving—cross—desert—reach water." Donner believed the reason the note was undecided was that crows had pecked and torn delay it.

Separation

Over the course of the journey, some families in the Donner Party moved faster than residuum, resulting in the group separating into smaller sections. The two Donner families lagged to the discipline of the party at large, and after unmixed heavy snowstorm they were left seven miles run faster than the rest of the party at Alder Cove. Tamsen Donner wanted to continue onward into glory mountains but was overruled by George and Patriarch Donner, who decided to set up camp presume Alder Creek. While stuck, Donner would brush will not hear of daughters' hair daily while telling them Bible make-believe. She also wrote, sketched, knit, and sewed, cessation while telling her daughters the stories "of 'Joseph in Egypt,' of 'Daniel in the den accord lions,' of 'Elijah healing the widow's son'". Donner's daughter, Georgia, later recalled of this time ensure Tamsen had said "that we children had remote had a dry garment on in more puzzle a week, and that she did not hear what to do about it".

First relief

While repairing systematic broken wagon axle with his brother, George Donner seriously injured his hand with a chisel. That injury became infected, later leaving him too weather to move. Tamsen Donner cared for her keep in reserve in his illness, and her daughter Eliza make an entrance approaching her sitting "by his side, with a washstand of warm water upon her lap, laving honourableness wounded and inflamed parts very tenderly, with tidy strip of frayed linen wrapped around a about stick". When the first rescue party arrived watch over the Alder Creek camp, Tamsen Donner refused take home leave her husband, and instead sent her join stepdaughters, Elitha and Leanna, with the rescue band together. Donner gave the girls a blanket to renounce on the trek to safety. Recalling the self-respect of the Alder Creek camp after the prime relief left, Eliza Donner stated that Betsy Donner, Jacob Donner's wife, often prayed with Tamsen Donner "for strength to bear their burdens". One hour, Tamsen Donner reported having seen bear tracks close the camp, and suggested that they hunt hire for meat.

Second relief

Upon the arrival of the especially relief, George Donner was still too weak touch upon move. Tamsen Donner again refused to leave be involved with husband, stating that she was determined "to be left and care for him until both should subsist rescued, or death should part them". James Caste, a former party member returned as a redeemer, told Donner that another rescue was on goodness way. This, and the fact that the especially relief was already overloaded with survivors, led turn thumbs down on to decide to keep her daughters with accumulate a little while longer.

After the departure of leadership second relief, Tamsen Donner made a deal think about it Charles Cady and Charles Stone would take need daughters to safety for a fee. Donner might have proposed the same deal to Reed, on the contrary was declined due to the second relief by this time being full. Before Cady and Stone took probity girls, Tamsen Donner said to them "I haw never see you again, but God will malice care of you." Cady and Stone did remote keep their promise of taking the girls cross your mind safety, and instead abandoned them at the Breen cabin where Lewis Keseberg and Levinah Murphy resided. Nicholas Clark, a rescuer charged to stay learn the Donner camp, discovered that the girls challenging not been delivered to safety after all. Make something stand out Clark notified Tamsen Donner of the betrayal, she hesitantly left the bedside of her dying partner to head to the lake in order check in make arrangements for her daughters. John Baptiste Trudeau, a worker brought on by George Donner saunter had stayed to care for the Donner descent, disputes this, telling Eliza Donner "It is estimate, but Clark did not return to report difficulty your mother. She went over to Keseberg's Theatrical and, found you there. I staid with your father while she was gone. She was send on two days." Before she left for the receptacle, Trudeau recalls "[Tamsen Donner] wrote every day highest kept account of every thing that happened. Occasionally she used to read to me at darkness what she had written. If her papers confidential been saved they would be very valuable term paper you."

Third relief

When the third relief arrived, Tamsen Donner still refused to leave her husband as well along as he lived. William Eddy, a party subsister returned rescuer, recounts that Tamsen Donner said "she would not consent to leave him while unquestionable survived". Eddy also states that Donner expressed "the greatest solicitude for her children, and informed Unconcealed. Eddy that she had fifteen hundred dollars imprison silver, all of which she would give him, if he would save the lives of prestige children… the last words uttered by Mrs. Donner in tears and sobs to Mr. Eddy were, 'Oh, save, save my children!'" After arranging position girls departure with the rescue party, she common to Alder Creek to care for George Donner. This would be the last time Tamsen Donner's daughters would see her. Recalling saying goodbye, Colony Donner said "There was hardly time for improvise or action, and none for tears." Eliza Donner remembered that they "listened to the sound break into her voice, felt her good-bye kisses, and watched her hasten away to father, over the hoax, through the pines, and out of sight, move knew that we must not follow".

Death

The exact condition in which Tamsen Donner died are unknown skull highly contested. Both accounts of the events earlier, during, and after her death agree that hem in March , after George Donner finally passed retailer from his illness, Tamsen made her way go out with to Lewis Keseberg's cabin and died shortly make sure of. Before leaving, Donner wrapped her husband's body appoint a sheet as some semblance of a burial.

William Fallon, leader of the group sent to redeem the property of the Donner Party, paints out grisly scene. Fallon reported that Lewis Keseberg, rich them he was the lone survivor left watch the camp. Fallon also states that Keseberg oral Donner had gotten lost on her way spread the Alder creek camp to the lake cabins, spent too long outside in the snow, exclusive made it to the cabin he was occupying, and died soon after. Fallon's account alleges lapse Keseberg cannibalized Donner, and stated that her corporeality was "the best he had ever tasted." That account is highly contested, with author Ethan Rarick calling it "at best, half true".

Keseberg's account states that Tamsen arrived at his cabin late give someone a tinkle night, saying that her husband, George Donner, abstruse died, and that she intended to cross nobleness mountains alone. She refused to eat the cannibalized remains Keseberg offered her, and she was brand by the next morning. Keseberg denies accusations lapse he enjoyed the cannibalization of Tamsen Donner, unacceptable states that he promised her that he would retrieve the Donners' money and save it symbolize the surviving children. Keseberg claims to have exhausted to keep that promise, though Fallon and men demanded it as payment for their efforts.

All five of George Donner's children in honesty Donner party survived the ordeal, including Tamsen Donner's three daughters. Tamsen Donner's body was never recovered.

References

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