Gold Prospecting during the '49er days was a piece of cake...if you lived.

[SaltwaterServr]

RCOCEAN: Deaths During the Gold Rush 1849-1854

Deaths During the Gold Rush 1849-1854
"These figures show the amount of property that has been destroyed, or the amount of losses that have been sustained in California, by accidents, mishaps and mismanagement, within the last six years. I will, moreover, give a list of lives lost by violent measures during the same period (1849-1854) :

Murders 4,200
Suicides 1,400
Insanity, (produced by disappointment and misfortune)... 1,700
Wrecked and perished on the way per sailing vessels and steamers 2,200
Killed by Indians and died of starvation per overland route, 1,600
Perished in the mines and mountains of the State for want
of medical attention and food, and by the hands of the
Indians 5,300
Total 16,400" -From California The Land of Gold - Hinton R. Helper (1855)

 

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[StreamlineGold]

Probably very under reported too.

 

[Sunset429]

RCOCEAN: Deaths During the Gold Rush 1849-1854

Deaths During the Gold Rush 1849-1854
"These figures show the amount of property that has been destroyed, or the amount of losses that have been sustained in California, by accidents, mishaps and mismanagement, within the last six years. I will, moreover, give a list of lives lost by violent measures during the same period (1849-1854) :

Murders 4,200
Suicides 1,400
Insanity, (produced by disappointment and misfortune)... 1,700
Wrecked and perished on the way per sailing vessels and steamers 2,200
Killed by Indians and died of starvation per overland route, 1,600
Perished in the mines and mountains of the State for want
of medical attention and food, and by the hands of the
Indians 5,300
Total 16,400" -From California The Land of Gold - Hinton R. Helper (1855)

Indians, wow, wasn't all that long ago. Thanks for the share, Sir.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Indians killed and stole over 100 horses of the Donner party as they struggled to cross the sierras, before they were stranded and ate each other.
I'm not sure how things like that were catagorized back then but I'd bet the real numbers where higher than the estimates. They couldn't even keep accurate track of comings and goings back then, much less anything else.
There are many graves in the tincup cemetary here and no one even knows who occupies them. I bet the Cali cemetaries have many more like that than we do haha.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Indians killed and stole over 100 horses of the Donner party as they struggled to cross the sierras, before they were stranded and ate each other.
I'm not sure how things like that were catagorized back then but I'd bet the real numbers where higher than the estimates. They couldn't even keep accurate track of comings and goings back then, much less anything else.
There are many graves in the tincup cemetary here and no one even knows who occupies them. I bet the Cali cemetaries have many more like that than we do haha.

you live in tincup? great little town (if you dont mind the drive for necessities or the mosquitos!)

 

[Goldwasher]

the Donner party by their own account didn't run into Indians until the Humbolt River. A couple Piute actually traveled with them and then shot and took a few Oxen. They were also attacked by a group using poison arrows killing 21 Oxen.

Reed was already gone having stabbed a teamster in the gut killing him and getting banished

The route they took through Utah took them through an area that was only populated by small native groups that were no threat to a wagon train. The Northren route they left would have actually put them closer to hostile larger groups. That's not the reason they took it however. They hadn't really struggled up to that point.

Several oxen ran off before the salt lake. They hadn't had water or grazing for days. Animals did come up missing when they took the cutoff. Many died or came up lame and useless. They tried to go out and find missing ones. None of those searchers saw natives or had issues.

They didn't start out with hundreds of horses to lose. The wagons were all pulled by oxen. They had mules and some cattle and some riders had horses.

They were slowed by terrain and it affected the animals greatly.

Indians were a small issue to the Donner Party. Only once they hit the sink.

Once they made camp at the lake they didn't have any issues with natives. So, not at any point crossing the Sierra was it a problem.

They had snow at Alder creek tried to push..should have turned back.. but, decided to make winter camp at the lake.

Only after having been closer to the pass resting oxen for the last push.

The snow came in and they missed the chance.

They didn't eat anyone until right before they were "saved"

They butchered the last cattle on Nov. 29th. A man died of starvation on Dec. 15th. they sent a group ahead five men nine women and a child on snowshoes...Blizzard people died and were cannibalized as well as at the lake and the actual Donner camp at Alder Creek.

One of the moms actually had enough food to make Christmas soup for the children. probably their last actual meal.

The first relief party made it to the lake on Feb. 19th.

The second party on March 1st discovered the evidence of Cannibalism at Alder Creek and the lake.

It wasn't until April 29th that the last person was "rescued"

 

[Goldwasher]

the numbers given meant you had about a 6% chance of a tragic death.

Doesn't sound all that bad

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I wonder how the families survived the ordeal that claimed they didn't eat human flesh and all their kids survived?
Mom was telling them it was "chicken soup"? Hehe

No it wasn't that many horses but quit a few. Those rascally redskins!

 

[Goldwasher]

I wonder how the families survived the ordeal that claimed they didn't eat human flesh and all their kids survived?
Mom was telling them it was "chicken soup"? Hehe

No it wasn't that many horses but quit a few. Those rascally redskins!

Interesting how they killed the OX with poison arrows. Just to spite the travelers pretty much.

there were only a few groups that even used them in the U.S.

Around here they knew how to make the poison from daddy long legs (supposedly)

They did know how to make poison from plants in many tribes.

Most the time it was made from rattlesnake bitten raw rotting liver...smart and gross as heck.

They even put it on bullets when they were transitioning from arrows and spears to firearms.

Many reasons to not want to get shot by an indian.​