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Forty-six survivors out of an original 87, reached California starving,

tired, and traumatized for life from the experience they had just been

through. A year of suffering was spent on a time that was thought to have

been only a few months of easy traveling on a shortcut routed by a man named

Lance Hatings.

The journey began on May 12th from Springfield Illinois. A train of nine

wagons, filled with members of the Donner and Reed families, set out in

hopes of reaching California for free land and a new life. The families had

heard of a route that would get them to this great new country taking

350-400 miles off their planned trip. It seemed to be a good idea to follow

the lead of Hastings if his promise of a shorter, easier trip was true.

The first portion of the trip went smoothly as planned and they reached

Fort Laromy on June 27. There, a man by the name of James Climan thought

that the shortcut Hastings had come up with was unpractical. He thought the......

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Approximate Word Count: 564
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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