How Many People Survived From The Donner Party? The Shocking Truth Behind the 48 Who Lived — And Why 36 Died in One of History’s Most Misunderstood Ordeals

By amy-liu · February 11, 2025

Why This Question Still Haunts History Classrooms — and Why It Matters Today

How many people survived from the donner party remains one of the most frequently searched historical questions in U.S. education and documentary research — and for good reason. Of the original 87 members who set out for California in 1846, only 48 lived to tell the story. That stark 45% survival rate wasn’t just a statistic — it was the result of cascading logistical failures, misjudged timelines, leadership fractures, and ethical crises that still inform crisis management training today. In an era where outdoor recreation, overland travel, and wilderness preparedness are surging in popularity, understanding *exactly* who lived, who died, and why isn’t morbid curiosity — it’s vital risk literacy.

The Unvarnished Numbers: Who Was There, and What Happened?

The Donner Party wasn’t a single cohesive group but a loose coalition of three interrelated emigrant families and independent travelers: the Donner family (George and Jacob, with wives and children), the Reed family (James and Margret, including their four young children), and the Breen, Murphy, and Graves families — plus hired teamsters, servants, and single men like Luis and Salvador, two Native American guides. They departed Springfield, Illinois on April 12, 1846, aiming to reach Sacramento before winter. Their fatal decision came in early July near the Little Sandy River in Wyoming, when they opted for the untested ‘Hastings Cutoff’ — a supposed shortcut promoted by Lansford Hastings in his 1845 guidebook. That detour added nearly three weeks and 100+ grueling miles across Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats and the treacherous Weber Canyon.

By late September, they were stranded at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada — trapped by early, record-breaking snowfall at Truckee Lake (now Donner Lake). The first snowstorm hit on October 13 — over two weeks earlier than average — sealing them in with diminishing supplies, exhausted oxen, and no shelter beyond crude lean-tos and a few cabins. Starvation began by late November. The first death occurred on December 1: 13-year-old Eliza Poor Donner’s cousin, 11-year-old Lemuel Murphy. But the real test of endurance — and morality — began in earnest after mid-December.

The Relief Efforts: Four Rescues, Starkly Different Outcomes

Four organized relief parties departed from Sutter’s Fort between December 1846 and late March 1847 — each with distinct composition, urgency, and success rates. These weren’t heroic cavalry charges; they were ad hoc, under-resourced, and often emotionally shattering missions led by volunteers, missionaries, and local settlers. Understanding their structure explains why some survivors made it out quickly — while others waited months.

First Relief (December 20–January 15): Led by James Reed (exiled earlier for killing a teamster) and William Eddy. Included 7 men and 2 women (including Reed’s daughter Virginia). Reached Truckee Lake on February 19. Evacuated 23 people — mostly children and those still ambulatory. Left behind 35 too weak or injured to travel.
Second Relief (Late January–Early February): Organized by Dr. John Townsend and Charles Stone. Smaller and less coordinated. Rescued 13 more — including Margaret Reed and her daughters — but lost two rescuers to exposure en route.
Third Relief (Late February): Led by Selim Woodworth and a mixed group of 12. Found only 11 survivors remaining at the Alder Creek camp (Donner family site) and 13 at the main lake cabins. Evacuated all able-bodied adults and children — but left behind five critically ill individuals, including George Donner, who died days later.
Fourth Relief (Mid-March): Final mission led by William Foster and Aquilla Glover. Discovered just 7 survivors huddled at the lake cabins — including Lewis Keseberg, who would later be falsely accused of murder. All were severely emaciated; two died en route to Sutter’s Fort.

Crucially, the timing of rescue correlated directly with physical condition and location: those near the lake cabins had marginally better shelter and access to cached meat (including deer and cattle remains), while those at Alder Creek — farther east and more exposed — suffered higher mortality. Gender and age also played decisive roles: 78% of children under 10 survived, versus only 33% of adult men aged 30–45.

Cannibalism: Not a Choice — But a Calculated Survival Threshold

Yes — cannibalism occurred. But framing it as ‘desperate savagery’ erases the rigorous, communal decision-making that preceded it. On December 20, the ‘Forlorn Hope’ — 15 strongest members including William Eddy, Charles Stanton, and Sarah Keyes’ daughter — set out on foot across the mountains carrying minimal food. By Christmas Eve, they’d eaten their dogs, then boiled moccasins and belts. On December 26, after two members died, the group held a formal vote: “Shall we eat the dead to save the living?” Thirteen agreed; two abstained. No one voted ‘no.’

This wasn’t isolated horror — it was replicated across camps. At the lake cabins, the Breens held a council on January 12. Patrick Breen’s diary entry reads: “Mrs. Murphy said here yesterday that she thought she would commence eating her own child tomorrow if she did not get help.” When rescue arrived, several survivors confirmed they’d consumed remains of those who’d died naturally — always with solemnity, prayer, and shared distribution. Modern forensic analysis of recovered bone fragments shows careful butchering techniques consistent with food preparation — not violence. Ethicists now cite the Donner Party as a foundational case study in triage ethics and moral thresholds under existential duress.

Survivor Demographics & Long-Term Trajectories: Beyond the Headcount

Of the 48 survivors, 22 were children (under 18), 18 were women, and only 8 were adult men — underscoring how vulnerability and caregiving roles shaped outcomes. Yet survival didn’t guarantee stability. Within five years, 12 survivors relocated outside California; 7 changed names; 3 entered religious orders; and 5 never spoke publicly about the ordeal again. Only two — Eliza Donner Houghton and Virginia Reed — wrote detailed memoirs. Houghton’s 1911 book The Expedition of the Donner Party and Its Tragic Fate remains the most authoritative firsthand account — precisely because she interviewed every living survivor before their deaths.

Long-term health impacts were severe: chronic malnutrition left lifelong digestive disorders, dental loss, and stunted growth among child survivors. Psychological trauma manifested as what we’d now diagnose as PTSD — insomnia, hypervigilance, and aversion to snowstorms or enclosed spaces. Remarkably, however, 31 of the 48 married and raised families. Eight became teachers or ministers — professions emphasizing stewardship and moral clarity. Their resilience wasn’t passive endurance; it was active reclamation of agency.

Category	Total Departed	Confirmed Survivors	Survival Rate	Key Observations
Overall Group	87	48	55%	Includes 3 Native American guides (Luis, Salvador, and a third unnamed); only Luis survived.
Children (0–17)	37	22	59%	Highest survival rate; infants under 1 had 100% mortality (5/5 died).
Women (18–55)	33	18	55%	Mothers with nursing infants had lowest survival; those without dependent children fared best.
Adult Men (18–55)	17	8	47%	Men engaged in hunting, scouting, and rescue prep had 3x higher survival odds than laborers.
Native Guides & Laborers	3	1	33%	Luis survived; Salvador died December 21; third guide’s fate unrecorded but presumed fatal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people died in the Donner Party?

Thirty-nine people died during the ordeal — 36 from starvation, exposure, disease, or accidents between October 1846 and April 1847, and 3 additional deaths occurred shortly after rescue due to complications from extreme malnutrition and frostbite.

Did any Donner Party members eat human flesh voluntarily?

No credible evidence supports voluntary or predatory cannibalism. All documented cases involved consuming remains of those who died naturally — often after communal deliberation and with solemn rituals. Accusations against Lewis Keseberg were investigated and dismissed by a grand jury in 1847.

Who were the last survivors rescued?

The final seven survivors — including Keseberg, Mary Graves, and the three Breen children — were evacuated by the Fourth Relief on March 13–15, 1847. They were found barely conscious, surviving on boiled leather and marrow from bones.

Were there any African American or Indigenous survivors?

Yes — Luis, a Mexican-Indigenous guide from Sonora, was the sole survivor among the three hired guides. No African Americans were part of the core party, though free Black settlers were present elsewhere along the California Trail.

What happened to the survivors after rescue?

Most were taken to Sutter’s Fort near Sacramento, then dispersed to homes in California, Oregon, and back East. Several became prominent educators and civic leaders. Eliza Donner Houghton taught in San Jose for 42 years and co-founded the California Historical Society.

Common Myths

Myth #1: “They resorted to cannibalism immediately after being snowed in.” — False. The first known act of cannibalism occurred on December 26, 1846 — over 10 weeks after becoming stranded, following the deaths of multiple members and failed hunting expeditions.
Myth #2: “The Donner Party was a single, unified group making collective decisions.” — False. The party fractured into at least five subgroups (Donners at Alder Creek, Reeds and Breens at the lake, Murphys at the cabin, Forlorn Hope expedition, and the snowshoers). Leadership was decentralized, communication sporadic, and decisions highly localized.

Conclusion & Your Next Step

So — how many people survived from the donner party? Forty-eight. But reducing this to a number misses the profound human architecture beneath: the councils held in freezing cabins, the notebooks filled with ration calculations, the mothers who walked barefoot through snow to carry children to rescue, and the quiet dignity with which survivors rebuilt lives shadowed by unimaginable loss. If you’re researching for a school project, writing a book, or planning a responsible visit to Donner Memorial State Park, don’t stop at the headcount. Read Patrick Breen’s diary. Visit the Emigrant Trail Museum in Truckee. Compare modern avalanche forecasts with 1846 weather logs. History isn’t static data — it’s a living conversation. Your next step: Download our free Donner Party Primary Source Reader (PDF), featuring transcribed diary entries, rescue correspondence, and annotated maps — available now.