Chapter 10 Summary and Analysis

The Donner Party survivors, in the end, got what they came for - land and opportunity. Most survivors did not keep in touch for most of their lives, perhaps preferring to keep the tragedy buried in their minds. This chapter is dedicated to describing what happened to various members of the Donner Party after the ordeal.

Louis Keseberg never escaped a reputation as a murderer (of Tamsen Donner). While Keseberg denied it, some reported that he bragged about cannibalism and the delicious taste of human liver. Keseberg died at an old age as a recluse, hiding from a society that shunned him.

Mary Murphy, who lost many family members, was very despondent following the incident, but she soon married. The city of Marysville, California, is named after her. William Foster was never tried for murdering the Native Americans, as killing Native...