Ordeal By Hunger Summary

Ordeal by Hunger In Ordeal by Hunger, there are many heroes in the disastrous Donner Party story, but one of the most colorful and heroic members was McCutchen, William. McCutchen had a wife and child who were from Missouri. McCutchen himself was six feet six and was powerful in proportion. I think that McCutchen is a hero because at the Little Sandy River McCutchen and two other men agreed to go forward to Weber canyon, where they will meet Hastings and guide him back to the Donner Party. After McCutchen reached the end of the Weber canyon, instead of going back with Hastings and Reed, he stayed there and waited for Reed to guide the Donner Party through Weber canyon. Later McCutchen and Stanton took the Wahsatch route to
Fort Sumter, because they needed to buy food and other supplies for the Donner Party and themselves. At Fort Sutter McCutchen got a little ill and had to stay while Stanton went back to the Donner Party with supplies and two Indian guides. When Reed arrived at Fort Sutter McCutchen and him heard that the Donner Party was stuck at foot of the Sierra Nevada's mountains. Therefore, they try to save the Donner Party by traveling to Truckee Lake with supplies. Unfortunately they were unsuccessful and had to turn back, do to heavy snow. McCutchen was not the only hero in the Donner Party; Eddie William played a big roll in this 2,500 journey. Like McCutchen, Eddie took the trip to Fort Sutter, with the Forlorn Hope. McCutchen's and Eddies children died in the hands of the psychopathic, Keseberg. McCutchen and Eddie both went back to Truckee Lake with a rescue party. Two had also survived the disastrous Trail to California, by taking the Hastings cut-off. I am glad for all the Donner Party members who lived through this horrible experience. McCutchen himself lived a white–bearded and vigorous old age at San Jose.