Publisher's Synopsis
In reality, the choice of the southern route did not ease travelers' efforts. The unremitting heat and lack of water killed more people and animals than the snows of the mountains. Jacob Stover's narrative provides fine descriptions of these challenges, especially the difficulty in transporting supplies. Of added interest is the journal of Henry Bigler, a former member of the Mormon Battalion, who was the first person to record Marshall's discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill.