James Frazier Reed (November 14, 1800 – July 24, 1874) was an Irish-American businessman and soldier and a pioneer in the American West, notable for being an organizing member of the ill-fated Donner Party emigration to California in 1846.
Early life
Born in County Armagh, Kingdom of Ireland (now Northern Ireland), Reed claimed to be of noble Polish stock. After the death of his father, he emigrated with his mother to the United States. Once there, his mother sent him to live with a family member in Virginia, where he worked as a clerk in the family store. In about 1825, Reed moved to Illinois, where he took an interest in mining. While living there, Reed ran several businesses and took part in the Black Hawk War of 1832, serving with Abraham Lincoln.
In 1835, he married Margret Keyes Backenstoe, a widow with one daughter, Virginia Elizabeth Backenstoe, whom Reed did not adopt but who nonetheless went by the name Virginia Reed. The couple married and had four more children in Springfield: Martha Jane (called Patty); James F., Jr.; Thomas Keyes; and Gershom Francis, who died as an infant.
Donner Party
In 1845, Reed decided to head west to California and organized a small group, which left the Springfield area in the spring of 1846. The other members were George Donner, his brother Jacob, and their families and hired hands. Each head of household had three wagons. In addition to two supply wagons, Reed had a particularly comfortable one made for his family to ride in, which has since become legendary. The Reeds and Donners left Springfield on April 14 and joined a large wagon train led by William H. Russell on May 19.
While camped in Wyoming, the Reeds, Donners, and several other families decided to split off from the main trail and take a new route called the Hastings Cutoff, which had been advertised as a shortcut across the Great Basin. They elected George Donner captain, creating the Donner Party, and separated from the other emigrants on July 20. The new route proved painstakingly slow and arduous. While crossing the desert west of the Great Salt Lake, Reed abandoned two of his wagons after he lost most of his oxen. The exhausted Donner Party finally rejoined the California Trail on September 26 near Elko, Nevada, having taken three weeks longer than the traditional route.
On October 6, while traveling along the Humboldt River, Reed quarreled with two teamsters and, in the ensuing fight, stabbed John Snyder to death. One emigrant proposed hanging Reed, but after Reed's wife pleaded for leniency, the other emigrants decided to banish him instead. Reed initially refused to accept their decision but eventually agreed to go ahead to Sutter's Fort, in the Sacramento Valley, for supplies. After a difficult journey during which he nearly starved, Reed reached the fort on October 28. After two days of rest, he attempted to take provisions back to the wagon train, but deep snow blocked the way.
The early onset of winter not only blocked Reed's return but also trapped the Donner Party in the Sierra Nevada. The Donner Party members contrived makeshift shelters, hoping to soon resume their journey, but were forced to spend the winter in the mountains. They were already low on supplies and were compelled to slaughter their oxen for food. As the winter wore on, many of the emigrants starved to death, and some resorted to cannibalism.
Meanwhile, Reed, now stuck in California, tried to organize another relief expedition, but turmoil from the Mexican–American War not only disrupted his efforts but also forced him to take up arms. On January 2, 1847, Reed participated in the Battle of Santa Clara. While in the area, Reed took steps to secure land for himself in Santa Clara, where he would eventually bring his family.
In early February 1847, the citizens and naval officers of San Francisco funded a rescue effort for the stranded Donner Party. Its leader was Selim E. Woodworth, a naval officer, with Reed as his second-in-command. Reed rounded up men and supplies in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys north of San Francisco Bay and headed into the mountains. Reed met his wife, Margret; his stepdaughter, Virginia; and son, James, Jr. coming out of the mountains. After an emotional reunion, Reed and his men continued on to the camp, where his remaining children, Martha (8) and Thomas (3), were still stranded. Reed led a party of emigrants out from the camps, but a severe blizzard trapped them at the top of Donner Pass for two days, during which the party ran out of food. When the storm passed, most of the refugees were too weak to continue. Reed departed with his children but had to leave the others behind. A few days later, however, another party rescued them.