A member of the Donner/Reed Party.
A bachelor, Patrick Dolan owned a farm near Keokuk, Iowa, and was approx. 35-40 years of age at the time of his death. He was a neighbor of the Breen family and had vouched for Patrick Breen when the Irishman took the oath as a naturalized American citizen. He was remembered by the group as being cheerful and fun loving and very popular with the children.
Dolan left with "The Forlorn Hope" in December. When the group ran out of food and was on the verge of starvation, it was decided that lots would be drawn to determine which of them should be sacrificed to supply food for the rest. Patrick Dolan was the loser. His companions could not bring themselves to kill him, so they decided to wait until someone died.
Two days later, Patrick Dolan, unable to bear the strain, lost his head and stripped off his coat, hat and boots and ran out into the open weather. He was brought back into the camp, but he was too weak to recuperate. He died about 4 o'clock p.m. that afternoon. Like the others that died in that group, he was cannibalized by his companions.
A bachelor, Patrick Dolan owned a farm near Keokuk, Iowa, and was approx. 35-40 years of age at the time of his death. He was a neighbor of the Breen family and had vouched for Patrick Breen when the Irishman took the oath as a naturalized American citizen. He was remembered by the group as being cheerful and fun loving and very popular with the children.
Dolan left with "The Forlorn Hope" in December. When the group ran out of food and was on the verge of starvation, it was decided that lots would be drawn to determine which of them should be sacrificed to supply food for the rest. Patrick Dolan was the loser. His companions could not bring themselves to kill him, so they decided to wait until someone died.
Two days later, Patrick Dolan, unable to bear the strain, lost his head and stripped off his coat, hat and boots and ran out into the open weather. He was brought back into the camp, but he was too weak to recuperate. He died about 4 o'clock p.m. that afternoon. Like the others that died in that group, he was cannibalized by his companions.
A member of the Donner/Reed Party.
A bachelor, Patrick Dolan owned a farm near Keokuk, Iowa, and was approx. 35-40 years of age at the time of his death. He was a neighbor of the Breen family and had vouched for Patrick Breen when the Irishman took the oath as a naturalized American citizen. He was remembered by the group as being cheerful and fun loving and very popular with the children.
Dolan left with "The Forlorn Hope" in December. When the group ran out of food and was on the verge of starvation, it was decided that lots would be drawn to determine which of them should be sacrificed to supply food for the rest. Patrick Dolan was the loser. His companions could not bring themselves to kill him, so they decided to wait until someone died.
Two days later, Patrick Dolan, unable to bear the strain, lost his head and stripped off his coat, hat and boots and ran out into the open weather. He was brought back into the camp, but he was too weak to recuperate. He died about 4 o'clock p.m. that afternoon. Like the others that died in that group, he was cannibalized by his companions.
A bachelor, Patrick Dolan owned a farm near Keokuk, Iowa, and was approx. 35-40 years of age at the time of his death. He was a neighbor of the Breen family and had vouched for Patrick Breen when the Irishman took the oath as a naturalized American citizen. He was remembered by the group as being cheerful and fun loving and very popular with the children.
Dolan left with "The Forlorn Hope" in December. When the group ran out of food and was on the verge of starvation, it was decided that lots would be drawn to determine which of them should be sacrificed to supply food for the rest. Patrick Dolan was the loser. His companions could not bring themselves to kill him, so they decided to wait until someone died.
Two days later, Patrick Dolan, unable to bear the strain, lost his head and stripped off his coat, hat and boots and ran out into the open weather. He was brought back into the camp, but he was too weak to recuperate. He died about 4 o'clock p.m. that afternoon. Like the others that died in that group, he was cannibalized by his companions.
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