The Sager Family's Troubles Continue

The nightmare journey of the Sager family continued to Fort Laramie where a buffalo stampede on the edge of what the settlers called "The Great American Desert", led Henry Sager, Catherine's father to try to turn the giant beasts away from his family's wagon and lost his life in the process.  His daughter records the event:

"It soon became apparent to all that he must die.  He himself was fully aware that he was passing
away and he could not be reconciled to the thought of leaving his large and helpless family.  Looking upon me as I lay helpless by his side, he said to me, 'Poor child.  What will become of you?'  Soon after camping Capt. Shaw came to see him and found him weeping bitterly.  Mother was feeble in health, the children were small and one (me) likely to be a cripple for a long time from my broken leg with no relatives in the country and a long journey still before us.  Father begged Capt. Shaw in piteous tones to take charge of us and see us safely through."

Mrs.  Sager herself saw her family to Oregon , hiring a young man to drive the team, but he turned out to be less than honorable.  Taking the family's rifle in the ruse to hunt he instead held up the wagon ahead of them where his "Lady Love" was. Mrs. Sager (who had just given birth on the trail by the way and buried her husband), came down with camp fever in Utah.  Women on the train cared for her newborn.  She died on the trail and was buried on the side of the road. 

In 26 days, the 7 Sager children were ophans, the eldest just 14 years old. 

Next time...what happened to the Sager children??

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Today in Pioneer History:  On August 11, 1806, while hunting for elk along the Missouri  River, Meriwether Lewis is shot in the hip, probably by one of his own men.