"There was no moon yet,but by starlight we had for some time seen,only too plainly,the dead bodies of cattle lying here and there on both sides of the road.As we advanced they increased in numbers,and presently we saw two or three wagons.At first we thought we had overtaken a company but,coming close,no sign of life appeared....Everything indicated a complete break down,and a hasty flight.Some animals were lying nearly in front of a wagon,apparently just as they had dropped down,while loose yokes and chains indicated that part of the teams had been driven on,laden probably with some necessaries of life;for the contents of the wagons were scattered in confusion,the most essential articles alone evidently having been thought worth carrying....It was not a very encouraging scene but our four oxen still kept their feet;we would drive on a little farther,out of this scene of ruin,bait them,rest ourselves,and go on.We did so,but soon found that what we supposed an exceptional misfortune must have been the common fate of many companies;for at still shortening intervals,scenes of ruin similar to that just described kept recurring till we seemed to be but the last,little,feeble struggling band at the rear of a routed Army." What emotion did Sarah Royce's memoir convey about her family's 1849 migration to California?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The description of the dead bodies of animals and abandoned wagons, as well as the realization that this was a common fate for many companies, conveys a sense of fear and apprehension about the journey.

"There Was No Moon Yet,but by Starlight We Had for Some