The Lost Rescue: Parallel Diaries of the Advance Party from the Lost Wagon Train of 1853

by Daniel Owen

In 1853, a wagon train camped in the Eastern Oregon desert, 130 miles from the Oregon Trail. Uncertain of their whereabouts and in desperate need of supplies, they sent a scouting party over the mountains for help. This is the true story of Elijah Elliott’s “Advance Party.” Becoming lost in the Three Sisters Wilderness, they tell their own story of starvation and loyalty through two parallel diaries. Known as the Lost Rescue, the scouting party was the first known group of Euro-Americans to cross the Cascade Mountains through the Three Sisters Wilderness Area.The Lost Rescue contains a complete history of the Meek Cutoff. In 1845, while facing threats from the Walla Walla and Cayuse Nations, Stephen Meek led 1,050 men, women and children into the wilderness, seeking a short-cut across the Eastern Oregon desert. Poorly supplied and facing a mysterious illness, they forged a new path through the desert. In 1853, Elijah Elliott attempted to lead a large group on the same cutoff. After a costly wrong turn, Elliott found himself at the mercy of an angry mob. As they journeyed west, the starving train made their own way across the desert, facing hunger and intense thirst. In an act of desperation, the emigrants set their animals free, and followed them to the distant waters of the Deschutes River.

260 pages, Paperback

Published November 27, 2015

Reviews

[Diana Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful view into Oregon History -- non-fiction. Really enjoyed it.