Jesse Esrey (1800-1855)
Migration to California and the Donner Party Connection
Biography
Jesse Esrey (1800-1855) was a son of John Essery and Sarah Hester Clark. Unlike his brother Jonathon Davis Esarey who stayed in Indiana, Jesse moved on to Illinois and then Missouri.
His children who migrated to California just before the famous Gold Rush include:
- Amanda Esrey - married Daniel Rhoads
- Niles Esrey
- Thomas Esrey - died in Civil War (Confederate)
- James Esrey - died in Civil War (Confederate)
Jesse and Hannah Esrey
The California Migration
In 1846, Amanda Esrey and her husband Daniel Rhoads successfully migrated to California. This was the same year as the ill-fated Donner Party, though the Rhoads family came through by a different route.
Connection to the Donner Party
When the Donner Party became trapped in the California mountains during the winter of 1846-1847, Daniel Rhoads took part in the rescue and documentation of the survivors. His account is an important historical document.
Daniel's Spring 1847 letter to Jesse and Hannah Esrey (Amanda's parents) describes the fate and rescue of the Donner Party. The recent PBS documentary quotes from this letter.
Read Daniel Rhoads' statement at Wikisource (Bancroft Library, 1873).
The Letters
A sample of 19th century letters illustrate the continental migration of Esarey descendants. Letters between Jesse Esrey in Missouri and his children in California have been preserved and are presented on this website.
These letters are presented all together here for the first time and in more complete form than previously available.
The Civil War
Sons of Jesse Esrey who remained in Missouri during the Civil War fought for the Confederacy, while many of their cousins remaining in Indiana fought for the Union. Two of Jesse's sons, Thomas and James, died in the war.