While we may suppose that most of them were folk of no extraordinary sort, certainly some were persons of education and intelligence.

Among these was the wife of George Donner--Tamsen Dormer; a woman of education, a musician, a linguist, a botanist, and of the most sublime heroism.
Tamsen Donner sent back now and then along the route some story of the daily doings of the caravan; and such letters as these are of the utmost interest to any who desire precise information of that time.

It would seem that the emigrants themselves for a great part of their route met with no great adventures, nor indeed, appeared to be undertaking any unusual affair.

They followed a route up the Platte Valley already long known to those of the eastern settlements.
"Near the Junction of the North and South Platte, June 16, 1846.
"My Old Friend: We are now on the Platte, two hundred miles from Fort Laramie.

Our journey so far has been pleasant, the roads have been good, and food plentiful.