Peter Skene Ogden's party entered present day Nevada in Autumn of 1828. They traveled south, and on November 8 they discovered what is now known as the Humboldt River near present day Winnemucca. The party continued downstream, reaching what is now Mill City. On November 25, Joseph Paul, a young trapper, was brought into camp very ill. The weather was bitterly cold, and the party was nearly out of provisions. They had been planning on returning to their winter quarters northeast of Great Salt Lake. However, Joseph was too sick to be moved. Ogden was determined to do nothing to make Joseph's condition worse, or hasten his death. From Ogden's journal of November 4:
"Cold severe. Sick man no better. If the weather would
moderate I would make an attempt to move. It is the general
opinion he cannot survive. At all events by care and attention
we shall not hasten his death, nor prevent recovery; but are
in a critical situation, our horses starving, our provisions low.
Granting it may hasten the death of our sick man, we have no
alternative left. God forbid it should hasten his death. At
the same time the interests of the others who are now becom-
ing most anxious from the low ebb of provisions must be at-
tended to. So long as they had food, there was no murmur.
Now it is the reverse and I cannot blame them.
Provisions were running low, and a decision had to be made. Joseph Paul begged Ogden to put him out of his misery and save the party from starvation. On November 6 Ogden decided to move the party along with Joseph. Joseph was loaded onto a horse and covered with robes and blankets and they moved up the river. By November 10, Paul became too ill to move. Two men volunteered to stay with him to allow the rest of the party to proceed to their winter grounds. From Ogden's journal of Nov. 9 and 10:
"Tuesday 9th.
From the sufferings of the man during the night, it was impossible to raise camp. Cold most severe. The river fast
bound with ice. Provisions very low. Not a track of an animal to be seen.
"Wednesday 10th.
Cold. 2 men came forward this A. M. and volunteered to
remain with the sick man as the latter requested I would consent to go on without him in quest of provisions and not
apprehending danger from natives, I gave my consent. In fact there was no alternative. It is impossible for the whole
party to remain here and feed on horse flesh for four months, ioo would scarcely suffice, and what would become of us after-
wards? I secured an Indian to accompany us as guide, in-forming them of our intention to return and not to molest
those I left behind, otherwise I would not only retaliate on them, but on the one who accompanied us. I gave the men a
bag of pease and a 3 yr. old colt and strict orders of every precaution for their safety. At 10 A. M. we started along the
banks of the River: crossed over on the ice and camped at sunset.
Ogden's party moved on, Ogden made no journal entries for the next week. Ogden's entry of Dec. 26 gives an idea of how desperate for good food the men were:
"Monday 29th.
Late ere our horses were found. Had not advanced more than half a mile when we found 2 springs of fresh water for
our poor horses. We continued till 3 P. M. When we reached the mountains and camped. Here again disappointed, no
water. One of our horses fell down so weak and reduced he could rise no more. I had him killed and the meat gave those
most in want. To be reduced to food of diseased horses is not desirable.
On January 1, 1829 one of the trappers left with Paul re-joined Ogden's party:
1829 Thursday 1 Jan.
One of the trappers left in charge of the sick man arrived with his horse fatigued and informed me that our sick man
Joseph Paul died 8 days after we left suffering most severely, a young man only 29, steady and a first rate trapper. There
remains now only one man of all the Snake men of 1829. All have been killed with the exception of 2 who died a nat-
ural death and are scattered over the Snake Country. It is incredible the number that have fallen in this country. I sent
2 horses back to assist the remaining man to camp.
On April 8 Ogden's party returned to "Unknown River", and four days later reached Joseph Paul's grave. Joseph Paul is believed to be the first white man to die in present day Nevada. His grave is located somewhere between present Winnemucca and Golconda. Although several references say Paul is buried near Mill City, it is clear the party traveled four days from the camp near Mill City before Paul was left in the care of two volunteers. From Ogden's journal of Nov. 8:
Monday 8th.
"At 9 A. M. we started. I gave the sick man 2 men to
assist him and lead his horse, taking every precaution to have
him well covered with robes and blankets as from the cold and
our having a long point of land to cross over, we had a hilly
road, snow 2 ft. deep, camp 3 P. M. Shortly after one of the
men in charge of the sick man arrived and reported the horse
had become so fatigued they could not advance. I sent off
2 horses to their aid. About 7 P. M. they arrived. He does
not complain of having suffered. Course S. E."
For the party to be traveling Southeast, it is clear that they passed present Winnemucca and rounded Button Point. From the post of the 9th, it is clear the party is following the river. Immediately past Golconda, the Humboldt turns to the Northeast, so it is clear the final resting point of Joseph Paul is between Button Point and Golconda.
"Cold severe. Sick man no better. If the weather would
moderate I would make an attempt to move. It is the general
opinion he cannot survive. At all events by care and attention
we shall not hasten his death, nor prevent recovery; but are
in a critical situation, our horses starving, our provisions low.
Granting it may hasten the death of our sick man, we have no
alternative left. God forbid it should hasten his death. At
the same time the interests of the others who are now becom-
ing most anxious from the low ebb of provisions must be at-
tended to. So long as they had food, there was no murmur.
Now it is the reverse and I cannot blame them.
Provisions were running low, and a decision had to be made. Joseph Paul begged Ogden to put him out of his misery and save the party from starvation. On November 6 Ogden decided to move the party along with Joseph. Joseph was loaded onto a horse and covered with robes and blankets and they moved up the river. By November 10, Paul became too ill to move. Two men volunteered to stay with him to allow the rest of the party to proceed to their winter grounds. From Ogden's journal of Nov. 9 and 10:
"Tuesday 9th.
From the sufferings of the man during the night, it was impossible to raise camp. Cold most severe. The river fast
bound with ice. Provisions very low. Not a track of an animal to be seen.
"Wednesday 10th.
Cold. 2 men came forward this A. M. and volunteered to
remain with the sick man as the latter requested I would consent to go on without him in quest of provisions and not
apprehending danger from natives, I gave my consent. In fact there was no alternative. It is impossible for the whole
party to remain here and feed on horse flesh for four months, ioo would scarcely suffice, and what would become of us after-
wards? I secured an Indian to accompany us as guide, in-forming them of our intention to return and not to molest
those I left behind, otherwise I would not only retaliate on them, but on the one who accompanied us. I gave the men a
bag of pease and a 3 yr. old colt and strict orders of every precaution for their safety. At 10 A. M. we started along the
banks of the River: crossed over on the ice and camped at sunset.
Ogden's party moved on, Ogden made no journal entries for the next week. Ogden's entry of Dec. 26 gives an idea of how desperate for good food the men were:
"Monday 29th.
Late ere our horses were found. Had not advanced more than half a mile when we found 2 springs of fresh water for
our poor horses. We continued till 3 P. M. When we reached the mountains and camped. Here again disappointed, no
water. One of our horses fell down so weak and reduced he could rise no more. I had him killed and the meat gave those
most in want. To be reduced to food of diseased horses is not desirable.
On January 1, 1829 one of the trappers left with Paul re-joined Ogden's party:
1829 Thursday 1 Jan.
One of the trappers left in charge of the sick man arrived with his horse fatigued and informed me that our sick man
Joseph Paul died 8 days after we left suffering most severely, a young man only 29, steady and a first rate trapper. There
remains now only one man of all the Snake men of 1829. All have been killed with the exception of 2 who died a nat-
ural death and are scattered over the Snake Country. It is incredible the number that have fallen in this country. I sent
2 horses back to assist the remaining man to camp.
On April 8 Ogden's party returned to "Unknown River", and four days later reached Joseph Paul's grave. Joseph Paul is believed to be the first white man to die in present day Nevada. His grave is located somewhere between present Winnemucca and Golconda. Although several references say Paul is buried near Mill City, it is clear the party traveled four days from the camp near Mill City before Paul was left in the care of two volunteers. From Ogden's journal of Nov. 8:
Monday 8th.
"At 9 A. M. we started. I gave the sick man 2 men to
assist him and lead his horse, taking every precaution to have
him well covered with robes and blankets as from the cold and
our having a long point of land to cross over, we had a hilly
road, snow 2 ft. deep, camp 3 P. M. Shortly after one of the
men in charge of the sick man arrived and reported the horse
had become so fatigued they could not advance. I sent off
2 horses to their aid. About 7 P. M. they arrived. He does
not complain of having suffered. Course S. E."
For the party to be traveling Southeast, it is clear that they passed present Winnemucca and rounded Button Point. From the post of the 9th, it is clear the party is following the river. Immediately past Golconda, the Humboldt turns to the Northeast, so it is clear the final resting point of Joseph Paul is between Button Point and Golconda.