The Murphys and the Pikes left Tennessee in March, 1846 and met the Fosters in St. Louis, MO. The group of thirteen included; Levinah W. (Jackson) Murphy, her five younger children, two married daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.

They joined the Donner Party led by George Donner, his brother Jacob and James Frazier Reed, all of Springfield, Illinois in a wagon train headed for California.

Unfortunately a harsh winter in the Sierra Nevada Mountains took its toll on the group and almost half died. Those that survived were forced to cannibalize those that had perished.

1 - Levinah W. (Jackson) Murphy (age 36) [perished]

2 - Sarah Ann Charlotte Murphy (age 19) [survived]
     William McFadden Foster (age 30)[survived]

3 - Jeremiah George Foster (age 1) [perished]
2 - Harriet Frances Murphy (age 18) [survived]
     William M. Pike (age 25) [perished]

3 - Naomi Levina Pike (age 2) [survived]
3 - Catherine Pike (age 1) [perished]
2 - John Landrum Murphy (age 16) [perished]
2 - Meriam Marjory Murphy (age 14) [survived]
2 - Lemuel B. Murphy (age 12) [perished]
2 - William Green Murphy (age 10) [survived]
2 - Simon Peter Murphy (age 8) [survived]

Name: Levinah W. Jackson Murphy
Born: 15 Dec 1809
Place: Union Co., SC
Father: Frederick Jackson
     (b. 11 Jun 1776, Union Co., SC; d. 6 Aug 1836, Union Co., SC)
Mother: Charlotte Vinson
     (b. 8 Oct 1770, d. 8 Nov 1844 Union Co., SC)
Married: 19 Dec 1825
Place: Union Co., SC
Spouse: to Jeremiah Burns Murphy
     (b. 3 Mar 1805, Union Co., SC; d. 5 Oct 1839, Weakley Co., TN)
Died: March 1847
Place: Donner Lake Camp, Nevada Co., CA
Buried: Donner Lake Camp, Nevada Co., CA
Children: Sarah Ann Charlotte, Harriet Frances, John Landrum, Meriam Marjory, Lemuel B., William Green, Simon Peter.
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Name: Sarah Ann Charlotte Murphy
Born: 04 Nov 1826
Place: Union County, SC
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: 29 Dec 1842
Place: Clark Co., MO
Spouse: William McFadden Foster
Died: 20 Dec 1906
Place: San Francisco (?), CA
Buried: Fort Bragg
Children: Jeremiah George, Alice E., Georgiana C., William Budd, Minnesota "Minnie," Harriet "Hattie," Frances S.
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Name: Harriet Frances Murphy
Born: 08 May 1828
Place: Union Co., SC
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: 29 Dec 1842
Place: Clark Co., MO
Spouse: William M. Pike
Spouse 2: Michael C. Nye (04 Apr 1821-1905), 24 Jun 1847 Sutter's Fort, Sacramento Co., CA
Died: 1872
Place: The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR
Buried: Marysville, Yuba Co., CA
Children: Naomi Levina, Catherine, Harry(2) (b. Jan 1853, d. 21 Oct 1854)
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Name: John Landrum Murphy
Born: 16 Nov 1829
Place: Union Co., SC
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: N/A
Place: N/A
Spouse: N/A
Died: 31 Jan 1847
Place: Murphy cabin, Donner Lake Camp, Nevada Co., CA
Buried: Murphy cabin, Donner Lake Camp, Nevada Co., CA
Children: N/A
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Name: Meriam Marjory Murphy
Born: 15 Nov 1831
Place: Union Co., SC
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: 27 Jun 1847
Place: Sutter's Fort, Sacramento Co., CA
Spouse: William Johnson; divorced
Spouse 2: Charles Julian Covillaud
(b. 21 Nov 1816 in Cognac, France; d. 05 Feb 1867 Marysville, Yuba Co., CA), 25 Dec 1848 Sutter's Fort, Sacramento Co.
Died: 27 Sep 1867
Place: Marysville, Yuba Co., CA
Buried: UNKNOWN
Children: Mary Ellen Covillaud, Charles Julian Covillaud, William Pierre Covillaud, Francis Theodore Covillaud, Naomi Sabine Covillaud
Note: Marysville, Yuba Co., CA was named in her honor.
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Name: Lemuel B. Murphy
Born: 17 Oct 1833
Place: Union Co., SC
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: N/A
Place: N/A
Spouse: N/A
Died: 27 Dec 1846
Place: Camp of Death, Nevada Co., CA
Buried: Camp of Death, Nevada Co., CA
Children: N/A
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Name: William Green Murphy
Born: 15 Jan 1836
Place: Weakley Co., TN
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: 03 Dec 1861
Place: Weakley Co., TN
Spouse: Damaris Kathleen Cochran
Died: 04 Feb 1904
Place: Marysville, Yuba Co., CA
Buried: UNKNOWN
Children: Tullulah "Lulie" T., Kate Nye, William Green, Jr., Charles Mitchell, Ernest H., Harriet F., Leander B.
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Name: Simon Peter Murphy
Born: 14 Mar 1838
Place: Weakley Co., TN
Father: Jeremiah Burns Murphy
Mother: Levinah W. Jackson
Married: 21 Sep 1859
Place: Weakley Co., TN
Spouse: M. C. Foster
Died: 31 Mar 1873
Place: Weakley Co., TN
Buried: UNKNOWN
Children: John Robert, Naomi, Geneva, Emanuel Byrd
Note: Served in the Civil War as a Private in Company L, 6th Cavalry (West Tennessee Cavalry Regiment).
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