New Releases by Catherine Sager

In "Across the Plains in 1844," Catherine Sager presents a vivid and personal narrative of her family's journey westward during the early days of American expansion. The memoir captures the challenges and adventures experienced by the Sager family as they traveled along the Oregon Trail. Catherine, just nine years old at the time, recounts the hardships of the trail, including illnesses, accidents, and the loss of loved ones. Despite these difficulties, the memoir also highlights the resilience, determination, and pioneering spirit that defined the westward movement. Through Catherine's eyes, readers gain a unique and poignant perspective on the historical and personal significance of this journey, making her account an invaluable contribution to the literature of the American frontier.

Embark on an unforgettable journey into the heart of the American West with the Sager family, pioneers who braved the infamous Oregon Trail. In the face of tragedy, Henry and Naomi Sager's seven children found themselves orphaned not once, but twice—first on the treacherous trail, and later under the care of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, courageous missionaries in the untamed lands of what is now Washington. The gripping tale of survival unfolds through the eyes of Catherine, the eldest daughter, who penned a poignant first-hand account in 1860. Uncover the harsh realities of the plains, the challenges of a new life with the Whitmans, and the harrowing events of the infamous Whitman massacre in November 1847. Catherine's narrative, a timeless testament to the spirit of the American westward migration, stands as one of the most authentic and captivating stories of this pivotal era in our nation's history.

The Sager orphans (sometimes referred to as Sager children) were the children of Naomi and Henry Sager. In April 1844 Henry Sager and his family took part in the great westward migration and started their journey along the Oregon Trail. During their journey both Naomi and Henry Sager lost their lives and left their seven children orphaned. Later adopted by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, missionaries in what is now Washington, the children were orphaned a second time, when both their new parents were killed during the Whitman massacre in November 1847. Catherine (1835-1910), the eldest of the Sager girls, married Clark Pringle, a Methodist minister and bore him 8 children. They lived in Spokane, Washington. About 1860, ten years after her arrival in Oregon, she wrote a first-hand account of their journey across the plains and their life with the Whitmans. This account today is regarded as one of the most authentic accounts of the American westward migration. She hoped to earn enough money to set up an orphanage in the memory of Narcissa Whitman. She never found a publisher. Catherine died on August 10, 1910, at the age of seventy-five.