By October 1860 the Van Ornum party, survivors of the Elijah P. Utter wagon train attacked by Indians on September 9 and 10 just west of Castle Butte in Owyhee County, Idaho, reached Farewell Bend after following along the Snake River for over a week to the Owyhee River crossing and traversing about 75 miles with only the clothes they were wearing, some firearms, and a few basic necessities. Unable to go on, the group of eighteen children, six surviving parents, and a young man waited there for rescue, wounded, hungry, and exhausted. Two weeks later a few Shoshone Indians came to the camp, traded salmon for the survivors' remaining possessions, and forcibly took their firearms. After receiving some salmon, the Van Ornum family, a young man named Gleason, and the two surviving Utter boys left in hopes of finding a relief party, but near Farewell Bend they encountered Indians, and the three Van Ornum girls and their little brother were taken captive. Capt. Frederick T. Dent, leader of the army relief expedition, reported that a party led by Lt. Marcus A. Reno found the dead, stripped, and mutilated bodies of six people: Mrs. Vanorman, Charles and Henry Otter, Mr. Vanorman, Marcus Vanorman, and Gleason. Reno buried the bodies where they were found, placing Mrs. Van Ornum in a separate grave 4 1/2 feet deep apart from the common grave of the five men and boys. Local historian P.S. Wood later rediscovered the graves and placed a small metal cross at the site. Zacheus Van Ornum became an Indian scout for the army in an effort to rescue his nieces and nephew. The captive children were traded or stolen by other bands. Reuben was rescued in November 1862 in Cache Valley, Utah, by California Army volunteers. The youngest sister, Lucinda, died soon after being rescued from the Indians by northern Utah settlers, and Eliza and Minerva either died of starvation or were killed while captives.