Breen, Patrick

Breen, Patrick

(?–1868) pioneer, diarist; born in Ireland. He came to the U.S.A. in 1828. With his wife and seven children, he joined the ill-fated Donner Party. During the winter of 1846–47, he kept a diary of the stark events of deaths, quarrels, and eventual rescue of the surviving members. All members of the Breen family survived the winter and they settled in San Benito County, Calif.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.