Levi Savage, Jr. History

Levi Savage, Jr. History

Levi Savage, Jr.

Levi Savage, Junior, was born in Greenfield, Huron county, Ohio, on 23 March 1820. His parents were Levi Savage and Polly Haynes. When he was three years old in 1823, they moved to Lyme, Huron County, Ohio where his father built a log home on 50 acres of prairie land and occupied it for several years. Five more children were born to his parents while they were living there.

In 1833, they sold their home in Lyme, Ohio, and left the friends and relatives they had there. They loaded their belongings in four wagons and moved to Van Buren County, Michigan. Levi’s mother, Polly, drove a single team, his father and Levi, Jr. and Alonzo were each driving a double ox team wagon.

With the money they received for their property in Ohio they were able to purchase 80 acres of timberland in Antwerp, Michigan. They cleared and farmed portions of it. It was here that the LDS missionaries from the newly found Church in Nauvoo, Illinois, found the Savage family and they were eager to listen. In 1844 when the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred the Saints were forced to leave Nauvoo. Under the leadership of Brigham Young most of the Saints headed west in 1846. They were headed for the Rocky Mountains and the Savage family was ready to go with them.

Levi, Jr. was 26 years of age when they left their home in Michigan on May 8, 1846. He drove a wagon with 2 yoke of oxen. His father, Levi, also drove one and his mother, Polly, with the children drove a wagon with one yoke of oxen.

The present site of Iowa City was the western boundary of civilization at that time and Levi, Jr., his parents, brothers and sisters joined the exiled saints at Council Bluffs.

Colonel Allen, a United States Officer, wanted to enlist at least 500 men from the Mormon emigrants to fight in the war with Mexico. Brigham Young advised them to enlist and Levi Savage, Jr., was one of the 500. His enlistment date was 16 July 1846 – and soon was headed out in wild Indian country. He would not know of the death of his mother until he returned.

He marched on foot 200 miles down the Missouri River to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, then to Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1,100 miles, then the battalion followed the Rio Grande River to a place where El Paso is now. They headed westward toward Arizona to the town of Tucson. On December 11, 1846, the column was repeatedly attacked by wild Texas long-horned bulls. They shot and killed about 20 of them. Several men were injured and wagons were damaged, but a good supply of fresh meat was obtained.

Although Tucson was defended by 200 regular Mexican Army Troops, Captain Cook convinced them his was a major army and the Mexican commander fled from the village taking most of the population along.

After many days, suffering from lack of food and water, the Battalion found and followed the Gila River until it joined with the Colorado River. They made contact with the Pima and Maricopa Indians. They lashed wagon boxes to logs and tried to ferry them down the river but it failed and they lost precious food and equipment.

The last miles on the west side of the Colorado River were the cruelest. Their shoes and clothes were worn out and they experienced cold nights and very hot days. They marched 3 days and 2 nights without water. One company of men would walk in front of the wagons to pack the sand so the wagons could get through. Some of the men would tug on ropes to help the starving animals pull the wagons. If it became necessary to kill one of the animals, they were eaten, hide and all. Some of the skin was used to make clothing or crude moccasins. Wagons were abandoned until only 5 of the 25 rolled on. When men would collapse from thirst and hunger, their buddies would roll them under bushes for shade.

On January 16, 1847, they finally staggered down the banks of the Carrizo Creek and feasted on fresh water. The strongest men loaded water on the wagons and headed back on the desert to rescue their comrades. All were revived and taken off the desert where they had beef for the man and grass for the animals.

The next 5 days they traveled into San Diego County and saw the Pacific Ocean. On 30 January 1847, Colonel Cook congratulated the Battalion. It still stands as the longest infantry march by any unit of the United States Army. The Southern Military Commander asked that the Mormons should remain as by their industry they taught the inhabitants of San Diego, that they would be of more value to the change of government than a whole host of bayonets.

While one company stayed in San Diego the others marched on to Los Angeles and the loyal efficient troops greatly stabilized the military and political situation in southern California.

When Levi reached Los Angeles and his one year enlistment was up in July of 1847, he and a companion started for home. But, the thought went through his mind, “Where was his home?” He knew nothing of the whereabouts of his family or friends as no letters or news came to him during his years’ absence.

Levi and his discharged companion started for the Rocky Mountains as that was where his family was going when he left them. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on 16 October 1847, and he found that his father and other family members had arrived in the Valley just weeks before, but his mother was not there. The journey was too much for her. She had passed away 17 February 1847 at Musket Creek, Iowa and was buried near Council Bluffs.

A Miss Jane Mathers, whom Levi had met in Nauvoo, had come to Utah with the Savage family, to cook and take care of the motherless family, and was an angel of mercy to them. Levi renewed his acquaintance with her and on 23 January 1848 they were married. They lived the first year in the old Fort. They helped fight the crickets and saw the ‘Miracle of the Gulls.’

In the spring of 1849, they moved out of the Fort to a place in Sugar House. It was here that their only child was born, on 11 January 1851. They named him Levi Mather after both father and mother. When the baby was 11 months old on 29 December 1852, his mother, Jane, died. Levi took his infant son to the home of his sister, Hannah, and her husband, Isa Eldridge, to be cared for, although they had a family of small children.

At the October Conference in 1852, nearly one hundred missionaries were called to serve missions in different parts of the world. Levi was called to serve a mission in India. He and fellow missionaries traveled by team to San Francisco, California, and on Tuesday, March 26, 1853, he and his 15 fellow missionaries, after a voyage of 86 days, arrived at Calcutta as missionaries from Utah to Hindostan and Siam. On the voyage, Levi and Brother Ballintyne were isolated in a cabin with small pox.

Levi would serve a four-year mission to India. He then went to New York and on to Iowa City where he joined the ill-fated Willie Handcart Company. He begged them to wait until the next spring to leave for Salt Lake as it was too late to start as the snow and bad weather would catch them in the mountains. Captain Willie accused him of being afraid of hardship. Levi resented that, as he had gone through a great deal with the Battalion and had a hard four-year mission. Levi replied, “You will find me not afraid, I will go with you and do all I can to help and if necessary I will die with you.”

They left Iowa City on 15 July 1856 with 120 handcarts and 6 wagons, numbering about 500 souls, of whom 66 died on the journey. Captain James G. Willie’s handcart company arrived in Salt Lake City after great sufferings from scarcity of provisions, cold and over exertion in the mountains.

When Levi arrived in Salt Lake City it was joyous meeting his 5-year-old son. Although his father was a stranger to him, it didn’t take long to get acquainted. Levi married Ann Brummel on 31 October 1858. She was an English widow with two little girls. She had come west with the Willie Company. In 1859 they moved to Holden in Millard County.

By tending sheep and cattle on shares they accumulated a herd for themselves and in 1863 moved to Kanab, Utah, in Kane County and at the same time built themselves a home in Toquerville, Utah. In August 1865, the Indians began killing cattle, stealing horses and driving the animals to the south side of the Colorado River. Soon council came for them to move into the interior and after the loss of stock and improvements on their land, they moved to Toquerville.

Levi married Adelaide Cooper on 17 October 1868, and Mary Ann Cooper on 24 October 1868. They became his plural wives. In 1885 word came from the authorities for all those that had plural families to get their wives away. Levi took 2 of his wives, Mary Ann and Adelaide and started for the Nebeker Smelter in Arizona, a distance of 75 or 80 miles. He then went back to Toquerville.

On Wednesday, 24 August 1887, Toquerville, Washington County, was raided by U.S. deputy marshals, who arrested Levi Savage on a charge of unlawful cohabitation. In the Second District Court, at Beaver, Levi Savage of Toquerville, and Isaac Riddle of Marion, were sentenced by Judge Boreman to six months imprisonment and each fined $300. On August 30 these two brethren were taken to the penitentiary.

Levi Savage was a man who kept a journal and he kept it on a daily basis while in the penitentiary. He tells of the day-to-day life in prison: when visitors came you were called to the gate and could visit for half an hour. Levi sent his clothes with a Brother Fisher’s family and they said they would wash and return them. On Sunday, Brother James Watson of the 10th Ward in Salt Lake preached an instructive sermon to the prisoners within the walls. There was also singing and a good spirit prevailed. Speakers from other religions also came to speak. In the evening they were locked in their bunk rooms. At another meeting Levi told of his mission to India.

The conditions of the prison were bad as there was over-crowding and some of the prisoners had to sleep on the floor. It was hard to get sufficient clothing. Levi was in need of clothes and wrote to the warden and asked him to furnish him another pair of drawers, and undershirt and a pair of stockings so he would not have to do without while his clothes were washed.

He also wrote to his children and his brothers. He wrote his biography - some each day to fill in the time. He kept a journal and made a list of all the prisoners that were there at that time.

He wrote again to the warden asking for clean clothes so he could have a change to wash. It was on January 16, 1888, that he was finally measured for a new set of pants.

On December 25 the friends and relatives of the prisoners here, brought in their danties liberally and the tables were well supplied, and all the prisoners here, without regard to cast, creed or color were allowed to enjoy the sumptuous repast.

The prisoners were assigned duties and on January 1, 1888, Levi wrote, “As usual, we the dining room hands, notwithstanding it being Sunday, and also New Years, we done the scrubbing and cleaning preparatory for dinner and afternoon Church meeting.” He also spent the first day of the New Year looking back and thinking that, “41 years ago this morning, I was on the Gila River in the Mormon Battalion, on the way to California, from Council Bluffs, the country was then a wild place.”

He spoke of the weather and how much snow there was and how cold it was in the prison. Because of the snow, the mail deliveries were late and letters from home were sorely missed.

He described the beds as bunk beds, one above another, like as they were built on board a ship. His was the third bunk above the floor.

On 18 February Levi received a letter from his sister Emeline Waldron. She lived in Samaria, Oneida, Idaho.

While in prison, on 23 March 1888, he had his 68th birthday. On Thursday the 29th of March he went before Commissioner Norrel in the city, and was released from prison having served his six months, less the coper, (one month) and 30 days required by law to cancel his fine and cost, if not able to pay it. He had served six solid months and when he left he got five dollars in cash and a $15 store order to get a suit of clothes. When released he spent a couple of days visiting with friends. He also went to settle with Sister Lidy Fisher for doing his wash while in the penitentiary. She only charged him two dollars for doing two months washing.

On 10 April he paid Francis Cape, the agent for the Utah Central $5.00 fair on the Utah Central to ride to Colliston 80 miles north of Salt Lake and back. He had decided to go to Samaria, Idaho to visit his sister Emeline who he had not seen in 31 years. At that time Colliston had but two dwellings and a saloon. It was in Colliston he found his nephew Benjamin Waldron who had come to pick up some goods and he gave him a lift in his wagon to visit his sister.

He and Emeline had a joyful reunion, moistened with tears and gratitude for seeing each other once more on earth. That evening Emeline’s youngest daughter, Eliza, and her husband came and spent the evening. After they left Emeline and Levi talked until after midnight of things of the past. The next day he copied the family record that Emeline had kept.

The next day, Sunday, 15 April 1888, Benjamin and Eliza’s husband, Charles Thomas, took him to Collinston for his trip back to Salt Lake. Sister Emeline gave him $1.50 and Benjamin gave him $1.00. In talking to his sister he said their memories of their past lives and important events were brought back to mind.

On Sunday, 22 April, he arrived home in Toquerville. With his beard shaved off and his hair cut short, his children hardly knew him.

He wrote his sister Emeline to tell her of the temple work he had done for their ancestors. He was ordained an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder Terry.

On 23 March 1893, Levi reminisced about his 73 years of living. He had done many things in his lifetime and was now completely tired of frontier life, so he settled down in the small town of Toquerville, Utah, and there made his home until his death on Tuesday, December 30, 1910, at almost 91 years of age.

He was born in Ohio, marched on foot in the Mormon Battalion 3,000 miles, walked from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, Utah, when he was discharged. He filled a four-year Latter-day Saint Mission to India which took 4 months to reach and 6 months to return home to Iowa, endured the suffering of the ill-fated Willie Handcart Company which brought him to Salt Lake City, Utah, making this trip entirely around the world.

On 13 December 1910, he passed away sitting up at the dinner table. He was buried in Toquerville, Utah.

Written by Verna Lewis Harris.

Sources of information: DUP history titled “My Grandfather Levi Savage, Jr.” by Louie Savage Ison; “The Saga of the Mormon Battalion” from the Mormon Battalion Visitor’s Center in Old Town, San Diego, California; article on New Handcart Visitors Center pages 38-47 in August 1997 Ensign; ‘Church Chronology’ by Andrew Jensen, pages 48, 151, 152, and 160; and excerpts from the 2 volumes of his journal written while in prison found in the St. George Family History Center entitled “Levi Savage.”