Col. John L Ivie

John Lehi Ivie Born 11 June 1833, Florida, Monroe, MO.

 John L Ivie

He had three wives, and nineteen children, ten of whom lived to adulthood and married.

John Lehi Ivie

"John Lehi Ivie, a Utah pioneer and military man, was born June 11, 1833, in Missouri, the son of James Ivie...migrated to Utah in 1849, became a settler on Pleasant Creek, now Mt Pleasant, Sanpete Co., in 1853. After marrying Mary Catherine Barton, of Farmington, Utah, he moved with his family to Sevier county, where he resided until the time of his demise. He died at Vermillion, May 10, 1909, of old age and general debility, at the home of his daughter, Mrs Thos. Gledhill. During the latter part of his life Brother Ivie was known as "Uncle John" and "Colonel Ivie." He was a fronstiersman to all intent and purposes and did yeoman services in Sanpete, Sevier and other counties in protecting the early settlers from the ravishes of the red men. As a colonel in the Utah militia he was well liked by his men, being brave but cautious; he would never send his men where he dared not go himself, and he always tried to obey the orders of his superiors." (from Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah.)

Stories of Col. John Levi Ivie

Taken from "Indians Depredation in Utah" By Peter Gottfredson

Compiled by Georgia E. Ivie

Col. John Levi Ivie of Mt. Pleasant, Utah was the son of James Russell Ivie. He fought in seven battles with Indians and lead three of them. Under General Warren S. Snow who took command of the Sanpete Militia July 15. With a hundred men under him he was after the Indians responsible for a double murder of two men. They wanted to head off the hostile Indians in the mountains of Fish Lake. They found many Indians hiding in the cedars. Col. Ivie's company were on outskirts of the Grove and did not see many Indians that after the fight some of his men wanted to go back and look for dead Indians and guns but the Col. said, "No, let the squaws go and hunt up their papooses." The Ivie's company drew off.

Old father James Russell Ivie and Henry Wright were killed in Scipio. On the morning of June 10, 1866 a large band of Indians under Chief Black Hawk made a raid on the stock in Round Valley, Millard, Utah. They killed father James R. Ivie, father of John Levi Ivie, James A. Ivie, and others, and mortally wounded Henry Wright, a young boy who was out looking for stock. They drove off about 500 head of cattle and horses. As it's known that they would come towards Salina, a messenger was dispatched to Fort Gunnison, where it was known that General William B. Pace, with a company of thirty men were stationed. But when word of the trouble a Scipio reached the camp, General Pace and others were on their way to Manti. A message was dispatched post haste and up with the party at 12 Mile Creek, just below the present site of Mayfield. The company returned to Gunnison through a heavy thunder storm.

Salina, which had been vacated in April, was reached by daylight and here it was decided to take a few hours rest. Accordingly, the picket were sent out and the men began to prepare for a rest, but had not proceeded very far when one of the guards discharged his gun, which was the signal agreed upon that the enemy had been sighted.

Black Hawk was wounded at Gravely Ford when the Indians was driving a bunch of cattle. He was riding a horse stolen from the Ivie's. Black Hawk, the Indian Chief, was figured so prominently in the Utah Indian War of 1865-67. In 1870 Chief Black Hawk died at Spring Lake Villa, a small settlement situated between Payson and Santaquin, Utah Co., Utah.

A letter from William Robert dated at Provo, Utah, July 1, 1915.

Mr. Peter Goltfredson, Springville, Utah

Dear Sirs:

I am very glad to comply with your request to give some items of history of some of the Indian troubles in and near Round Valley (Scipio) and on the following narrative. I am sure some of the erroneous stories told in regard to the death of Black Hawk, the Great Indian Chief, and also Panaccara, an (in)offensive Indian who made his home in Round Valley, may be corrected and the truths of the matter given to the people in your proposed history of the Indians trouble of the early Utah days.

There are probably a dozen men in Utah who claim the honor of killing Black Hawk. None of which is true. It is true the Black Hawk was severely wounded in the fight at Gravely Ford on the Sevier River, near what is now called Vermillin, but he lived three or four years after receiving the wounds, and before his death, Black Hawk obtained permission from the military authorities of the Territory to visit all the places where he and his tribes had caused trouble or raids, and accompanied by a few 7 to 8 warriors. Black Hawk visited every town and village from Cedar City on the south to Payson on the North and made peace with the people. On this mission of peace he was provided with an escort, usually from 2 to 6 citizens, from town to town. Ausel P. Harmon and myself acted as such escort from Holden to Scipio, Millard Co. Black Hawk told the people wherein he went that he was going home to die and before the end came he desired to be at peace with the pale faces

Black Hawk died at his wigwam near Spring Lake in 1869 or 1870, the exact date I am not able to give. He was buried in the foot hills immediately east and south of Spring Lake Villa, Utah Co.

Because of the killing of old man Ivie (James Russell Ivie) in Round Valley, a few years before by members of Black Hawk's tribe, it was feared that the old warriors would be harshly treated by the Ivie family on the trip through the Valley, unless provisions were made in advance for his protection from assault from that source.

The Ivie's had previously sworn vengeance, and some time before Black Hawks appearance on his mission of peace, the old Indian Panaccara, had been shot to death by James A. Ivie. In order to justify himself Ivie charged that Panaccara was a spy for the Ute Indians on the south, which was not true, as Panaccara was a special fried of the white people in that vicinity and was hated by the Utes.

On one occasion a band of Utes came to the Valley for the sole purpose of the killing him. Panaccara was for number of years before his death "medicine man" for the Pahvant tribe, whose home was in Millard Co. and this tribe of Indians was always friendly with the white settlers. Panaccara's death at the hands of Ivie was brought about in this way: The old Indian came to the town of Scipio, and as was customary he carried a gun. This custom was objected to by the military authorities a rule was adopted that Indians should not carry arms when visiting the settlement. Accordingly, the acting justice of the peace Benjamin Johnson prevailed upon the old Indian to give up hit gun. The Indian willingly gave the gun to the justice and started out to cross the hill in the direction of Oak Creek, where Ivie followed him, and on the flat, about two miles from town. He overtook the Indian and without warning, shot him dead. He was buried where he was killed. According to the Indian custom, it was a "life for a life" and it did not matter to them who it was just so they got their revenge by killing a white. For the death of Panaccara I came nearly losing my scalp at the hands of Nun-ka-tots ( a particular friend of Panaccara ) who lived most of the time with him. I was on my way from Deseret to Scipio with a load of wheat and on reaching a point on the desert near Mud Lake the reflection of a gun showed an Indian in hiding behind a mount near the road. I jumped off the wagon ready with my rifle for action when the Indian rode away. For seven years this Indian avoided me and finally came to me and asked if I was "To Buch now." I told him I was to "Tobuch" and he said, "Me no tobach now", and from then on this Indian and I were friends.

Signed William Robert

Manti, Utah, Feb. 12, 1914

This article was taken form the Book "Indian Depredation in Utah" By Peter Gottfredson.

RAID ON SCIPIO

Fifteen head of Horses stolen of other Indians raids which took place in 1868. We may mention that on May 7, four Indians made a raid on Scipio, Millard Co. And drove off fifteen head.

On July 5th, Seth Childs was accidentally shot and wounded near Gunnison, Sanpeteco. By an Indian who proved to be friendly.

Indians stop Col. Ivie in Salt Creek Canyon.

(Copied from the Desert News, July 10th, 1947)

We met Bro. Henry N. Tarter of Moroni, Sanpete Co. Today who arrived in town yesterday in company with Col. John S. Ivie and latter family. He reports that when they were about four miles below the divide above Salt Creek Canyon, six Utes among whom was Labiona, rode up to them and demanded to know of Col. Ivie whether he was "Jim Ivie" the Colonel's brother. On being answered in the negative they passed on.

In short time, they returned, rode in front of the wagon and stopped it, reiterated the question.

One of the Indians then said that it was not "Jim Ivie" but his brother. At this time, Tabiona had his hand on his arrow and the other had his rifle ready to use. The Indians passed along and after going a short distance they stopped and held a council. The team was made to travel at a lively pace. When the Indians saw this two of them started after it, coming toward the wagon about 300 years, but seeing their companions did not follow they stopped and went back. One Indian was so drunk he could scarcely set on his house, and the others had been drinking, but they knew what they were doing.

James Oscar Ivie, son of Col. Ivie, one of the children in the wagon said Lyman R. Peters was the driver. Mrs. Ivie and the children were very much frightened; the mother covered the smaller children with the bedding in the wagon. Col. Ivie said afterward that if the Indians had overtaken them the second time, he intended to jump out of the wagon and let it go on and take his chances with them, He was well armed.

INDIAN GRATITUDE

The following is an incident as related by Col. John L. Ivie, to his son James Oscar Ivie.

During the Indian troubles in the 60's the Indians had stolen some cattle and drove them up North Creek Canyon, between Fairview and Mount Pleasant. Father John L. Ivie and his company of minute men were in pursuit, and going up the mountain they gathered up several head of cattle which had been left along the trail, on account of not keeping up with the herd, and up among the timber was discovered a lone Indian covered with leaves, he was sick, and not able to travel with the rest. Some of the boys wanted to kill him, but father said, "No, we will not shed blood unless it is necessary." So they left him and went in pursuit of the Indians and the stock until nearly night, when it was decided to give up the chase and return him, taking back what stock they had.

On their return they came across the sick Indian up against a tree smoking a pipe. The men still wanted to kill him, but father wouldn't let them.

Some time after that father and two other men were standing guard over some stock in the North Fort of Mt. Pleasant, they would frequently meet and report to each other during the night. They had got together at the north side of the fort, when they saw and heard the cattle getting up from their bed ground and moving away from what they thought might be a Indian crawling among them. The cattle kept getting nearer and nearer to where the men stood. When father spoke up to the other and said that they must be close by. After that the cattle started moving as if some thing among them was going away from them. When morning came nothing had been molested.

In the beginning of the 70's, after peace had been restored, an old Indian and his family came to our house and spent a day or two. He told father of the occurrence at the fort explaining that he and five Indians were there that occasion and had their guns lying across a cow ready to shoot the three men, when they heard father speak and say, "They must be close by." He knew father's voice and would not let the other shoot at father. Father had saved his life on the mountain when he was sick. In appreciation he had now saved father's life.

By James Oscar Ivie

Col. John Lehi Ivie

Col. John Ivie of Mt. Pleasant sent the following dispatch:

Gov. George L. Woods Mt. Pleasant Aug. 17, 1872

Care of Daniel H. Wells

Indian depredation here last night. Shall I call out the militia to defend the place of services generally in the county? The Indians attacked the telegraph operator about 11 o'clock last night in front of the office and we fear, fatally wounded him.

Col. John L. Ivie

Col. of Militia

by

Ida Belle Gledhill & Christensen Buchanan

Aunt Ida Dix visited here during the last April and the first part of May 1960. I had her talk about her mother and this was what I was told.

Mary Katherine Barton Ivie was born 30 June 1837 in Northumberland County, PA. She was the first of eight children. She lived with her parents in Hancock County, ILL., and Pottowattamie, IN., on the trek to Utah with her pioneer parents as other children were born at these places where they stopped. Her parents and family came to Utah in the second wagon train after the coming of Brigham Young. In 1847, October, I think, they settled in Bountiful, she was ten years old. Here she met John Lehi Ivie and

on 16 May 1862 they were married in the Endowment House. Twelve children were born to them, Joseph Alma, Phoebe Ellen, Mary Susanna, Rosella Ann, John Lafayette, James Oscar, Lilly Belle, Catherine May, Seymour Cliff, Alden Salathiel, Ida Priscilla, and Ray Ivie. John Lehi Ivie was called to go to Mt. Pleasant to settle, and persuaded the Barton's to go too. They all built homes there. The Ivie home was a two-story house with a porch all along the front.

My father, Thomas Gledhill, used to say Grandmother Mary Katherine was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was refined, kind spoken, thrifty, and made a fine home. She had black curly hair, and laughing eyes. Aunt Ida told me she had met an old friend of her mothers in Bountiful, who said, "She was the prettiest, and the most

popular girl in the crowd. She was loved by everyone who knew her. When she married we all hated to have her leave Bountiful."

Grandpa John Lehi was made a colonel in the Walker and Black Hawk Indian Wars. He was away much of the time, so she raised her family alone much of the time. Also he had another wife, Maretta Carter, and after the breakup between he and Maretta, he married Violet Gledhill, sister to my father Thomas. He was in Sevier much of his

time and grandmother saw some really hard times there along with her family at Mt. Pleasant. Food was scarce and her family had to come to her rescue many times to keep them from starving.

She didn't ever whip her children, but her talks to them were punishment enough. One time, Aunt Ida took a dollar and ran off to school. Of course, she had many friends who could suggest ways to spend it. So they bought candy and sluffed school and went home late. Grandmother just talked to her and it was agreed that as punishment Ida was to sit in the high chair all day. She was to tell everyone who came in what she had done, and as she received any money, she paid ten cents of it until the dollar was paid back. But

all of that didn't hurt like hurting her mother and knowing how bad her mother felt.

Mary Katherine lost two girls, Phoebe Ellen and Rosella Ann. They were buried in Ephraim Cemetery, so could have lived there for a long time. They lost the eldest child, a son, at Provo, he was just a few months old. Two later sons at Mt. Pleasant, Seymour Cliff was six years old when he died of dropsy. John Lafayette died at 20

years of age. When John Lafayette was 20 years of age, they had a good crop of grain and he was carrying large sacks of grain up a steep stair to put it in the loft. He became overbalanced and fell and injured his back on the steps. He suffered terribly, grandmother

took him to a doctor in Salt Lake, but he died and was buried in Mt. Pleasant. She was just heartbroken.

Grandmother was a nurse and midwife in her spare time. She treated the sick and set bones. She had many old pioneer remedies, salves and liniments. One salve was made of bees wax, sticky pine gum, and mutton tallow. One time she was making liniment on wash day, and the boiler boiled over and somehow her liniment caught fire. She burnt

her hands badly. But instructed the children to grate up potatoes, put them in two salt sacks, then she put her hands in the sacks. It cured her. She had no blisters or trouble with them.

She carded wool, made lye soap and did much sewing. After she and grandfather separated, she did much sewing for a very wealthy woman, a Mrs. Lewis. She did much of her cooking in black iron pots, which hung in the fireplace that had to be whitewashed. That was Aunt Ida's job while she was in the Ivie home. She knitted all the socks, caps and sweaters for the family. She could walk and go right on knitting. The socks for the girls were flowered patterns, white for summer, black for winter. Of course, they all wore long-legged underwear too.

Then trouble came to this couple. You see, grandfather had a business partner, Lime Peters, who lived much at their home even when grandfather was away. People talked, grandfather believed the gossip and so grandmother went away with Lime Peters, taking her four youngest children (May, Alden, Ida, and Ray) with her. Ida says she remembers grandmother telling her own mother, Grandma Barton, it was unfounded gossip. She and Lime were married in Provo and went to Idaho to live. I guess divorce was a formality and not required in those days.

Lime, according to my father, was not a refined man. I doubt even a member of the church, and was a drinker. So with her refinement and ideals she must have had a bad, as he beat her and the children. He was often mean to them, but grandmother felt and was bound to him.

At some time in her life she lived in what is now Sun Valley. It was a big cattle ranch. They didn't own it though. Lime Peters managed it. Many men were working there at the time and grandmother took care of supplies and a Chinese cook, who died cooking. While Peters had all these vices, he wanted her and the children and held home in very strict circumstances.

She was very clean, and onetime hired a girl that brought them body lice. Grandmother worked very hard to get rid of them and felt so ashamed about having them around. She had pierced ears and pierced all the ears of her girls. She

heated a needle and put linen thread in it and while the needle was hot put it through the ear lobe. Every day the string would be pulled a little, until the ears healed and left a hole for the earrings.

She was interested in mines and staked out many claims herself. One of her claims got jumped and it became the biggest mine in Idaho. Aunt Ida hurt her leg and it got to be a very bad sore. Her mother healed it by using wagon grease on it, and while it was healing her mother pulled her in a wagon until her sore was gone.

When Aunt May was just past 14, a man named Solinder, almost Peters age and his friend, asked if she could go to visit the Catholic Church with him. Grandmother said yes, if Alden went along. But, they left Alden at the door and Solinder took Aunt May right up to the front and married to her. Uncle Alden ran home for grandmother, but by the time she got there they were on their horses and were gone, she was just past 14. She only lived with him a short time. She had Arther who lived, and twin boys who died by this man. Her husband drank, beat and choked her. Grandmother had to send money to

feed them, and finally sent money for her to come home. Then grandmother built an extra room in the house for she and the child to live in.

Grandma had one other mining claim she expected much of. One August day she set out with a buyer for her mine. Uncle Ray was in the buckboard with her, with a horse tied behind, they went to inspect it and probably sell, if the price was offered. They went as far as they could in the buckboard, and got on horses. This was at Minamare Mt., Red Fish Lake. Something frightened the horse and though grandmother was a good horsewoman she was thrown and her foot caught in the stirrup. She was drug along way, the horse kicking her in the head and chest, and bouncing her on the rocks. She got loose, but was badly hurt. They got her to the buckboard and got her home. She was in great pain in the head and lungs. Her leg was twisted at the knee. She had no crutch, so she would put her leg on a chair and would drag the chair about. In October, she went back to bed and never got up again. Death came December 24, 1888.

A fine article was written about her life in the Deseret News. It told of her devotion to family and nurse for the community. Her friends were the influential people of the town, the banker, the hotel owner, etc. her body was sent to Mt. Pleasant for burial. She was dressed in black, which hurt my mother very much.

After the funeral, Uncle Ray and Aunt Ida sat on the doorstep wondering and crying who would take care of them. Now Aunt May had married a man named Pierce and was living in Salt Lake. Uncle Alden wanted to stay there and work in the mine. He did and forgot some of his mothers teachings, and took up the bad habit of smoking.

However, before his death he warned his family against it and getting lungs like his. Uncle Ray and Aunt Ida came back to their father's home in Sevier in Mt. Pleasant. Where in a few years Ida got courted by Eddie Gottfredson before the big fireplace she had always had to whitewash. Later she went to Salt Lake with Aunt May and still later to Idaho with her brothers, where she met Tom Stanford whom she married.

Later Aunt May married another man but he was the same kind, a drunkard. They lived in Salt Lake, his name was Pierce. She had three children. She couldn't stand the life and left him and went to live with her brothers, Alden and Ray at East Fork. Later they came in to Carey and lived in the Everett Dix home. Where May married Ernest Gile. She lived happily with him and raised her son Arther. Gile was captain in World War I, but was never heard from after the war was over. She died of cancer to the liver, brought on, by a bruise made by the horn of a saddle when her horse reared. She was born with a broken blood vessel in her neck which spread to hair and tongue, but this left when she died. She was buried in black lace with a pink plume over her head and neck and covering the blood vessels.

When the four came to Carey to live, two brothers and two sisters, the boys had one pair of nice shoes between them so they would take sisters to the dance and would divide time and shoes between them. My brother Alden's wife Eva says she remembers mother saying Grandmother died of typhoid and how bad she wanted to go to her, but didn't have the money, and there was a new baby, Alden. She said mother couldn't even talk about Grandmother without tears, so the subject was avoided. This is the reason, I guess, why we know so little of her. Aunt Ida was there so I think she knew about her mother

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Dora Day Johnson remembers, "I came to Mt Pleasant March 1860. I was at that time eight years old. That winter the old log meeting house, in the center of the fort, was the play house. Some of the players who took part at this time were Wood Brandon, John Ivie and his wife, Katherine Ivie, Dolph Bennett, George Porter, Joseph S. Day and others whom I do not now remember They played "Good for Nothing Nan," and the "Merchant of Venice." The scenery was wagon covers and other materials mixed together, but didn't we children enjoy it! and so did everyone else. The next play house was the Social Hall, with real scenery. Wood Brandon and Katherine Ivie were the only two members who stayed with the company...There was no entrance to the stage in the Social Hall, and the crowds were so large they could not pass through the aisles, so the cast had to crawl through the windows to get to the stage. Mary Katherine Ivie had legs that were too small to look good, and she would fill her stockings with bran; but upon moving about, the bran soon fell to her shoe tops, which were either laced or buttoned high tops. This looked funny, of course." Scenery was painted by early Utah artist, C.C.A Christensen