Jim Savage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Savage
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| Born | 1817 |
| Died | 1852 (aged 34–35) Fresno County, California
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| Occupation | Businessman, soldier and commander |
James D. Savage (1817–1852) was an important figure in early California history. He was a businessman during the California Gold Rush, a soldier in the Mexican–American War, and a leader of the California Militia. He commanded the Mariposa Battalion during the Mariposa War and is often credited as the first non-Indigenous person to visit the famous Yosemite Valley.
Contents
Who Was James D. Savage?
Early Life and Moving West
James D. Savage was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1817. When he was 16, his family moved to Princeton. James didn't have much formal schooling. Instead, he spent a lot of time outdoors. He was very good at learning languages, especially those spoken by local Native American tribes. This skill became very important later in his life.
In the early 1840s, James moved to Cayuga County, New York, where he married Eliza Hall. They soon moved back to Peru, Illinois. However, their life there was short. In April 1846, James, Eliza, and James's brother, Morgan, decided to move to California. They hoped to find gold and get rich.
A Difficult Journey to California
The Savage family joined a wagon train led by former Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs. Other groups, including the famous Donner Party, also traveled with them. The journey to California was long and hard, lasting six months. During this trip, Eliza gave birth to a baby girl. Sadly, both Eliza and the baby died shortly after in 1846. Eliza was buried in a shallow grave near Lake Tahoe. The baby girl also passed away soon after and was never given a name.
Savage in California
Joining the California Battalion
Boggs' party arrived at Sutter's Fort in California on October 28, 1846. James Savage quickly volunteered to join John Fremont's California Battalion. This was a military unit fighting in the Mexican–American War. Savage joined too late for the Bear Flag Rebellion, but he marched with the battalion from Monterey to San Luis Obispo.
Even though some described him as a "malcontent," Savage stayed with Fremont's group until it was disbanded in April 1847. During his time in the battalion, he learned about a region called Tulares from his Native American friends. This area is now known as the San Joaquin Valley. After leaving the battalion, Savage traveled to the San Joaquin Valley. He set up several trading posts along the Merced, Fresno, and Mariposa Rivers. He lived among the local Yokuts Native American tribe.
Building Relationships with Native Americans
While living with the Yokuts, Savage learned their language. To build strong friendships and alliances, he married several daughters of tribal leaders in the Sierra foothill region. Savage even became a leader, or chieftain, among the Yokuts. He led them in battles against other tribes. He also became friends with the nearby Chowchilla tribe and their chief, Jose-Juarez.
Because of his strong connections with both Native Americans and white settlers, Savage became a trusted person. Native Americans trusted him to trade gold and other goods for them. He became a leader for many California Indian tribes. The local Native Americans called him "El Rey Huero," which means "The Blond King." Savage liked this name and asked to be called by it. He even had Native Americans working for him to mine for gold.
A Friendship Changes
Savage's good relationships with Native Americans did not last forever. In 1850, Savage went to San Francisco with Jose-Juarez and some Native American women. They went to trade and buy supplies for the tribes. Savage also brought 160 pounds of gold dust to keep safe. He even rolled the barrel of gold through his hotel lobby!
Savage and Jose-Juarez enjoyed the city, visiting gambling places. Savage ended up gambling away all his gold, including the money meant for supplies. Jose-Juarez was upset and confronted Savage about his bad choices. Savage was angry that a Native American would criticize him in public and hit Jose-Juarez. Even though nothing more was said during the trip, Jose-Juarez's trust in Savage was broken.
Rising Tensions and Attacks
After they returned from San Francisco, news spread about Native American raiding parties in the Central Valley. The Native Americans were trying to drive white settlers out of the region. They began attacking white settlements and trading posts. Savage realized these attacks were part of a larger uprising.
On December 17, 1850, Savage was at his camp in Mariposa. He noticed many of the Native Americans working for him had disappeared. Savage understood this was a bad sign. He quickly gathered 16 men to follow the Native Americans before they could join a larger group. They found a group of Kaweah Native Americans on a hilltop. The Kaweah Chief, who used to be Savage's friend, told him they had just attacked Savage's Fresno River trading post. They had killed the clerks and stolen supplies. Savage asked them to stop their attacks, but they refused. The Native Americans let Savage and his men leave, then joined a larger group of 200 Native Americans hiding in the foothills.
When Savage and his group returned to Mariposa, official news confirmed the attack at the Fresno River trading post. Savage increased his group to 35 men and immediately went to investigate. The scene at the trading post was terrible. Everything the Native Americans couldn't use or carry had been destroyed. Blankets, clothing, and flour were gone. The safe was broken open, and cattle, horses, and mules had been driven into the mountains.
The Mariposa War and Yosemite Valley
Leading the Mariposa Battalion
When local groups couldn't stop the Native American uprising, the governor of California, John McDougall, put Savage in charge of a State Militia unit called the Mariposa Battalion. Savage was given the rank of Major. He was chosen not because of his military experience, but because he knew the "habits, customs, haunts, and language of the Indians, as well as of the country they would have to traverse."
As the fighting grew more intense, a Sierra Native American tribe called the Ahwahnechee, led by Chief Tenaya, was believed to be responsible for many raids on white settlements. Savage ordered them to surrender. Tenaya made Savage and his men believe the Ahwahnechee would surrender. However, the group instead fled deeper into the Sierra Nevada mountains to escape.
Discovering Yosemite Valley
On March 25, 1851, Savage led a company of the Mariposa Battalion. A doctor named Lafayette Bunnell was with them. Bunnell later wrote about this journey in a magazine. While chasing the Ahwahnechee people, Savage's battalion came across a amazing U-shaped valley carved by glaciers. They accidentally became the first non-Indigenous people to discover Yosemite Valley.
Bunnell wrote about seeing Yosemite Valley for the first time:
It has been said that “it is not easy to describe in words the precise impressions which great objects make upon us.” I cannot describe how completely I realized this truth. None but those who have visited this most wonderful valley, can even imagine the feelings with which I looked upon the view that was there presented. The grandeur of the scene was but softened by the haze that hung over the valley,—light as gossamer—and by the clouds which partially dimmed the higher cliffs and mountains. This obscurity of vision but increased the awe with which I beheld it, and as I looked, a peculiar exalted sensation seemed to fill my whole being, and I found my eyes in tears with emotion.
After camping near Bridalveil Fall, Bunnell said he named the valley after the Miwok word yosemite, which meant "those who kill." After more military actions in the mountains, the Ahwahnechee agreed to move to a reservation. This ended the Mariposa War, and the Mariposa Battalion was disbanded.
Last Years and Legacy
After the war, Savage went back to being a trader. He set up new trading posts at the Native American reservations. On July 2, 1852, white settlers entered the Kings River Reservation. Several Native Americans were killed by whites led by Walter Harvey. Savage spoke out against this action to calm the tribes. He asked the United States Indian Commissioners to investigate.
A meeting was planned for August. On his way to this meeting, Savage met Harvey. They had an argument, and Harvey shot and killed Savage. Harvey was arrested and tried for murder, but he was found not guilty. Savage was buried in Madera County, California, near Fresno.
Today, several places in California remember James Savage:
- His gravesite is on the shores of Hensley Lake in Madera County, California.
- There is a historical marker in Reedley, California in Fresno County.
- His trading post in Mariposa County, California, is also marked.
- Other historical markers are near Visalia, California in Tulare County and Murphys, California in Calaveras County.
Portrayal in Media
The actor Lane Bradford played James Savage in a 1959 TV episode called "The Blonde King." This episode was part of the show Death Valley Days. In the story, Savage has many Native American friends in the Yosemite area. When John Trask (Brad Johnson) threatens to disturb the peace, Savage, as commander of the militia, must stop him. John Eldredge played California Governor John McDougal, and Robert Brubaker played Major Warren.
