The young manhood of Ira B. Sawyer, of near Bigtrails, Wyoming was darkened by the awful shadow of our Civil War. In that sanguinary contest he bore his part bravely yet wearing the marks of its burden in wounds received on hard-fought fields, where nothing seemed so cheap as human life. But since the return of peace he has borne his part as bravely in its bloodless contests as ever he did in the presence of a valiant foe. He was born in Ohio, on June 26, 1840 the son of Reuben and Rizpah (Dolson) Sawyer, natives of Virginia and early settlers in Ohio. There he remained having the usual experience of country boys of his time and station until May 25, 1861, when he enlisted in Battery F., First Michigan Light Artillery in defense of the Union. He served in that command four years three months and eight days, Participating in many of the most sanguinary battles of the war. He was with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea, was wounded at Atlanta and also at Lookout Mountain. After his discharge at the close of the war he lived for a short time in Chicago, then came to Nebraska, and locating in the western part of the state took up a homestead near Kimball, at that time the far frontier being hundreds of miles from a railroad and many more from a close and populous civilization. In the wild life he there encountered he found contentment in the conviction that his duty was well performed and safety in the force and resoluteness of his spirit. He remained there until 1893, engaged in raising stock and farming then came to Wyoming and in partnership with his son George, continued the enterprise on desert land, which they took up for the purpose and in a good state of improvement both as to building and cultivation. It is one of the desirable homes of this section, comprising 540 acres having sufficient variety in altitude and soil for the best results in the stockgrowing operations in which they are engaged. They have 200 graded cattle and a band of fine horses and their numbers are continually increasing as their farm is steadily advancing in value. Mr. Sawyer was married on May 16, 1860 to Miss Sarah Johnson, a native of Ohio. They have three children, William W., a resident of Illinois; Emma the wife of Amos Dow, of Toledo, Ohio; George, residing in Bighorn County, this state.
