Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-08
FORMER CONGRESSMAN


Geniuses Of His Day-veteran
Of Three Wars.
Col. John H. Savage died last Tuesday at
his home in McMinnville, Tenn. He was in
bis eightieth year, and was veteran of the
Florida, Mexican and civil wars. Col. Saw
age was a member of Congress before the
war and attracted attention by reason of
his advocacy of revolution, instead of seces-
sion.
In the rear room of a modest building
upon the public square of McMinnville, John
Houston Savage 1.-The Old Man of the
Mountains" one of the most picturesque
and virile characters that Tennessee has
ever produced. breathed his last. Veteran
of three wars, soldier by instinct and by
study. authority upon the code duello,
politician who went armed to the hustings,
and who stood ready at all times to re-
enforce argument with bullets, private
citizen known the state over as an tnvet-
crate Htigant, he has DOW, in his eighty
ninth year. make his last fight, meeting the
common enemy with the same unilinching
resolution which has characterized his
eventful life.
High Degree of Integrity.
Savage by name and savage by nature"
has become a universal characterization of
this remarkable man among the people
where he is best known, though with his
fierceness has ever been associated the high
est degree Of integrity, and a courage I'M
surpassed. Whether on the field of battle
or the hastings, when the fires of political
turmoil blaZed with scorchfng heat, or in
legislative halls when the fate Of a nation
hung in the balance, John H. Savage never
uuailed He belonged to that school of ag-
n fa mi IN TaDnpSSpp ~
nails, typified by Sam Houston and Davy
Crockett, and which rose to pre-eminence in
Andrew Jackson.
Was Born October 8, 1915.
John Houston Savage was born in Nc
Minnville, the county seat of Warren coun-
ty, Tenn, October o, 1915. He was brought
up his fathers farm, working in crop
time with the negroes end hired hands, at
tending the fall and winter subscription
schools taught in the neighborhood. The
first dollar he ever earned, from the sale
of rabbit skins, went for a copy of The
Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, a pur-
chase typical of the man.
The profession of law attracted him and
he decided to study it. Should he fail in It,
it was his determination to take his rifle in
hand and head for the western frontier.
Building himself a rude log cabin on
bluff overlooking the river some 600 yards
from the family homestead, Savage took
terature and poetry his recreation The
legal studies We're to come later
In His Hermitage.
In this secluded hermitage he learned the
art of war from the military history OF
Xenophon, Epaminondas Philip, Alexander,
Fabius, Scipio, Africanus, Marius, Hanni-
bal, Caesar, Sulla, Cromwell, Napoleon,
Washington ana jackson. In 1886 he be-
gan it's practical study, volunteering under
a call by Gen. Gaines for 1900 mounted
volunteers to defend the neutrality of the
however, his company, 1.-THE Mountain
Blues" had been discharged. news having
come of Santa Annals capture by Houston.
On the return Of the company from Nash
vile Savage and five others of his county
proceeded to Fayetteville to offer them
selves for the Florida war. In that strug-
brigade and was in all its marches and bat
ties, being mustered out at New Orleans
January IA, 1887.
Goes to War Again.
Ten years later found Savage swinging
around the circle a candidate for Congress
against Samuel Turney and H. L. w. Hill.
They filled several joint appointments At
Gainesboro', where they were in March,
Hill and Turney had spoken and Savage
was in the midst of his speech when the
postmaster handed him a letter. 1t was an
appOin tment from PRESIDENT folh 10 pe tAc
first major of the 14th United States Infan-
try Without concluding his speech, he
| thanked his friends for their indulgence and
announced that he was no longer candl-
date preferring to fight in Mexico to going
to Congress. Savage met Gen. Franklin
Pierce aboard transport at Vera Cruz and
marched under his command to Pueblo. He
was stricken down with fever and Tor some
time was unable to ride his horse. While
in an ambulance, however, going from
Pueblo to the City Of Mexico with SCOTS
army. he heard that they were approaching
the latter place. He promptly mounted his
horse and was on duty until severely
| wounded by a shell in the assault at Molino
del Rey The wound gave him considerable
| trouble
Was Successful in Games.
AS he tersey expressed 1t In his story OF
his life, Savage never danced after this
| battle" While recuperating in the City of
Mexico he learned the game of faro, hob
| bling across the hall from his room to re-
| sort patronzed by many distinguished SOL
| diers.
| In later years In Nashville he turned the
| knowledge to account, breaking three faro
banks and, on his indictment sending WORD
| to the Judge to be mild with his fines, as he
| -Savage-had suppressed three of the 1lle-
climate institutions and the court none.
| When the civil war came on Savage made
no speeches and took no active part to
| cause men to recruit He did not believe
| in secession. He accepted the command
| of the 10th Tennessee, however, and one
| of the last projects of his life has been the
| erection of a monument to the memory of
| its dead, This will be erected on the public
| square of McMnnville.
On the Hastings.
The military career of Savage was not
| more Interesting than his political record.
Projected into politics in the turbulent days
of the ante-bellum period. he proved him
| self ready at all times to measure lances
| in debate criticising his opponents with
| an invective that scared like red-hot iron.
| In his speakfngs or in his writings he
| brought to bear the extensive course Of
| reading which he had pursued in his early
| hermitage and he pointed his morals with
| a directness that knew neither fear nor
| mercy He was a political contemporary
| of Andrew Johnson and Isham G. Harris.
| notable figures in Tennessee politics. In
1872, speaking in joint debate with the for
! mer President atzeSparta, he arraigned
johnson severely. Charging him with hang
| ing Mrs Surratt In violation of the COM
! mon law of England and America and the
| Constitution, he declared that with an hon.
est jury of whites before any able Ten
| nessee Judge, with the question of venue
| waived, he co,ild hang him easily as he