Thomas Celton Ivie

Thomas Celton Ivie collected "stories" about his life, making the truth very difficult to find! Even how his middle name is spelled is debated between Celton and Kelton -- family bible of his son uses Celton.

Multiple marriage dates, multiple stores about the time after his discharge from the Mormon Battalion, multiple stories about his killing (cousin) Isaac Allred, and even more stories about his death.

Fact: Thomas did volunteer for the Mormon Battalion which marched from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, California, during the American Mexican War of 1846-1848 - the longest march by US troops. His wife, Amanda Jane, waited in Council Bluffs, IA.

Fact: Thomas Celton Ivie admitted unintentionaly killing his cousin Isaac Allred on 11 May 1859, at Pleasant Creek, Sanpete Co., Utah. The two men fought over some sheep which belonged to Thomas that Isaac had in his possession. Testimony indicates Isaac was choking Thomas, who grabbed a piece of firewood and struck Isaac several times on the head. Isaac died eight hours later "without speaking another word".

Arrested 12 May 1859, the trial was held on the 14th. One oddity about that was Gardner Snow served as both prosecuting attorney and judge. A second oddity - all of the jurors were related to Isaac Allred. Found guilty, Thomas' attorneys "Hatch and Lily" filed an appeal, and Thomas was hauled off to the federal troops at Camp Floyd. Whether they released Thomas, or took him with them after they were ordered east is unknown.

Clue: Reputedly Thomas was enumerated as living with his mother in Monroe Co., Missouri, on the 1860 census. This is not verified.

Fact: Thomas Celton Ivie was one of the estate purchasers after his mother's death in 1861, per Monroe Co., MO. records. There is no other man of this name known within the Ivie family, until his nephew is born in 1886.

Fact: Amanda Jane (Moore) Ivie gave birth to son Charles Ivie in December 1861, two years after Thomas was turned over to Federal Troops. She then married Matthew Caldwell, 20 December 1862, in Salt Lake City.

Fact: A 1863 lawsuit filed by William Long (brother-in-law of Thomas), administrator of the estate of Anderson Ivie (father of Thomas) vs. Thomas C. Ivie, Defendant. (Paris, MO., 30 March 1863.) Apparently the documents about the case have disappeared per Ivie historian, Len Evans.

DEATH: (1) Killed by Missouri "bushwackers" during the Civil War. (They certainly did exist, and did kill randomly.) (2) Another Allred cousin, or a brother-in-law, killed Thomas "in a cornfield" near Paris, MO. (3) After the estates of his parents were settled in 1863, Thomas left Missouri, headed for Idaho, "but where he finally settled has not been found". (As told to J. J. Ivie, son of Thomas by his uncle John Anderson Ivie.)

Final: Thomas left an underage family in Utah, there should be an estate, and guardianships, there; if he was 'left to rot' in a Missouri cornfield there should have been an inquest jury called. There should be trial papers for killing Isaac Allred, both in Utah and in the Utah Territorial papers.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via sister Elisabeth Allred (born Ivie) by SmartCopy: Oct 21 2014, 14:57:28 UTC
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Mar 19 2021, 22:33:49 UTC