Lieutenant Sawyers was born December 16, 1824 in Tennessee. There he learned how to survive in the woods and live off the land. He was a soldier for 13 months during the Mexican War which gave him the training to lead.

He came to Sioux City in 1857 and set up a mercantile business. In 1861 he joined the Sioux City Cavalry as a 1st Lieutenant because of experience in the Mexican War. After the New Ulm Massacre, Iowa determined more troops were needed on the Frontier besides the SC Cavalry. Lt. Sawyer was asked to command this unit called the Northern Border Brigade. He resigned from the cavalry and was brevet a Lt. Colonel. This command was discharged in the fall of 1864 after supplying fortification at a half dozen northwest Iowa communities.

He led a couple of expeditions to the Montana gold fields. Was involved with the skirmish on Powder River in 1865. And operated a steam ferry from Sioux City across the Missouri River to Nebraska.

Col. Sawyers married Judge Wood's daughter Margaret who died in 1869. The next year he married Jennie Bell, a teacher, who gave birth to a boy and 2 girls. His son, Oliver, was killed in a train crash in 1888 in Nebraska.

They left Sioux City in 1878 to live in the mining area of Montana. However, allergies there affected his health so they moved to Santa Cruz, California, where he remained until his death.