Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE MORMON BATTALION

Its History and Achievements

by

B. H. ROBERTS

The Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah 1919

Copyright, 1919. By B. H. Roberts.

Table of Contents

I.

The March of the Battalion Compared With Other Historical Marches.

Retreat of the Ten Thousand 1
Doniphan's Expedition into Mexico 3
The World's Record for a March of Infantry 4

II.

The Call of the Battalion.

The Mormon Appeal to the United States Government for Help 5
Little's Consultations with the President 7
The Order to Enlist Mormon Volunteers 11
Terms of Enlistment 12
Captain Allen in the Mormon Camps 13
Brigham Young's Activities in Raising the Battalion 16
Muster of the Battalion 18
Farewell Scenes 19

III.

Advantages and Disadvantages in the Call of the Battalion.

A Sacrifice Nevertheless 21
Advantages of the Enlistment 22
Money Value of the Enlistment 24
The Equipment of the Battalion to be Retained 25
Appreciation of the Mormon Leaders 26

IV.

The March of the Battalion From Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe.

Death of Colonel Allen. Question of a Successor 27
Complaints of the Volunteers 28
The Line of March 29
Arrival at Santa Fe. Condition of the Command 30
Invalided Detachment Sent to Pueblo 32

V.

The March of the Battalion From Santa Fe to the Mouth of the Gila.

More Invaliding 34
Hardship of Excessive Toil 35
Irrigation in New Mexico 36
March Down the Rio Grande 36
"Blow the Right." The Westward Turn 37
The Fight with Wild Bulls 38
Mexican Opposition at Tucson 39
Junction with Kearny's Trail 42
March Down the Gila 42
At the Mouth of the Gila 43

VI.

The March of the Battalion From the Colorado to the Pacific Ocean.

Destitution and Suffering of the Men en March 45
From Carriso Creek to San Phillipe 47
At Warner's Rancho 49
The March Directed to San Diego 49
In Sight of the Pacific 50
San Diego Mission 51
Col. Cooke's Bulletin on the Battalion's March 51

VII.

The Battalion in California.

At San Luis Rey Mission 54
Clean up and Drill 54
Company B at San Diego 55
The Conquest of California 56
The Kearny-Fremont Controversy 56

VIII.

Record of the Battalion in California.

Efforts to Re-enlist the Battalion 58
Homeward Bound 60
The Discharge and Payment of the Pueblo Detachments 61
The Purchase of Ogden Site with Battalion Money 61
The Battalion's Contribution of Seeds to Utah Colonies 63
The Battalion's Part in the Discovery of Gold 63
The Date of the Discovery of Gold 65
The Tide of Western Civilization Started 67
The Mormon Battalion's "Diggings" on the American River 68
The Call of Duty 69
Ascent of the Sierras from the Western Side 72
Wagon Trail from Los Angeles to Salt Lake 72
Evidence of Appreciation of the Battalion's Services 73
Efforts to Raise a Second Mormon Battalion 74

IX.

The Battalion in the Perspective of Seventy-Three Years.

The Battalion as Utah Pioneers 76
Achievements of the Battalion 77
Territory Added to the United States 77
The Gadsden Purchase and the Battalion Route 78
Connection with Irrigation 80

X.

The Subsequent Distinction Achieved by the Battalion's Commanding Officers.

Colonel Cooke 83
Lieut. A. J. Smith 84
Lieut. George Stoneman 84

XI.

Anecdotes.

Character of Col. Cooke 85
Col. Cooke and Christoper Layton 85
Col. Cooke and Lot Smith 86
The Colonel, the Mule, and Bigler 87
"Wire, Wire, Wire D----n You Sir!" 88
Col. Cooke's Respect for the Battalion 88

ADDENDA.

The Battalion's Monument.

The State of Utah's Mormon Battalion Monument Commission 89
Description of the Monument 91
The Duty of the People of Utah 95

The Mormon Battalion