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Travel was slow- -from day to day the caravan wearily crossed snow-covered Iowa. At various points between the Mississippi and Missouri, the Mormons built temporary settlements, breaking the land and putting in crops for the benefit of those who were to follow.
Early in 1846, President Young wrote to Jesse Little, of the newly-created Eastern States Mission, and instructed him to visit Washington and the President and to secure, if possible, governmental assistance in the western migration. After several conferences with President Polk, there came decision to accept enlistment of a Mormon Battalion for dispatch to the Pacific Coast to consist of 500 individuals. Thus, we see that the formation of the Mormon Battalion came logically as a part of the determination of the Mormon people to seek a new home in the West, and the wherewith to do it, for as stated above, in 1846 they had come to the conclusion that no permanent peace could be known in Illinois or any nearby states owing to religious prejudice, and the High Council had mad announcement of the intention to move to the Valleys of the Rocky Mountains.
Thus it was that on Wednesday, July 1st, 1846 at Council Bluffs, that President Young introduced Captain James All of the U.S. Army to the people who had gathered to hear his message which read:
“I HAVE COME AMONG YOU, INSTRUCTED BY COL. S.F. KEARNEY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, NOW COMMANDING THE ARMY OF THE WEST, TO VISIT THE MORMON CAMP, AND TO ACCEPT THE SERVICE FOR TWELVE MONTHS OF FOUR OR FIVE COMPANIES OF MORMON MEN WHO MAY BE WILLING TO SERVE THEIR COUNTY FOR THAT PERIOD IN OUR PRESENT WAR WITH MEXICO; THIS FORCE TO UNITE WITH THE ARMY OF THE WEST AT SANTA FE, AND BE MARCHED THENCE TO CALIFORNIA, WHERE THEY WILL BE DISCHARGED.
“THEY WILL RECEIVE PAY RATIONS, AND OTHER ALLOWANCES, SUCH AS OTHER VOLUNTEERS OR REGULAR SOLDIERS RECEIVE, FROM THE DAY THEY SHALL BE MUSTERED INTO THE SERVICE, AND WILL BE ENTITLED TO ALL COMFORTS AND BENEFITS OF REGULAR SOLDIERS OF THE ARMY, AND WHEN DISCHARGED AS CONTEMPLATED AT CALIFORNIA, THEY WILL BE GIVEN GRATIS THEIR ARMS AND ACCOUTREMENTS FOR WHICH THEY WILL BE FULLY EQUIPPED AT FORT LEAVENWORTH. THIS IS OFFERED TO THE MORMON PEOPLE NOW. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY OF SENDING A PORTION OF THEIR YOUNG AND INTELLIGENT MEN TO THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION OF THEIR WHOLE PEOPLE, AND ENTIRELY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THIS ADVANCE PARTY CAN THUS PAVE THE WAY AND LOOK OUT FOR THE LAND FOR THEIR BRETHERN TO COME AFTER THEM.
“I WILL RECEIVE ALL HEALTHY, ABLE-BODIED MEN FROM 18 TO 45 YEARS OF AGE.”
(signed) J. ALLEN, CAPT. LST DRAGOONS.
On July 13, 1846 – 5 Companies were mustered into service of the United States Army at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory, consisting of Co.'s. A, B, C, D, and E.
(NOTE:) My Grandfather Brizzee’s Company was Co. D.
By the 21st of July, 1846 they were on the march westward to the tune of “The Girl I left Behind Me”. Except for a few officers, these men were not trained soldiers- - - -but gathered hastily and marched West. The route took them down through St. Joseph to Fort Leavenworth where pay was drawn to send back to the Saints- -and every man in the Battalion could write his own name. The start from Ft. Leavenworth was in the heat of summer, on August 12th, 1846.
Of course troubles early beset the inexperienced soldiers who appear to have been illy prepared to withstand the inclemency of all kinds of weather.
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Colonel Cooke writes:
“THE BATTALION WAS MUCH WORN BY TRAVEL ON FOOT, STAGGERING, FROM LONG MARCHING FROM NAUVOO, ILLINOIS; CLOTHING WAS VERY SCANT, THERE WAS NO MONEY TO PAY THEM OR CLOTHING TO ISSUE; THEIR MULES WERE UTTERLY BROKEN DOWN, THE QUARTERMASTER’S DEPARTMENT WAS WITHOUT FUNDS AND ITS CREDIT BAD; ANIMALS WERE SCARCE AND INFERIOR AND DETERIORATING EVERY HOUR FOR LACK OF FORAGE. SO EVERY PREPARATION MUST BE PUSHED- - -HURRIED.”
After the men finally received their pay, they sent their checks back to their families, then started the long journey from Ft. Leavenworth to Santa Fe, 448 strong with rations for on 60 days. The command for 48 hours at one time was without water, with hardship and denial. Judging from present information of the lay of the land, and the diaries of men that made the long trek, it seems evident that LaRoux, the guide, did not guide them (the Mormon Battalion) on the easiest route, and the trip over the Continental Divide was one of extreme hardship, as the wagons had to be taken down by hand with men behind the ropes to lower them and hold them until gradually the descent was made. Also the guide had to follow the rivers as far as possible, so that water would be available for each daily camp, otherwise, they had to dig in the sand for water. From Aug. 12th, 1846, it was two months later that the Battalion entered Santa Fe.
Arizona was entered not far from the present city of Douglas, at an old ranch called San Bernardino. There was plenty of travail in the passage of the deserts to Pueblo of Tucson, which they reached around Christmas Day and on the Gila. (Note:) From Tucson to Pima Villages on the Gila, about a distance of 73 miles is now the present line of the Southern Pacific Railroad). Then the weary, weary way down the Gila to the Colorado, and thence across the sands of the Colorado Desert where they had to literally cut and hew their way through the mountains to get their wagons through to Calif. And to the shores of the western ocean, and this was practically on foot.
On Jan. 26th, 1847 they were ordered to turn back to San Diego instead of progressing to the Pueblo de Los Angeles, as trouble was brewing there, so on they went over mountainous trails and camped on the San Luis River until they came to the beautiful San Luis Mission and climbed the bluffs, and there for the first time their eyes looked upon the magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean.
At the Mission of San Diego, Jan. 30, 1847, the proud Battalion Commander issued the following memorable order:
“The Lieutenant-Colonel commanding congratulates the Battalion on their safe arrival on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and the conclusion of their march of over 2000 miles.
“History may be searched in vain for an equal march of infantry. Half of it has been through a wilderness, where nothing but savages and wild beasts are found, or deserts where, for want of water, there is no living creature. There, with almost hopeless labor we have dug wells, which the future traveler will enjoy. Without a guide who had traversed them, we have ventured into trackless tablelands where water was not found for several marches. With crowbar and pick and ax in hand, we worked our way over mountains, which seemed to defy aught save the wild goat, and hewed a pass through a chasm of living rock more narrow than our wagons. To bring these first wagons to the Pacific, we have preserved the strength of our mules by herding them over large tracts, which you, men, have laboriously guarded without loss. The garrisons of four presidios of Sonora concentrated within the walls of Tucson, gave us no pause. We drove them out with our artillery; but our intercourse with the citizens was unmarked by a single act of injustice. Thus, marching, half-naked and half-fed and living upon wild animals, we have discovered and made a road of great value to our country.
“Arrived at the first settlements of California, after a single day’s rest, you cheerfully turned off from the route to this point of promised repose, to enter upon a campaign and meet, as we supposed, the approach of an enemy; and this, too, without even salt to season your sole subsistence of fresh meat.
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