In 1848, James K. Polk, the president of the United States, ordered his secretary of war to gather 500 Mormon men to serve as soldiers in the Mexican War. He wrote in his diary that he did so to keep the Saints from taking action against the United States, perhaps joining the British in a fight with the United States. James Allen, a captain, was sent to Iowa to ask for volunteers. When Allen arrived at Mount Pisgah, where many of the members were encamped, Wilford Woodruff was the only member of the Quorum of the Twelve, (the ruling body of the church) in camp at that time. Brigham Young and the others were further west. Woodruff was suspicious of the visit. Because the Mormons were unwelcome in the United States, he feared the man was really there to spy and learn of the Saint's plans. The other leaders learned of the request three days later. Orson Pratt wrote, "The United States had the barefaced injustice and inhumanity to require the Saints to go and fight their battles in their invasion of Mexico, after having suffered us to be driven from state to state unlawfully and unconstitutionally, with the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property; and after the martyrdom and cold blooded butchery of scores of our men, women and innocent children."
Presented by Brigham Young and Captain James Allen on July 1, 1846
"I have come among you, instructed by Col. S.F. Kearney of the U.S. 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 country 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 advanced party can thus pave the way and look out for the land for their brethren to come after them.
"Those of the Mormons who are desirous of serving their country, on the conditions here enumerated, are requested to meet me without delay at their principal camp at Council Bluffs, whither I am going to consult with their principal men, and to receive and organize the force contemplated to be raised.
"I will receive all healthy, able-bodied men from eighteen to forty-five years of age."
J. Allen, Captain 1st Dragoons
Brigham Young, the leader of the church, asked the men to sign on anyway. He told them they had a patriotic duty to enlist, and the money promised the men would help the financial situation of the pioneers. He also suggested this would allow the Mormons to reach California first, (this is where they were then headed) where they might be able to settle without the need to placate previous residents, as they had in the past. If they helped the country win California, it would be harder for the country to force them to leave.
President Brigham Young told them: "Brethren, you will be blessed, if you will live for those blessings which you have been taught to live for. The Mormon Battalion will be held in honorable remembrance to the latest generation; and I will prophesy that the children of those who have been in the army, in defense of their country, will grow up and bless their fathers for what they did at that time. And men and nations will rise up and bless the men who went in that Battalion. These are my feelings in brief respecting the company of men known as the Mormon Battalion. When you consider the blessings that are laid upon you, will you not live for them? As the Lord lives, if you will but live up to your privileges, you will never be forgotten, without end, but you will be had in honorable remembrance, for ever and ever." They were promised that if they remained honorable, never stealing or rampaging as soldiers frequently did, and never killed someone unnecessarily, that none of them would be killed by the enemy.
500 men, 32 women, and even some children signed on. The women were to be laundresses. (Click here to learn about one battalion wife who traveled with the men.)
In addition to the 500 men, some of the officers chose to take their families and their possessions and their own wagons at no expense to the government, which the Army permitted. There were 15 or 16 families, including 50 or 55 children and dependents, who left Council Bluffs with the Battalion.
Before leaving, the men promised to use their pay to help their families and other Saints cross the plains.
Their first stop was at Fort Leavenworth, where Allen, now a colonel, became ill and soon died. The Mormons mourned his death, because he had treated them well. The new commander was Lieutenant Andrew Jackson Smith, who proceeded to create dissension in the group. They felt he was pushing the journey too quickly and also forced them to use his own doctor, George B. Sanderson. The battalion felt the doctor did not like them and was not worried about saving any of their lives. Modern research suggests he did not treat their ailments adequately. Most of the families were sent Pueblo, Colorado for the winter, and although the soldiers were angry, this was actually a good decision, since the winter would prove very difficult.
At Santa Fe, those members of the Battalion who had remained healthy were placed under Lieutenant Colonel Philip St. George Cook, and the men were happier. The soldiers who became ill-many had contracted malaria-had been left behind with most of the women and families. The soldiers were asked to create new westward trails, and they did, but many fell ill and were forced to return to Colorado.
On November 21, tired and traveling with reduced rations, the 350 remaining soldiers and the few women still with them were attacked by bulls. This was actually the only battle they would ever fight!
They traveled 2030 miles, from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego, California. This was the longest military march ever made. They arrived in San Diego on January 29th, 1847 to learn that California had already surrendered. They finished their enlistment as occupation troops and then were released on July 16. Eighty-one chose to re-enlist for six more months. The remainder planned to go to Salt Lake. Some of them, however, signed on to work for John Sutter, and were there when gold was discovered.