[MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome to the Church History Library's Men and Women of Faith lecture. Tonight's lecture is titled "The Mormon Battalion: a March of Faith." Our presenter is Brandon J. Metcalf, an archivist and historian currently working in special projects in the Church History Department. My name is Deborah Xavier. And I am the marketing and communications specialist with the same department. Brandon Metcalf grew up in Northern California and received a bachelor's degree in history from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in public history with an emphasis in archives and manuscripts from California State University Sacramento. He is a member of several historical and archival organizations and is currently employed as an archivist in special projects for the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His past work experience includes managing the processing section in the library division of the LDS Church History Library, with overall responsibility for processing newly acquired archival collections. Prior to his employment with the Church History Department, Brandon spent five years as an archivist with the Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City. With Michael and Landon, he co-authored The Remarkable Journey of the Mormon Battalion in 2012. He and his wife, Angela, have four children and reside in Riverton, Utah. Welcome, Brandon Metcalf. [APPLAUSE]

It's a privilege to be here and share a few thoughts on the Mormon Battalion this evening. First of all, how many descendants do we have here? I have to ask this question. Raise your hand, or stand, or-- I'm guessing a whole lot. Excellent, I probably won't know any more than you do about your ancestors. I'm going to promise that right now. But over the years, it's been a privilege to be in this building. I've usually-- I've always sat on that side, and it's a great historic building to be in for these lectures. Having said that, I do appreciate today-- the leg room up here is much, much better than down there. So that's one perk of being on this side. My introduction to the battalion occurred during my years growing up in Northern California. In various history classes, I had heard of the gold rush and stories about the colorful Sam Brannan, who supposedly ran through the streets of San Francisco, frantically swinging his hat in the air shouting that gold had been discovered. In my early teens, I was surprised to discover the existence of Mormon Street near the American River, which I later learned was just up the hill from Mormon Island, a gold rush mining-- a gold rush era mining community now partially submerged beneath beneath the waters of Folsom Lake. I say partially-- because of the low water levels, it actually showed itself for the first time in nearly 50 years this past winter. I wondered as a youth what Mormons were doing in the area and why they were mining for gold. What was their role in early California? Over time, I learned about the 1846 arrival of Mormons aboard the ship Brooklyn in California followed by the Mormon Battalion in 1847, and their subsequent involvement in California's legendary gold rush. Until recently, historians have largely overlooked or ignored the role of Latter-day Saints played in this pivotal time in California's history. On a recent trip to the gold discovery site in Coloma, California, I was impressed by the unintended role of several members of the Battalion who were present at the gold discovery in 1848. While many visitors find the site interesting and enjoy the serenity along the banks of the south fork of the American River, I marveled at the magnitude of the transformative event that occurred more than 160 years earlier near the spot on which we stood. Not only did the discovery of gold shape the physical, social, environmental, and economic future of California, but it impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands, as gold seekers hastily abandoned their homes and families in a race to the gold fields. The event forever changed the history of California and the United States. It is fascinating to look back through history and observe how one seemingly small or even accidental event can change everything. Whether we recognize it or not, our past has everything to do with our present. Where we live, what language we speak, even our culture may have been completely different had decisions and outcomes from our past taken an alternate course. For me, this is one of the interesting dynamics of history. Decisions made by individuals from past generations, sometimes in response to world and local events, regardless of whether they occurred a few decades ago or centuries ago, have direct impact on our current lives. Before news spread of the gold discovery, spurring hundreds of thousands to pour into the rivers and canyons along the western slope of the Sierras, a number of recently discharged members of the Mormon Battalion were in Northern California, far removed from their families and fellow Latter-day Saints. Their presence at the gold discovery was fortuitous. And Sutter's Mill was merely a brief stopover along an 18 month journey to reunite with their families and Church. Thankfully, many of them kept diaries and wrote letters, providing a glimpse into this colorful chapter of our history. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a rich legacy of record keeping. And those who joined the Mormon Battalion were no exception. One historian noted that the Battalion probably holds the prize for the most journals and diaries per capita of any military unit in history, with nearly 80 separate records coming from a body of just 500 men. This rich record-keeping legacy chronicling the history of the Church has its roots in a revelation received by Joseph Smith on the day the Church was officially organized in April 1830, wherein the Lord mandated that "there shall be a record kept among you." Beginning with Oliver Cowdery, a succession of historians and recorders have been appointed to keep a record continually of all things that transpire in Zion, including their manner of life, their faith, and works, which were collected and preserved for the good of the Church and for the rising generations. We are indebted to diligent diarists and letter writers among the Battalion who, in the midst of an incredibly difficult march, recorded their feelings and experiences for future generations, including all of us assembled here this evening. The soldiers in the Mormon Battalion served for one year from July 1846 to July 1847 for the most part, before being discharged. And they never participated in combat during the war. Yet their list of wartime accomplishments were not insignificant and include establishing new wagon routes the Pacific and helping to secure California for the expansion of the United States. They completed a nearly 2,000 mile trek from the Missouri River to San Diego. The soldiers endured privation, thirst, and a litany of other hardships during the seemingly endless march to the Pacific and their subsequent return routes to reunite with their families, who also sacrificed greatly during the military absence of their husbands and fathers. It is difficult for us to even fathom such a journey in our comfortable age of air conditioned automobiles, paved highways, abundant sources of nourishment, clothing and supplies, and technology that allows us to effortlessly and instantly communicate with loved ones and friends. But rather than providing a chronology of events or reviewing a list of achievements tonight, I will focus on the faith and personal experiences of individuals through their eyes as they chronicled what was summarized as a long and weary march. President Gordon B Hinckley said, "It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard. Their tremendous example can become compelling motivation for us all. It is good occasionally to be taken back to earlier days, to have our minds refocused on the struggles of the early Latter-day Saints to remind us of the necessity for labor, the importance of faith in God, and of the need to recognize that many of the so-called old values are worthy of present application." It is in that spirit that I wish to focus my remarks. For me, it is the first-hand accounts that tell the story most vividly. And I will mention three lessons learned from the Battalion worthy of present day application. Lesson one: the Lord's call is often not convenient and requires faith and sacrifice. In mid-July 1846, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were scattered across a 265 mile stretch, from Nauvoo along the Mississippi to Council Bluffs on the Missouri River. Sustained persecution by local vigilantes triggered the evacuation of Nauvoo, just seven years after the Saints first arrived in that area. This exodus from Nauvoo was another in a sequence of forced migrations experienced by Church members spanning a decade and a half. Some early converts to the Church endured moves from New York to Northern Ohio and Missouri before fleeing to Illinois in 1839. Leaving their homes with minimal supplies, the first wave of Saints left Nauvoo in early February 1846. They struggled across Iowa through what one diariest referred to as quote, "a continuous mudhole" and established makeshift camps near the Missouri River. The group was malnourished, lacking supplies and clothing, stricken with illness. While in these difficult circumstances, representatives from the federal government entered the Mormon camps to recruit a 500 member battalion to march toward Mexico and participate in the Mexican War. From the outset, reactions to joining the US Army were not favorable. Hosea Stout captured the apprehensive and resentful feeling shared by many of the Saints at the time, recording that the effort was a plot laid to bring trouble. "And that if we did not comply with the requisition we supposed, they would now make a protest to denounce us as enemies to our country. And if we did not comply that they would then have 500 of our men in their power to be destroyed, as they had done our leaders at Carthage. I confess that my feeling was uncommonly wrought against them." Like Stout, many Church members were suspicious and even angered by the request from the same government that had long refused to intervene in their behalf through years of injustice and abuse. However, Church leaders welcomed the opportunity to form a battalion. Although unaware to the rank and file, Brigham Young had strategically sent an agent to Washington DC five months earlier to seek federal assistance in relocating to the West. Fearing the potential threat of the Mormons uniting themselves with a rival government, US President James K Polk determined to create a 500 person battalion in hopes of reconciling them and prevent them from assuming a hostile attitude towards the US after their arrival in California. To those asked to enlist, it seemed reprehensible to request hundreds of men to abandon their families in the name of a country that had repeatedly failed to defend them. But a man they upheld as a prophet of God asked them to join. And within a few days, roughly 500 men enlisted at great sacrifice. The decision to head off to war during the mass migration of the Church was not an easy one. Battalion soldiers captured the vivid and heartwrenching scene of departure in their writings. Zadock Judd recorded, "This was quite a hard pill to swallow, to leave wives and children on the wild prairie, destitute and almost helpless, having nothing to rely on, only the kindness of neighbors, and go to fight the battles of a government that allowed some of its citizens to drive us from our homes. But the word came from the right source and seemed to bring the spirit of conviction of its truth with it. And there was quite a number of company volunteered, myself and brother among them." Judd took comfort in his faith that Brigham Young was led by God. But it pained him to leave his family at the mercy of neighbors that already had families and concerns surrounding their own survival. Leaving one's family in the safety and comfort of a home and farm would have been tough enough. But to carry the added stress of abandoning them in a temporary, makeshift camp, far short of their destination to the West, was a sacrifice almost too hard to bear. James S. Brown declared that he did not suppose that there was an individual in the battalion who, had he been left to his own thoughts and feelings, independent of counsel, would have been enlisted. "I would have felt very reluctant under the circumstances had it not been for the counsel of my brethren, whom God authorized to dictate the affairs of his kingdom." At the time George W. Taggart enlisted, he had not seen his family for months. In February 1846, Taggart was recruited to assist moving the first companies out of Nauvoo and was helping the Saints in Mount Pisgah in July, at which time Brigham Young held a meeting. And stated that every man that possibly could should volunteer for the space of one year in the service of the United States. And that a family or property must not be named as an excuse for not going. Although Taggart did not attend the meeting, he felt compelled to join the battalion and wrote a poignant letter to his wife explaining his decision. "My faith is that you will not murmur at my volunteering to absent myself from you for so long. And as much as I go by counsel of the Church, you may be assured, Fanny, it is a great disappointment and a wound to my natural feelings to tear myself, as if it were, away from my family that I have not seen for five months. But I believe that the God of Israel will order all things right for those that act through a pure desire for the welfare of his kingdom."

William Hyde likewise agonized over leaving his wife and two young children. "I returned to the camp where my family was situated. The thoughts of leaving them at this critical time are indescribable. Far from the land we had once called civilization with no dwelling, save a wagon, with the scorching midsummer sun to beat upon them. With the prospect of a cold December blast finding them in the same place. "My family, at this time, consisted of a wife and two children, the eldest of whom was but three years and a half. And the situation of my wife was such as to require-- as to cause her to require, if ever, the assistance and watch care of her companion. All had supposed their hands were full before the requisition was made. Now, they felt that there was placed upon them a three-fold charge."

Those left behind could hardly bear watching their loved ones fade into the horizon with a few supplies hefted over their shoulder. No one was sure how long they would be separated or what perils of war they might encounter during their service. Henry Standish grabbed his knapsack and left the camp of Israel, "leaving my wife and mother in tears." George Dykes felt the need to repent for the leaving his aged mother and a family dearer than life in the wide, spreading prairies with nothing more than their wagons for habitations. The story of the Phelps family is one of the saddest tales of the Mormon Battalion. Alva Phelps, his wife, Margaret, and their children were traveling across Iowa when the call to enlist in the Battalion came. Margaret was so ill at the time that she watched Alva leave from the wagon bed. She noted that there was no time for tears or any provision to be made for wife or children. Alva became ill at Fort Leavenworth a few weeks after leaving his family in Council Bluffs, and died. The news of this-- of his death caused Margaret to collapse. But her mourning was just the beginning of what she called "the darkest part of my life." She wrote, "winter found me bedridden, destitute, in a wretched hovel, which was built upon a hillside. The extraordinary season was one of constant rain. The situation of the hovel and its openness gave free access to piercing winds, and water flowed over the dirt floor, converting it into mud two or three inches deep. No wood but what my little ones picked up around the fences, so green it filled the room with smoke. "The rain, dropping and wetting the bed, which I was powerless to leave, no relative to cheer and comfort me. A stranger away from all who ever loved me. My neighbors could do but little, their own troubles and destitution engrossing their time. My little daughter of seven my only help. No eye to witness my sufferings but the pitying one of God. He did not desert me." These accounts of dark days illustrate the strength that comes through following the Lord, no matter how inconvenient and severe our burdens become. They clung to the promise found in the Book of John that God will not leave his children comfortless or abandon them in their time of need. Margaret Phelps, like so many others, endured. The faith and willingness of so many families to sacrifice their all is astonishing. These difficult experiences also highlight the value of perspective in our own lives. How often do we feel put out or inconvenienced by the relatively simple annoyances or assignments that require little effort on our part? Lesson two: trusting in the Lord provides added capacity to overcome life's obstacles. Each of us faces challenges and experience struggles as part of mortality. It is remarkable to observe how differently individuals cope with obstacles and the seemingly unfairness of life. A positive outlook and perspective can make all the difference. Enduring the curveballs life throws at us builds character and prepares us for future difficulties. Often, the shaping and maturation gained through challenges is not fully appreciated or realized until afterwards. But these experiences become a part of who we are and provide reservoirs of strength to push forward in the face of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual adversity. Before the Battalion departed from Council Bluffs, Brigham Young assured the brethren that they would have no fighting to do and that their families would be cared for. They trusted in his promise throughout their journey, but did not fully anticipate the awful situation that lay ahead. Rather than allowing less than ideal circumstances defeat them, members of the Battalion tenaciously pushed forward with all their might. Many of their accounts paint a vivid picture of what lengths individuals will go to for food and water, as well as the physical misery they endured as they trudged forward for thousands of miles. The rigors of the march constantly took its toll on the well-being of a battalion. Of all the dangers and discomforts, thirst was the immediate threat to their health and survival. William Coray summarized their difficulties at one point, explaining, "We were all weary and fatigued, hungry, nearly naked, and barefoot, but our burning thirst drowned every other suffering." The burning thirst, warm temperatures, and a shortage of provisions resulted in severe suffering. Descriptions of the water quality attest to what unquenchable thirst can do to lower one's tolerance of what constitutes drinkable water. Over the course of their travels, the Battalion suffered several sustained marches without any water. One journal entry described the men sucking and straining the water through their teeth to keep back the live, as well as the dead, insects and mud from being swallowed wholesale. And after quenching their thirst, they filled their canteens out of the tracks of the oxen and mules. On another occasion, Daniel Tyler recalled, "we passed one lone pond full of insects of all sizes and shapes. Out of this pond, we drove several thousand buffalo. The water was discolored and had a most disgusting appearance. The animals doubtless rendered it more noisome than it otherwise would have been by gathering in it to defend themselves from the flies. No luxury was ever more thankfully received. The few whose canteens and flagons were not exhausted, of course, did not use it. But bad as it was, it was very welcome to the most of us." Henry Bigler noted the effect of the filthy water on some soldiers. "We marched 25 miles and then camped without water for our animals and a very scanty supply for the men. The day was very warm. Teams gave out, and men, too, for the want of water. The men who had given out had to be brought to camp in wagons. After we had marched about 20 miles, we came to a small, dirty, muddy pond of water tramped up by the buffalo. The water was well mixed with their green manure. The men drank without complaining, but gracious, how sick it made some of them." The journey from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe took two months. During that time, the soldiers marched more than 700 difficult miles. Loaded down with their military equipment, they experienced fatigue and constant thirst. They also witnessed the death of some companions, the detachment of others to a winter camp at Pueblo in present day Colorado, three changes in command, and for many, an accelerated march to Santa Fe to meet a seemingly impractical arrival deadline imposed upon them. The Battalion's final change in leadership occurred prior to their departure from Santa Fe. Colonel Philip St. George Cooke, an experienced soldier and graduate of West Point, was a trusted officer and prepared to lead the battalion. He saw firsthand the stress and fatigue of the troops. On one occasion, Cooke noted, "a sand hill reaching the riverbank was encountered. Two hours with teams doubled and 20 men to a wagon were required to reach its top, only 300 or 400 paces." The situation worsened in the coming days and weeks. A series of reductions in the rations was ordered, which failed to provide enough nourishment to sustain the men through the daily exertion of their march. Having their rations reduced caused great concern among the men. Henry Standish noted, "we are now on 3/4 rations. And if we're due so soon, what will we be obliged to do ere we reach San Diego?" In addition to inadequate food, the men struggled with the hilly and sandy topography along the banks of the Rio Grande River. Regularly wading through the river's tributaries with sand filled shoes inflicted severe pain on the men's feet. James S. Brown recalled the emotional as well as physical stress on the men at the time. "The men marched along, their clothes wet, and their thick soled, cowhide army shoes partly filled with sand. The chafing and gauling of the flesh without and the gnawing and grinding of the stomach within defied the mind to dwell upon anyone subject for long at a time." Despite their heavy use of freight routes in New Mexico, the roads along the Rio Grande were terrible. Remaining close to the river guaranteed a water source, but the sandy river plain was not conducive to wagon traffic. At times, the battalion struggled to cover more than a mile or two an hour as they rallied together to push wagons. Their shoes became so dry and hard that walking was very painful and difficult. "And our feet became raw as we tramped on through the sands. We became so weak it was almost impossible to keep our ankles from striking together as we walked. And our hard and dry shoe tops would cut our ankles till the blood came." The Battalion soldiers continue to push their bodies to the limit. To make even minimal progress through the deep sand, hours were spent pushing wagons and pulling them up ravines. Pack mules gave out and were so exhausted that they were not even secured at night, being too tired to wander off. The weakened condition of many of the soldiers resulted in three detachments being sent to Pueblo in the early months of the March, reducing the battalion by nearly 40% from its peak of roughly 500. Rations were so scarce that the malnourished men were forced to lower their ideas of acceptable food, just as they had with their limited water sources. Henry Standish recorded "that the colonel has ordered an old white ox to be killed. The dilapidated beast was really the poorest beef that can be imagined. And not only is there a lack of fat, but it is covered with sores caused by the blows received from day to day in order to get the poor thing through the deep sands. Some complain a little at this kind of meat. But if we do not eat mule meat before we receive aplenty, I should be glad." Even in their starving condition, many were repulsed and refused to eat the meat. Strips of rawhide were boiled for soup, and it soon became routine to eat their weary and ailing oxen. Standish noted, "we have been eating work oxen for some time, working the oxen as long as they could be made to go, and then killing them for the command. The men are literally worn out. And eating much meat as we do now, I believe, makes men sluggish and feel more like worn out beings through diseased cattle." As oxen grew too weak to pull the wagons, they were slaughtered, and every scrap was divided. James S. Brown wrote that this included "the hide, intestines, all was eaten. Even the tender of soft edges of the hooves and horns would be roasted and gnawed at, so long as a human being could possibly draw subsistence there from." On several occasions, the Battalion marched for multiple days without water. "Some experienced a deceptive barrage constantly before us, seeming to keep the same distance off. Sometimes it looked like a river, at other, like a sea or a lake." In this desperate situation, they returned, again, to extreme lengths to get some little assuage their thirst, some sucking water through quills as it seeped from the crack in the rocks. James S. Brown described his thirst as so intense "that it did not seem possible that I could live till morning." Many of the men looked like death. Their mouths black, their eyes sunken, till it was difficult to recognize them. And it appeared that the monster death were close at hand. Some of the most challenging days on this leg of the journey involve the passage over the Guadalupe mountains on the border of modern day southern New Mexico and Arizona, where peaks exceeded 6,000 feet. The steep descent over the rugged terrain required the men to transfer supplies from wagons to pack animals. A number of the wagons were damaged in the process and had to be repaired. Punishing labor was required, using pickaxe and crowbar to clear the most feasible road down by chopping away the shrubbery and brush and removing that and the rocks. Between Tucson and the Pima Indian villages on the Gila river, the Battalion faced 70 miles of parched desert. This time, the situation became even more severe than before. Some of the men went searching for water late that night and found very little. Guy M. Keyser wrote that they "suffered very much for the want of water. And some might have perished if we had not found one or two mud holes about sundown. These holes afforded a swallow to each man, being permitted only to lay down and lap it like a dog or, in other words, to take what we could drink at once." This method of prostrating their bodies to the earth, lapping up water, and preventing any dipping of canteens or hands was strictly enforced, allowing the maximum number possible to receive a taste. Keyser further explained that some of the desperate men who attempted to return to the mud holes that night lost their way and wandered about all night. And the resilient mules, built to withstand such harsh conditions, bellowed all night. William Hyde claimed those who were fortunate enough to receive a little water savored it and sipped it down as readily as if it had been choice wine. The constant thirst brought many to their breaking point. For Henry G. Boyle, the months of arduous backbreaking work seem to culminate during this unforgiving stretch of desert, making him feel weakened from hunger and thirst, "also from the fatigue of our long marches, camp duty, et cetera. None but ourselves will ever know how much we suffered." William Hyde also recalled that whenever water was located, "the soldiers hurried to the water's edge, and after drinking and resting, and again drinking and resting, and continuing this operation for a long time, we succeeded in quenching our thirst. But on arising from the ground, we felt that we were not much less than 99 years old."

These extreme conditions resulted in some creative remedies. James S. Brown recounted that they would chew a buckshot or two to induce moisture on their parched tongues. Melissa Coray, one of four women to make the entire journey to the Pacific with the Battalion, carried a smooth stone in her pocket and placed it in her mouth to generate saliva during the long marches without water. William Hyde described how the men attempted to make the filthy water from the mud holes more palatable "by mixing a little flour in some, but the water was so thick with mud that it would admit but a very small portion of flour and was like eating clay." Out of this miserable day-to-day existence came some wonderful examples of the power of attitude and faith in times of adversity. Many of the Battalion soldiers accounts attributed survival to the watchful and merciful eye of the Lord upon them. After a particularly rough stretch, William Coray confessed that "nothing could have saved our lives but the unseen hand of Almighty God." Further noting that notwithstanding the intense suffering of the men, there was not much grumbling after all. William Hyde spent Christmas morning reflecting on Christmases past with his family. He wrote, "This is rather a strange Christmas to me. My situation with my family in days gone by was called to mind, and contrasted with my present situation on the sandy deserts, through which passed the Gila and Colorado Rivers, growing faint and weary for want of those comforts, which nature requires to give strength and vigor to the body, and also suffering much at times for the want of water, but still pressing forward with parched lips, scalded shoulders, weary limbs, blistered feet, worn out shoes, and ragged clothes. But with me, the prospect of my present toils cheers me on." Aside from enduring the physical toils, the threat of combat became a reality on a couple of occasions. It is easy to look back, knowing what we know today, and think that these men never fought, and perhaps downplay or ignore the fact that war was a real possibility and an added stress on their minds. But none of them knew that they would never engage in battle at the time of the march. The possibility of combat intensified when they received word that a Mexican garrison numbering 200 strong was stationed at Tucson. Undaunted, Colonel Cooke drilled his men in battle tactics and formations, inspected arms, and issued 28 rounds of ammunition to each man for target practice. William Coray recounted that the Battalion was met by seven dragoons from the garrison. "One of them wanted to know our intentions, whether it was to kill, destroy and take prisoners, or to pass through peaceably. To which the Lieutenant Colonel replied that it was to pass through in peace, that they did not come to make war on Sonora, but wish to trade with them for provisions and mules, as we were quite destitute." The situation escalated as Cooke approached Tucson and learned that one of his scouts have been taken prisoner by the Mexican troops. So he claimed three Mexican soldiers as hostages in retaliation. When Cooke received notice that he must go around the city or fight, he ignored the request. Albert Smith wrote that "men were all ordered to load our guns and fix bayonets and prepare for a fight if necessary." As the Battalion soldiers reached Tucson, Nathaniel V. Jones recorded meeting several men "who tried to have us pass around the fort. But the colonel pushed on with double speed until we came to the town. When upon our arrival, the soldiers fled, and many of the inhabitants with them, taking all their public arms with them." With the situation diffused, Cooke marched his command through town, set up camp, and seized some bushels of wheat that were used to feed his men and animals. The next day, the looming reality of combat returned when Cooke assembled about 50 men to pursue the fleeing Mexican garrison and seize their artillery and mules. One of the volunteers became convinced that a battle was inevitable. And his thoughts turned to his wife, who was still traveling with the Battalion. "I could not help thinking of Mrs. Coray while I was in ranks, wondering what she would do if the battle commenced. But it was one of the places where a trust in God was necessary to reconciliation." The plans were aborted after Cooke questioned his decision and determined to return to Tucson. But Coray's statement poignantly illustrates the reality of the fear of combat that emotionally burdened the battalion over the course of the march. In the face of extreme physical and emotional duress, the battalion persevered. Their example of trusting in the Lord and his prophets provides motivation for us all. To give it our all, never quitting in times of adversity. The confession by William Coray, that none could have saved them but the unseen hand of God, is inspiring. And that faith enabled them to endure what seemed beyond their own mortal capacity. Lesson three: remain focused on what matters most. Several characteristics of the members of the Battalion were noticed and recorded by military officers and civilians alike during their year long service. Despite negative feelings and misunderstandings about the Church at the time, the Battalion's work ethic and commitment influenced several non-Mormons, whom they encountered before, during, and after their trek to the Pacific. Their reputation of faith, determination, and abiding commitment to their Church and families is evident in the observations of a few of their contemporaries. Thomas L. Kane, a politically connected lawyer and reformer from Pennsylvania, served as a self-appointed political advisor to Brigham Young and ally to the Latter-day Saints for nearly 40 years. Kane's association with the Saints began in 1846, when he learned about the Saints' predicament and traveled to Washington DC to intervene in their behalf. A few weeks later, Kane joined the Mormon camps in Iowa to satisfy, as historian Matthew J. Grow describes it, "both his personal ambition and humanitarian sentiment." Initially desiring to promote himself by writing a compelling book about his experience among the Mormons and a journey to California, Kane grew fond of these peculiar refugees. He arrived in the midst of the recruitment of the Battalion and assisted by calming fears and convincing the Saints to enlist. During his sojourn, he took several walks through the camps with soon-to-be Battalion member Henry G. Boyle and mingled with the Saints. Boyle recorded an experience during one of their walks that had a great impact on Kane. The pair came upon a man praying in the woods. And Boyle claimed to have never heard a prayer so contrite, so earnest and fervent, and so full of inspiration. The two removed their hats, and Boyle noticed tears falling fast from Kane's face, while his bosom swelled with the fullness of his emotions. After the unnamed man closed his prayer, he arose from his knees, unaware of their presence, and walked back towards camp. Kane sobbed like a little child and could not trust himself to utter a word. Upon gathering himself, Kane stated, "I am satisfied your people are solemnly and terribly in earnest. When Henry Boyle marched away with a battalion a few days later with tears in his eyes, Thomas Kane asked Boyle to remember him in his prayers. Another who came to admire the Battalion soldiers was Colonel Richard B. Mason, military governor of California. In September 1847, two months after the Battalion was discharged from military service, Mason penned the letter to Brigadier General Rodger Jones, describing the California service and conduct of the Mormon soldiers. "Of the service of this Battalion, of their patience, subordination, and general good conduct, you have already heard. And I take great pleasure in adding that as a body of men, they have religiously respected the rights and feelings of these conquered people. And not a syllable of complaint has reached my ears of a single insult offered or outrage done by a Mormon volunteer. "So high an opinion did I entertain of the Battalion and of their special fitness for the duties now performed by the garrisons in this country, that I made strenuous efforts to engage their services for another year. Some few of the discharged Mormons are scattered throughout the country, but the great mass of them have gone to meet their families, supposed to be somewhere in the vicinity of Great Salt Lake." Their conduct was noted not only after arrival in California, but also during the march. After and during one of their waterless stretches, previously discussed, on the march, Colonel Cooke was heard to say, "any other company under like circumstances would have mutinized." And that had he known the situation in the desert, he would not have ventured upon it as he had on any account. Cooke was a career cavalry officer that served in numerous campaigns and expeditions with the US army for two decades by the time he assumed leadership of the Battalion in 1846. This comment coming from such a seasoned military officer was a great compliment, considering that he initially viewed the Battalion as a pitiful group of ragtag volunteers. During the course of the march, the actions of the Battalion erased Cooke's initial skepticism of their abilities. His most famous tribute to the Battalion was written shortly after their arrival in San Diego, when he stated, "history may be searched in vain for an equal march of infantry" and praised them for having exhibited some high and essential qualities of veterans. The discharge of the Battalion occurred in July 1847. Some of the men reenlisted for additional military service and remained in the area for another eight months. The others organized into companies and took various overland routes north and east to locate and reunite with their families and fellow Saints. While en route, Brigham Young sent instructions that only those with sufficient means should come to the Salt Lake Valley due to scarce supplies. As a result, a number of the men turned back and were hired by noted California pioneer John Sutter to work on his various projects in the Sacramento region. A few of these Battalion veterans were present when gold was discovered while constructing a sawmill on the American River in Coloma. As the summer of 1848 approached, a number of Mormon battalion veterans had to decide either to remain in California and capitalize on the gold discovery, or leave the prospect of riches and travel to the Salt Lake Valley to rejoin the main body of the Church and their families. James S. Brown wrote of his decision to leave the gold fields. "The day before starting from the gold diggings was kind of an off day, in which I wandered off from camp with pick and shovel up a dry gulch, where I soon struck a very rich prospect of gold. By sundown, had washed out near $49.50 in gold. Yet strange as it may appear, I have never seen that rich spot ever since, nor do I regret it. For there always has been a higher object before me than gold." "We had covenanted to move together. We were honor bound to move the next day. We did move, leaving the rich prospect, without ever sticking a stake in the gulch, but abandoning it to those who might follow. People said, here is gold on the bedrock, gold on the hills, gold in the rills, gold everywhere, gold to spend, gold to lend, gold for all that will delve, and soon you can make an independent fortune. "We could realize all that. Still, duty called. Our honor was at stake. We had covenanted with each other. There was a principle involved. For with us, it was God and His kingdom first. We had friends and relatives in the wilderness, yea, in an untried desert land. And who knew their condition? We did not. So it was duty beyond pleasure, before wealth. And with this prompting we rolled out and joined our "comrades. The historical record indicates that some of the former Battalion soldiers had made significant amounts of money. Remaining in the gold fields would have been lucrative. Yet for many, like James Brown, there was a higher principle involved. They headed east while the rest of the world rushed in to strike it rich. John Sutter's journal noted, "Paid off all the Mormons which have been employed by me in building these mills and other mechanical trades. All of them made their pile, and some of them became very rich and wealthy. But all of them are bound to the Great Salt Lake and will spend their fortunes there to the glory and honor of the Lord." After settling up with Sutter, the men used their wages to acquire wagons, livestock, tools, and seed to assist their comrades at Salt Lake. Their focus remained on reuniting with family and friends and the establishment of the Church in its new settlement in the West. For them, there was no decision to be made between remaining in the gold fields and reuniting with the Church. For with us, it was God and His kingdom first. Like anyone separated from loved ones, members of the Battalion longed to be reunited with their families. In his journal, Robert Bliss captured his emotions shortly after arriving in San Diego. "My thoughts go to my family continually, how they fare, are they well and contented? Are they looking for the time to meet me in the fall with as much anxiety as I do them? Dream of home and its pleasant fireside by, wake only to hear the bugle sound or drums beat for day." He later penned a poem that included his thoughts about service, as well as his hopes for himself, family, and friends. "A few days more and we shall go to wives and children too. And friends so dear we've left below, to save the Church from overthrow, our absence from them has been long. But oh, the time will soon be gone. When we shall meet once more on earth and praise the God that gave us birth." A number of Battalion soldiers arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley in mid-October, 1847, only to discover that their families were still back at the Missouri River preparing for winter. Some of the men, including William Pace, made immediate plans to travel east to Council Bluffs. Pace noted, "provisions being scarce in the Valley, we were told we could get supplies Fort Bridger and Laramie reasonable. And it would be a great help to the people if we would leave our provisions and replenish on the road. Having a common interest, we unloaded our supplies, taking only what was supposed enough to do us to Fort Bridger." Along with Pace, at least 31 others left the Salt Lake Valley to locate their families. Enduring brutally harsh winter conditions, the group traveled 1,000 miles over terrain they had never traversed. William Hyde left an account of the difficult circumstances the men faced near the end of the journey and how Providence favored them yet again. "We were all united in calling on the Lord to regard our situation in mercy and send us food from an unexpected quarter that we might have wherewith to subsist upon. And here, the Lord heard our prayer. Soon after reaching the Elkhorn River, the wild turkeys began to pass our camp in droves. And such a sight I had never before witnessed. "Drove after drove continued to pass through the woods until night set in. We succeeded in getting four. And after this, we could not get any more, although our shots might be considered even so fair. And we concluded to be satisfied. Probably, it would have been a damage to us if we had got all we wanted, as we were then suffering in the extreme with hunger." Hyde and his companions made it to the Winter Quarters Council Bluffs area seven days after this event. This was a remarkable feat in and of itself, but astounding when you consider that they had just crossed the Sierras and Great Basin before departing from the Salt Lake Valley. Driven by their concern for their families and friends, nothing seemed able to prevent this group from reaching their destination. Over the previous 18 months, they had walked thousands of miles and become, as one noted, "accustomed to pioneer life," to put it lightly. Their reputation of faith and hard work was earned incrementally as they plodded forward, step by step, day after day, rather than by one grand event. Their priorities remain fixed on family and Church. We are surrounded by countless activities and distractions to consume our time, or can consume our time. It is a struggle at times to remain focused on things of eternal consequence. Maintaining proper perspective, like the Battalion did, strengthened not only them, but it can likewise help each of us avoid the lost opportunities that accompany misaligned priorities.

More than 160 years have passed since the march of the Battalion. Theirs is a story of sacrifice, faith, and perseverance that transcends the passage of time. This band of green soldiers was grieved to abandon families and friends to set out on a march to war with Mexico. But despite their anxieties, these faithful Latter-day Saints heeded the call of Brigham Young and served in the face of extreme suffering and hardship. Pushing wagons through deep sand, crossing mountains, enduring poor and reduced rations, and marching days without water taxed the men to the utmost, physically and emotionally. Yet throughout the ordeal, they relied on their faith in the Lord and hopes of reuniting with their families. On January 10, 1855, a Mormon Battalion reunion announcement was published in the Deseret News. This was the first reunion of the Battalion. And all members were encouraged to attend. About two weeks before the event, an editorial recapped the service and sacrifice rendered by the battalion. "At their country's call, approved by the counsel of President Brigham Young, this noble band of men, on a moment's warning, threw down their ox whips and trusted their wives, children, and relatives to Israel's God and to their brethren who were steeped in poverty through the oppression of mob violence. Cheerfully wended their way to Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri, from which they took up the long and weary march through a hostile, barren, and dreary region for the Pacific coast. "In addition to the testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Cooke of the USA, we personally know the Mormon Battalion underwent and overcame more hardships in the same time and with less complaint and disturbance than any body of troops since the revolution." End quote. A number of speeches were offered by Battalion veterans and Church leaders at this reunion. Brigham Young offered remarks near the conclusion of the event and paid tribute to the Battalion, noting that "none possessed more faith than did those men when they left their families at the Bluffs. And that they went with good hearts and spirits. And they manifested a readiness to do anything required of them." He added that he had "always been interested in their welfare. And the Lord knows it. And my feelings towards them have always been good. And I do not know that I ever thought of them but that the feeling burst into my heart, God bless them." In less than a decade, the remarkable sacrifice made by the Battalion had become legendary to Church members of that time. Their military service immediately blessed the Church by helping to finance the move West, prompting Brigham Young to credit the Battalion with being the temporal salvation of the Church. Aside from the immediate benefits to the Saints, the collective experience and maturity gained by those-- these individuals during their service blessed the Church for many years as they became colonizers, missionaries, and community leaders throughout the American West. Their story continues to inspire us today by offering lessons on the importance of faith, commitment, and the resilience of the human spirit. May each of us more fully appreciate their sacrifice and draw strength from their examples as we push forward along our own, sometimes long and weary, marches of life. Thank you. [APPLAUSE]

Looks like we have seven or eight minutes for questions if there are any. In Daniel Tyler's account of the Mormon Battalion, he describes the situation at the outset as a little more nefarious than what you described. He didn't just talk about President Polk. He talked about a Senator from Missouri who decided he would catch the Mormons between a rock and a hard spot. He would go and ask them to do this, they would refuse, and the Missourians would have an opportunity to just go in harass and destroy them. Could you make a comment-- could you make a comment with regard to those conditions, actually what took place? Tyler and a number of those that wrote retrospectively embellished quite a bit, to be honest with you. You have to be careful when you solely trust some of what Tyler says about that. It's quite clear by the contemporary records that Brigham Young and a few of the Church leaders, I mean, they dispatched Jessie Little to go east, that's when he met Thomas Kane. And they were fully looking to have some sort of help and set up outposts across the West, or whatever it may be to help fund the journey west. And so I think a little bit some of that is sensationalized and embellished by Tyler many decades later. You told us that there were four women in the Battalion, or that went with them, can you tell us a little bit about their experiences and what they did? Yes, so a lot of the women-- there were many, many women that went-- there were over 30 women that initially started and over 40 children that started from Council Bluffs and went with their family. Most of them were dispatched back as part of those three detachments to Pueblo. The four women went along and often served as a laundresses, and even did some of the cooking initially. But they were experiencing the march. I didn't highlight the highlight those today. But they were experiencing the march just like any of the men. And Melissa Coray actually is pregnant on part of the journey. After discharge, there up in Monterey, she has a baby. The baby dies. One of the other women actually dies shortly after arriving in San Diego, as well. So four of them make it all the way, but only three of them get out of California. Yes? You've mentioned Melissa and William Coray a number of times. I'm wondering why your book, and you, don't tell this modern day story of the honors that have come to them, specifically that Melissa Coray now has a mountain peak alongside the west pass in California that bears her name, Melissa Coray Peak. That was accomplished about 20 years ago. And Michael Landon was one of the speakers at that dedication of that. And then two years ago, a new monument to the Mormon Battalion at This Is The Place Park has both Melissa and William in that monument as they saw the Pacific Ocean. Could you comment on that? Yeah, that's all correct. It was just-- I think, so why we didn't mention that in the book, it's just hard to get everything in the book. And to be quite honest, we had a very, very tight word count that they gave us on that book. But Mike was actually there and participated in the dedication at Melissa Coray Peak. And I was just there with him a few weeks ago. So, a very interesting place. And we also didn't mention-- I don't think we mentioned the monument up at the Capitol here, on Capitol Hill. There's also a Battalion monument there.

Yes? I was wondering if you might mention or verify some of the accounts of the irrigation that they saw from the-- I can't remember exactly where it was, but they saw some of the Indian tribes that had developed some irrigation patterns. And that that was attributed to the Salt Lake Valley being able to irrigate in there? How valid is that in that process? I don't know how valid. I'm probably-- I'm assuming you're referring to the Pima Indian villages on their temporary layover there. I don't know how much validity that actually really has. I mean many, many of the Saints that end up in Utah had been growing crops and things for many years, not in the desert West. But I don't know that I can verify that either way. The California, at the time, was in somewhat of a rebellious circumstance with Fremont trying to do his own state of California. And then he was quelled by Kearney and Cooke, and those in the South who pledged allegiance to the US government. Was the Battalion a part of that force that stabilized the territory for the government? Do you know about that? They did play a role in that. And actually, 15 of them served as escorts for Kearney to take Fremont back to Fort Leavenworth for a hearing. And so they actually stumble-- and they actually go across the Sierras and talk about seeing the Donner camps from the previous winter. But yeah, so they did play somewhat of a role in that. And then and then there's 15, like I said, that escort Kearney east.

Zion's March was a proving ground for early Church leaders. Many of them became high officers in the Church. Did any of the Mormon Battalion members become high officers or leaders in the Church subsequent to the march? More locally. None of them become General Authorities to my knowledge or anything. But they locally, a number of them become ecclesiastical leaders. Matter of fact, one of the people I discuss is Henry G. Boyle, served seven or eight missions to the southern states. He's the first mission president out there. So a number of them are leaders in missions and in different settlements at the local level for the ecclesiastical callings.

I'm curious about the other side, kind of the secular side. Two questions, my first one is like how did they select the enlisted officers amongst the Mormons? And then afterwards, did any of these officers end up in Utah forming part of the guard or performing military service in any way in Deseret? Great question. Many of the officers were decided upon as they left. And it was sort of voted upon. And there's even a struggle throughout, where Brigham Young is pretty clear that the Mormons should be the leaders. And there's some tension there when there's some change in leadership a few times. And then most of them become part of the Nauvoo-- I mean, anyone, really, that was in the territory of Utah that was between the ages of 18 and 45 and had an able body was part of the territorial militia, or the Nauvoo Legion, as it was renamed throughout the 19th century, up until, really, the formation of the National Guard later in the century. So a lot of them, this experience they have here really helps and propels them into their experiences in the Utah War and things down the road. As descendants of Mormon Battalion member, we made it a point when we were in San Diego to go to the Mormon Battalion pavilion that they have there in Old Town in San Diego. And it is worth a wonderful experience for you to take your family. I don't know how many of these are in the United States of this quality, but it is first class there in San Diego for you to experience firsthand the experience that the Mormon Battalion members had. If I remember right, Brigham Young made the Battalion members a promise that if they would turn to the priesthood and to God in terms of their physical ailments and so forth, they would be taken care of. To not use the medicine that the army might give to them, so to speak. And a lot of them did that. But they really suffered, a lot of them suffered, because the army literally forced them to take the medicine. My question to you is, it seems like there was a spectrum of men on the Battalion, as you might expect, some of them kept the faith better than others. Do you have any ideas about why they had to suffer the medical problems that they did and why the Lord didn't look after them more than He did? My guess is that it's because they didn't turn to the Lord, but that might be obvious. That's a good question. I mean, that goes into agency and all sorts of things. But I would also myth bust, once again, Tyler and others retrospectively talk about George Sanderson, the surgeon who accompanied the military, poisoning them. And those accusations have been shot down fairly well. A number of them got sick. But when you look at the whole, I mean, there are very few that actually end up dying along the way. There are even more so in those sick detachments that go up to Pueblo. But I think, I don't know that the Lord's promise failed them because of their unworthiness or unrighteousness, but it was just part of life, part of the trail. Dr. Sanderson was the physician assigned to the Mormon battalion, a Missouri person. Tell us a little about him. What was his remedy? You know, I haven't-- the place to look for that is Fleek's book. He really talks a lot about Sanderson. I didn't get to closely look at his journals that are up at the University of Utah. But I just-- he's not as bad of a guy as he was painted out to be many years later, as far as trying to poison the battalion, as some of them claimed, and such things. But I would point you to the Sherman Fleek's book on Sanderson. I have a question about James Brown. My understanding is he took the sick from Pueblo north and stuff. And then you mentioned James Brown being over there in Sutter's Fort. I just talked to a descendant rigth before we started. There's a James Brown that goes up to Pueblo. And there's a James S. Brown that makes it out to California who completes the entire journey. So there are two separate individuals. And I believe they're-- remind me, they were brothers? No, they're brothers are-- cousins. Obviously, they wouldn't be brothers, both being named James. That would be a cruel, cruel thing. So they are separate. I probably misquoted and I said James Brown when I should have inserted the S in there. But he was-- James S. Brown was one of those it was actually at Coloma when gold was discovered.

You talked briefly about the revenue, the money. And can you give us an idea of how much the battalion overall benefited financially, or maybe down the per capita of the 500? Yeah, so they were-- at the beginning of the journey, they were given $42 per person.

And I think if you do the math, it's something like $21,000. Well, not that much goes back to the Church. But there's-- I think that is somewhere in the ballpark of $8,000 that is forwarded to the Church. Some even goes back to the family. There are also numerous funds that are made in California with the gold as they bring that back to family. And some of them are even sent as gold missionaries by Brigham Young in 1850 to go back to the fields and to earn more money. Another great source on that, there's a book called Gold Rush Saints by Ken Owens, as far as the gold part. Ones who went-- who were sent to Pueblo, did any of those join them, join the Battalion later? Where did they end up? So they end up wintering in Pueblo. And then they go north. And a lot of them come into Salt Lake just shortly after the vanguard company does in summer of '47. So that's what they do. They stay there in Pueblo. And then they go north and join some of the Mormon wagon companies coming across.

I've read or heard about somebody having the first birth in Pueblo. Is that true? Or do you know anything about that at all or that was? They even have a monument there. This idea that the first white child, they claim, was born there. But I don't think we can verify that. Do we know who it was? Yes, but I don't know the name off the top of my head. But, yeah, there were some children born in Pueblo. And a lot of the children that started with the group ended up in Pueblo with those detachments.

Sounds like a quiet spot to stop here, then. Well, thank you, everyone. I appreciate your attendance and great questions. [APPLAUSE]

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