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"Battalion Soldier" logo used with permission
of the Mormon Battalion Association
By Paul D Lyman and Kristin Winterton
It all started when Kevin
Henson’s 11-year-old Boy Scout patrol took part in a “living
history event” in Bay City, Michigan, in 2002.
The Bay County Historical
Society hosts an annual event along the Saginaw River called “The
River of Time.” Reenactors from all time periods are invited
— from archaic Indians, French voyageurs, Revolutionary War,
Civil War, all the way up to the Gulf War.
In 2002, Henson’s scouts reenacted the role of the Mormon
Battalion, thereby representing the Mexican-American War. Their
participation has now become a staple of the “River of Time”
and has grown in numbers and scope to include about 50-60 local
members of the Church and community.
Kevin Henson’s patrol of 11-year-old Boy Scouts, shown here
in the “River of Time” reenactment.
But now he and other devotees
of early Mormon history are preparing to undertake an even more
ambitious “living history” event — a complete
reenactment of the 1846-1847 march of the Mormon Battalion.
The Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was
formed in 1846, when President James K. Polk requested the Mormons
raise a battalion of 500 men to march to California as part of the
Army of the West in the impending war with Mexico.
Although the Mormons had
little reason to enlist — given the treatment they had received
in Missouri and Illinois — it was decided it still might be
advantageous to them, both as a source of income and as a sign of
continuing allegiance to the United States.
Latter-day Saint men were
mustered into service at Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 16, 1846.
Including stopovers, the Battalion took 194 days to march approximately
2,000 miles to San Diego, one of the longest marches in U.S. military
history. As it turned out, they did not have to do any actual fighting,
but they did endure many hardships and harrowing experiences.
After a year of service,
the Battalion was disbanded at Los Angeles.
Prior to their departure,
Brigham Young had told them, “The Mormon Battalion will be
held in honorable remembrance to the latest generation ... As the
Lord lives ... you will never be forgotten ... but you will be had
in honorable remembrance forever and ever.”
The Reenactment
“As far as I know,
the entire Mormon Battalion route has never been re-hiked in a commemorative
way,” Henson said. “I decided to do it as a personal
goal. Once word of my plans got out, many descendants of Battalion
soldiers and other interested people started asking to accompany
me.
“Planning dynamics
have been changing to include insurance, permits, coordination of
groups, campsites, food, water, communications, and other details.
I’m convinced that this trek will succeed because of the volunteers
who have caught the vision and come to love these largely forgotten
pioneers as I do.”
He continued, “If
we can start a tradition of ‘living history,’ perhaps
we can inspire a new generation of people to perpetuate the Battalion’s
story and thereby broaden and deepen our understanding of their
contribution to the tapestry of North American history.”
When and Where
The trek will begin on
July 4, 2008, and is scheduled to end on Feb. 21, 2009. The starting
point is Mt. Pisgah, Iowa, and the destination is Los Angeles, California.
Planned stops along the trail include Council Bluffs, Iowa; Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas; Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tucson
and Yuma, Arizona and San Diego, California.
Henson realizes that such
a trek requires a time commitment that many cannot make. So the
plan is to have hikers join the trek anywhere along the way for
as long as they can. Although there will be a core group that will
hike the entire distance, most are invited to join the trek at certain
points and hike for one day, two days, a week or longer.
Each day, the trekkers
will travel 17 to 20 miles. Most participants will need to supply
their own food, water, transportation, and tent or camper. This
trek is reminiscent of a 1997 wagon train that traveled from Winter
Quarters, Nebraska to Salt Lake City. Henson and his wife, Denny,
who also will be making the trek, consider it an once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
Cooke’s
Cadre
Within the trekkers there
will be a special group of reenactors known as Cooke’s Cadre.
Those who want to participate in the cadre at any point along the
way will be asked to dress in period clothing and will be issued
1846 army uniform accouterments, a period-authentic pack and a replica
musket to use while he or she marches. Cadre members will pitch
a replica tent and will eat and sleep as a group, with meals and
tents provided by trek leaders.
Mormon Battalion-era campers. This is the type of
tent that will be used in this summer’s reenactment.
Lt. Col. Philip St. George
Cooke was the Mormon Battalion commander from Santa Fe to California.
He was not a Latter-day Saint, but many credit Cooke’s leadership
with the fact that the lives of Battalion members were preserved
in their difficult march across the desert. To honor his memory,
Henson decided to have a number of trekkers be more immersed in
the experience, if they so choose.
“Being part of Cooke’s
Cadre will be the most authentic way to experience the trek and
will create lasting memories for cadre families,” Henson said.
Virtual Trekkers
If you can’t make
it, there is another way. Virtual Trails, a corporate sponsor of
the trek, is developing a computer program that will provide updates
of progress along the trail. Historic and route information will
be available for a fee. Information is found on the home page in
a tab on the right titled “Travel the Trail as a Virtual VIP.”
Henson’s
Perspective
“Our trek isn’t
intended to be a completely accurate reproduction of the Mormon
Battalion’s 1846 trek, Henson said.
The trail map showing the route of the Mormon Battalion.
It will take the modern-day
trekkers about as long as the original trek, and the planned route
actually is considerably longer than the 1846 route, due to property
lines and farms being in place now, versus a wide-open prairie.
Henson used computer software to plan the route.
“We are excited
to be joined in this trek by people who want to pay tribute to the
original Battalion members. We hope to represent them in honorable
remembrance. We will learn much, but that 1846 event stands alone
in the annals of American history.”
Costs
There will be a fee involved
for participants ranging from $15 per day for day-trekkers to $50
per day for Cooke’s Cadre, and online reservations are required.
People who want to trek for more than two weeks and can contribute
skills or services will qualify for a discount. Anyone who is interested
in doing the entire trek needs to contact Henson directly, as soon
as possible.
In order to accomplish
this endeavor, a charitable corporation was organized. The Mormon
Battalion trek is not just looking for participants to join the
walkers. More is needed. Individuals and businesses are encouraged
to support this effort by contributing needed goods and services
or by making a financial donation at one of several levels.
Complete information about
the Mormon Battalion Trek, including reservation forms, lists of
needed supplies and equipment and costume suggestions, can be found
on the web site, www.battaliontrek.com.
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© 2008 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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