What was the Mormon Battalion, and why was it important to Arizona? I thought the great Mormon migration was to Utah.
You have your mass movements of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mixed up.
It is true that there was a great migration of Mormons from the East and Midwest to Utah, where they founded Salt Lake City.
The Mormon Battalion was a completely different matter. The volunteer battalion served in 1846 and 1847 during the Mexican-American War. It is believed to be the only religious-based military unit in U.S. history. It had church members as officers but was commanded by the Army.
The unit — about 550 men — mustered in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in July 1846. It marched to San Diego, where it helped secure portions of the Southwest for the U.S.
The soldiers crossed Arizona mostly by following rivers, including the Gila River. Their importance to our state's history is that they were the first to blaze a southern wagon trail across the territory.
All in all, it was a grueling expedition, but the only major confrontation came in November 1846 when they were attacked by a herd of wild bulls near the San Pedro River (pictured).
The bulls gored a few mules, damaged some wagons and wounded two men before soldiers shot several of them.
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