| Show BATTALION pensioners according to some eastern journals the government is surprised at the beavy per cent of widows of the thormon tl ormon battalion applying for pensions as compared with other soldiers j tho mexican war whilst those who ire posted marvel that there are not abany more than we see this wonderment on the part of government officials is probably one reason why the commissioner seems so unwilling to rant their pensions and appoints so ciany special examiners where the evidence is clear and the most positive that could bo given both as to he identity of the soldier her legal barriage to him his death and every ather requirement of the law whilst we do nofa question the in errity of the officer referred to nor his wish to do justice to all his policy borks a great hardship and does injustice 10 the widows of those brave were devoted to their country among the many reasons that be shown why a heavy per aeilt of the mormon battalion as compared with other soldiers might je expected are the following historical facts the call of president polk for the battalion could not have been more inconveniently timed the young dmd those who could have been spared evere then away from the main body of the mormon exiles either with pioneer companies in the van or their aith unannounced seeking work and i about the northwestern settlements support toj them till the return juthe season for commencing emigration the force was therefore to be recruited from among the fathers of a milies and others whose presence it was most desirable to retain aut the feeling of country prevailed and in three days the orce was reported mustered organized and ready to march see col thomas L kanes discourse before the historical society jf pennsylvania history mormon battalion pages 79 80 it was enlisted too much by fam lies some were too old some feeble and some too young it vas much worn by traveling on foot sud marching from nauvoo bli aois I 1 will here add in relation to col cooks assertion made at santa ee ahat the battalion was much worn oy traveling on foot and marching from nauvoo illinois that while his statement is strictly correct it was jauch worse worn by the foolish and an necessary forced marches of lieu smith and dykes which utterly broke down both me and beasts and was the prime cause of he greater amount of sickness and probably of many deaths history pages itis it is a notorious fact that the great majority of other soldiers were single men while a heavy portion of the battalion were men of fa miles and some of them quite aged and feeble few of other commands when chey die beave widows whilst the rule is busl the reverse with the battalion As to tho comparative death rate we are not posted bif when we consider the class of men enlisted and the hardships of the campaign with the then and previous exposures it is reasonable to expect it to be much greater put men of from forty to sixty years of age on infantry an campaign of twenty miles the infantry march recorded in history packing over one linof the distance their guns knapsacks of clothing blankets and thirty six rounds of am amounting in all td over forty pounds to the man pulling at long ropes to aid teams and much of the heaviest portion of the journey on less than quarter rations the only wonder is that there was one left to ell then is the great er wonder that there are BO many or that her grejbo few we hope the good people where those worthy widows reside will not allow one of them to suffer for the comforts hilife while waiting the action of our tardy government they wives of those who offered their lives not only to serve their country buie also to s aab the latter day saints from a general massacre on tho banks of the missouri kiver X |
