Show IIII 0 g THE BATTLE TT WITH THE BULLS DD o G MORMON BATTALIONS ONLY ACTUAL FIGHT IN MEXICAN WAR In natures ture pasture all nil unfenced A dreadful battle was commenced Wo We 0 know knew no se c e bust ourselves ours defend And each arch to others aid extend Is from rom a poem written on tho the THE spot by br ono one who had a CI part In the battle battlo I The T he gory conflict t took place on tho the of oC December on tho San Pedro river rh l In Arizona Arl not far nr from rom the tho present town of or St David not far north of oC the Mexican boundary line lne There a n great groat shedding of or bool bood during the alternating ebb and flow Ilow of charge and coun I and there thee were also many features that mark malk the tle eng as one wholly unique In the annals annal of or warfare war fare It Is la proposed hore hoho to tel tho the story of oC the famous f sous fight Prior to 1 entering upon the narration however It will be proper to refresh the th readers mind on an nn important Important tant series setles Se les of or historical facts I HISTORIC DATE ENDANGERED O OME IE one may ma bo be offended at nt the remark that SOME S Uta settlement in 1517 wa Va more moo or loss los of or oran I an accident It is the truth nevertheless HO o fir far faras I as tho date is concerned If I certain things happened a party of or Mormons would have Nava penel penea pene penetrated l a and no doubt a body bod of them would have havo settle some Iome part of or the tho Rocky Mountain region some sonio years Joea s earlier It II is voll known that their first lender leader Ice del not only predicted their th lr future es os establishment I es and growth along lIon the continental backbone back backbone backbone bone but that he JIO actually took steps In preparation n I l I tion for this event to organize o expeditions to spy SP out the land with a view to settlement lt At a 1 I later date dato indeed In ee the very lust last move he lie made madeJ J before turning his hi face uce toward towar tho the place of oC oCI I h martyrdom was toward the west on which his thoughts had so much dwelt Ho lIo hart had even crossed I I the Mississippi nod and was planning to assemble a aI I i party part for far the lime journey to the mountains when the Importunities of oC timorous unwise or Ot treacherous friends caused him to retrace his steps and go JO to meet his doom I r 1 His Hlf mantle having fal en on Brigham Young I MI that resolute chieftain took up and bore en enthusiastically forward his great Idea of o western colonization Nor was it in hr his cone case I altogether left leCt to his discretion or convenience as asto asto asto I to when the mighty movement should begin I Pressure upon the Inhabitants of oC tho the devoted city of Nauvoo became more moro and moro more severe seve The Tho blood of their prophets Instead of or appeasing served sered seemingly further to Inflame tho the violence and rapacity of oC their enemies With these latter latterI I h they the were compelled to treat for temporary ces cessations ce t of hostilities In order that they the might save sell or convert conert even a portion of oC their property properly They The were e forced to enter entel Into agreements n whoso terms were most cruel and unjust if Ie they would i even save their lives And no sooner did condi condl conditions conditions I beom settled for th m to enter II III I I earnestly upon their preparations than the im impatience impatience impatience patience of their persecutors would break out again and all pledges s stipulations treaties and andI I armistices would fall faU nullified to the Ule ground In Instead j stead of or being permitted matted peaceably to exchange their farms and Ind homes and surplus furniture and anil an j other comforts for the teams and wagons and cS c 1 t supplies and outfits with which prosper prosperous prosperos I I I ous os os In new lands try to provide I themselves they the were continually continua Interrupted by b threats depredations and even een armed attack In Intending Inn n tending ten ln purchasers were made loath to buy bu III through increasing asing evidence that the tho unfortunate I owners had only the alternative a of or taking any an j poor price that might be offered or being driven I I m forth without getting setting any an price at all Much time that shoud havo have been profitably employed ed In getting ready for the tho migration was perforce spent with gun In hand defending lives of oC loved lood f once ones So that when at last their vanguard crossed the river r er in to the bitter month of February the m ferry ferr aing soon abandoned for tho the solid Ice which bridged the mighty might stream they worn wern but t for tor the long IonS Journey ahead of them WESTWARD HO AT LAST t I But they the were at last on the way to the west I the land of oC their destiny Some of oC them tried to tot t feel that they were glad Slad they the were on the move and an themselves that they would locate locale 1 h next next time tIme whore where persecutions heavy hand could not soon reach them All Alt agreed that whether they came camo willingly or 01 not they tho had to come so foO they thoy might as well weIl say sa It was with willingness Their pursuers had done this much for them they the had given them m a good swift start Incidentally con contributing coni i l ll to the fulfillment of oC the tho prophecy of oC him whom hm they had slain as an Impostor This was In and preparations were soon j under way for Cor tho the selection and equipment t of at the advance party which was to push on ahead select I u j I the place where wheN the new commonwealth was Va to tobe ton toI I s n I j be established and plow and plant for tor those tho c who were to follow rollow along after aner as fast as they the prudent prudently plu ent H II f I ly Iy and profitably could This party was to con consist conI I j i of or a hundred picked men with 23 25 2 wagons i drawn dran by BO fiO yokes okes of oC oxen thus four tour oxen and andi t I I I i four men to each wagon ason Unencumbered by fatal families 1 I lies Ile the party was to carry carr plenty of seed grain i arid and vegetables agricultural implements and suf sufficient f I 1 t I l I provisions to sustain them for a your year our Be Being Being j I j ing all well mounted well armed and p j and not too heavily loaded it was expected they j pj would travel along fairly rapidly and present II t I such a martial array arra as us would render them Im Immune ImI t I mune rune front from the attack of oC marauding bands of or Indians By B the tile month oj of 0 Juno enlistments for j this expedition were wore well advanced under Wilford I Woodruffs energetic direction and only a short II i time would have havo ben been n nce ary to complete completo the I party part and an start it on oil its Journey II i THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED D 1 I If It something unforeseen had not happened Just jURt i then thon the people of oC today todar would not be celebrating I I h ing log the tho of July as birthday and pos possibly pose e i t sibly the figures would now be adorning the mho th great seal of oC the state In place of or the year ear which I I is s there commemorated at present 1 f This som thing unforeseen was just about the most Improbable event that could have havo occurred I 1 i Any number of ot Incidents might have f come between them theta and tho accomplishment of or their plan any number of oC Incidents which while f perhaps unexpected could not be bo deemed doomed wholly unlikely But this was none of or these It could only be compared as 1 a surprise to that I phenomenon a thunderbolt from a clear sky What hat was it itOno 7 Ono One day in the latter part of at June a captain of It dragoons U 13 S array army orm rode into one of the tine moro morn permanent and populous camps of oC the Mormons I on the prairies K of or Iowa with a momentous mes roes message sage rag He Ho lost no time In n making his business s 1 known to the tho leading h men In the camp who I I listened respectfully though with amazement and andi i treated him with every over courtesy courte They could coul only ani refer reCer him to their leader lender who was at the tho time miles away on the fur far western border harder of oC Iowa with another body bod of oC emigrants encamped on tho the council grounds of oC the Indians along the bluffs overlooking the tho great river whoso whose name namo be being being befog ing fog Interpreted Is Muddy Mudd The officer hasten hastened t cd ed westward with typical tJ dragoon celerity and on oni i I 1 i j 1 a e f i z VO VOW r Th l s W t iy 11 v w i V P Y t f fp p ar art Jr r t m 1 r r ri i h f ft t 0 r r rr jt Y 1 i 1 A Ar AL r L t ty y r w Y a pir tit tr I 1 l j ce eU h AP ylO d dl O if d D C 7 o f ui d f 1 Y 1 v 6 the tho first day of or July his hie message was laid before belore tho the Mormon ormon leader and his associates THE DRAGOONS ERRAND ERRANDI ERRA D DI I havo have come among you OU to accept the tho service for 12 1 months of or four or live flue companies of or Mor Mormon Mormon Mormon mon men for our present war with Mexico Thoy Tiley will be bo marched as Infantry via 1 Fort ort Leavenworth to join tho the army arm of oC tho west est at Santa Ko Fe F and anti thence to te California where they thoy tho will vIm be bo discharged ed e I will l receive healthy then men between tho tin ages of oC 18 and 45 and anti hope to complete completo the tho enlistment of or the force within a few rew days das dasA A brief brier argument as to tho ho advantage to the emigrants in sending at government expense ox pense a n portion of at their young men in advance to the tho ultimate destination of or the tho whole people a torso statement of oC the conditions as to pay allowances etc under which tho the force would serve SOlve with a passing allusion to tho the patriotic duty of supporting their country such was tho the message m set forth forthwith forthwith forthwith with military brevity and directness You shall have hae your battalion promptly answered Brigham Young you ou shall have hao the lie companies your our requisition calls for rOl It If we have to 1111 them up with Mormon elders ciders If It young men enough are arc not forthcoming well take the tho theold theold old men and if Ir they arc are not enough well supply women to make up the deficiency ho Ito added with witha a touch of or serious humor And sg SQ tho the spiritual shepherds of or the people acting as os recruiting ser sor sergeants the camps of tho the emigrants from tho the Missouri river to the Mississippi clear across Iowa were searched nod and scoured for healthy men between the of oC 18 and 45 40 Two T vo weeks Inter later an American flag lIag was WIlS brought out from flom one ono of oC the tho wagons and lashed to a tree top Beneath Its folds were wel mustered into the service of 0 tho lure United States five companies consisting of HO men not counting officers noncommissioned and musicians Including these and md some somo women and children who WIO accompanied the command tho the former probably carried on the tho rolls as laundresses laundres es of oC which under the order for forthe tho the enlistment of tho force four wore were to bo be per permitted permitted permitted to each en h company and counting In to a few rew who were classed as officers servants tho total force Corce numbered DID FAREWELL DANCE AT THE BLUFFS Thus was brought into existence tho the famous ramous i 0 Mormon Battalion Its members were sworn worn Into the service on om the of oC July Jul A fate farewell well afternoon ball was given in im their lhoir honor in the bowery 10 we 1 at ut tho the Bluffs where to Improvised music the mho last sad bad hours of oC parting wore danced away awa with at least the semblance semblance of oC gayety gayet On Mon Monday Monday day da the 2011 they thoy the took toole up the Journey south southward southward ward war along tho the east cast bank of or the Missouri The morning came on wet and gloomy bloomy with a heavy hea rainstorm as If It the heavens themselves were moved to tears but In tho the afternoon the musi musicians musicians claus striking up Tho Girl I Left Loft Behind Me Methe Ie the tine gallant volunteers marched gaily all away awny and made a few miles through mud and an sand before going Into camp for tor the night The Tho trumpet and drum with heads up and swinging military step do not always signify buoyant spirits They aro are sometimes put forth to conceal the utmost heaviness of the hearts despair Tine Tho reader wilt will realize which was tho the cas case e In iii the present In Instance Instance stance NOTHING LEFT LEl J TO EXPLORE WITH The male strength and flower of or their camps having thus gone sone oft off to tho the war warthe the old men and striplings remaining were hardly the sort of ot material from which to select an exploring ad advance advance vance vanco party part for tho the rugged journey of or a thousand miles still further west So all thoughts were turned to gathering up thu tho scattered emigrants into settlements and preparing with shelter fuel and foodstuff for the winter For that year at atan any an rate there could be bo no moro more expedition to the time Rocky Mountains And that Is how July Jul 1847 ISH camo cacao after all to bo be the date dato celebrated as Ulah birthday ON TO LEAVENWORTH On the morning of the tho third day clay after aCter leaving the Bluffs the Battalion boys bos were called upon to perform the tho first sad duty of the burial of ot a n comrade who had died the previous midnight Wrapped rapped In his blanket and placed In a rough roush lumber coffin he lie was lowered Into a lonely lono prairie grave gravo Next day they thoy tho camped in Missouri and were beginning already to feel feol the tho inconvenience of or short rations through tho the of ot sup supplies supplies supplies plies Parched corn supplied a few fow scant wheals to somo others went anent more thun than to lied bed Tho ninth day da out they the marched past the town of at St Joo Joe even then a place of oC somo sane importance keeping time to their favorite tune tunc The Tho Girl I Left MC etc lC The next day they thoy crone came opposite Fort Leavenworth and were we live IIvo hours In crossing crossin the time river and anti making their wa way to the post Jost Hero Here they tho received their tents and the Ule balance of ot their equipment and went Into camp on the mho public square within the fort tort Most of the arms Were ero flintlock flirt lock muskets but us as asa usa usa a special favor for hunting huntin and purpose a few were dis ilis distributed distributed In Lt drill outfitting and the tho usual routine of oC garrison duty 10 0 days were wel spent and then tho the orders order were to take up the line lino of or march to Santa Fe WHY THIS lInS BATTALION IS it H quite plain to the time reader render why this Mormon Battalion had been bean enlisted and what was meant by b the recruiting allusion to their march to and anti disbandment In California What was this thin army arm of tho the west which they were to Join at Santa Fe mind and what was it expected to do and anti what were Ware they expected to do after they the did join it The annexation of oC Texas In 1815 had hn gh given on Mex Mexico Mexico ico cause for hard feelings against the United States but those felines were not sufficiently acute acuto to find expression In an actual declaration of ot immediate war In the time early carl spring of ot 1846 11 46 however hoo r the tho situation became moro more strained by b broSon reason roSon of or the tho occupation by United States troops of oC certain disputed territory on the Texan frontier This was too much for Mexican pride e and dignity to stand It was like adding insult to injury In April she began hostilities a proceeding on her part part which was not at all |