Show l- policy of the government toward the Mormon sect and the possibility of some of them Joining the army He was informed that their treatment would be the same as accorded any United States citizen Although Polk did not mention ithe the Kearney expedition Little proposed to overtake the Mormons at Council Bluffs and muster five hundred of them into the United States army This offer the President declined The administration planned further that the Mormons would not be enlisted until Kearney reached California and had set un a governmental organization to care for United 5 States citizens During the interim of Little fo visit to the President and the war department a orders to enroll 1 the Mormons Kearney reached Santa F and was actively en- setting up his organic government There is no mention of the fact that the Mormons at Council Bluffs planned to take part in the United States gaged in !! Later however the plan of enrollment which brought into service the Mormon battalion evolved directly from this group If in early lBk6 the Mormons had planned to muster in a battalion they would have been army s movements 1 refused this privilege 5 1£&5-1- S For President Polk was fearful Allan Kevins Polk the Diary of a President OoT (New York: Longman Green and 1929 ) p 40 |