THE MORMON BATTALION AT FORT LEAVENWORTH

THE MORMON BATTALION

I started this blog before December, but December became too busy for us so I am just now getting back to it.  I hope you will enjoy this little history lesson on the Mormon Battalion.


A few months ago, we had the opportunity to visit Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, located in the Northwest corner of the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.  Elder and Sister Adams, our Visitor Center's Directors, arranged for all of us Sr. Couples to tour Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  A Bishop in that area, and a retired service man, drove us all around, telling us all about this Base and about the Mormon Battalion.

Fort Leavenworth was built in 1827 to help regulate western migration, Indian affairs, and the fur trade.  It also has a history of the Mormon Battalion being there, which we were very interested in.

Fort Leavenworth became a major influence in the Mexican-American War of 1846, by serving as an induction center and base from which soldiers deployed.   James K. Polk, president of the United States, requested five hundred Mormon men to help in the war effort.  Mormon leaders agreed: in addition to demonstrating their basic loyalty, Mormons would benefit from the military pay, the arms which the men could keep, the allotment for uniforms (since the Mormons were allowed to wear their own clothes), and being transported west at government expense.  

Brigham Young told them if they would go and live their religion, they would not have to fire a gun, which came true to the letter.  It was not easy and there was often great suffering from the lack of food, but they endured it well.

They departed from Council Bluffs, Iowa on July 20, 1846, they marched the 180 miles along the east bank of the Missouri River, arriving at Fort Leavenworth Aug. 1, 1846.  

This is a plaque in the area they stayed at Fort Leavenworth.

They stayed there for two weeks, getting outfitted with firearms, knapsacks, canteens, tents, etc. but for the most part the soldiers went to war in civilian clothing.  

They have a wonderful Museum there that preserves and interprets artifacts from 1827 to the present.  These might of been guns given to them.  

They may of loaded up their horses this way with supplies, etc.

Tents, cooking gear and supplies were hauled in wagons, probably something similar to this.  The men were on foot the whole way. 

In Mid August, they headed southwest along the Santa Fe Trail.  After arriving in San Diego the battalion completed a 2,000 mile march, one of the longest marches in U.S. Army history.

In 1862, Congress passed legislation creating the National Cemetery system;  Fort Leavenworth was among the first 14 of those cemeteries designated by President Abraham Lincoln.  There are more than 23,000 graves representing every war since the War of 1812.



James Allen, the first commander of the Mormon Battalion is buried here.  (He was first buried in the Officer Burial Ground, then moved here.)  He is the oldest known military burial here.
                                                                               Ft. Leavenworth National Cemetery



Some of the battalion's accomplishments were helping to open trails to the West, helping Kearney stabilize post conflict California, building Fort Moore in Los Angeles and providing support to local citizens in San Diego, or what we today call civil affairs missions.

The Mormon Battalion was discharged July 16, 1847, approximately a year after they started.  Some reenlisted for 6 months, but most made preparation for joining the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley, and they arrived there October 16, 1847.

Now, for our family, my (Grandma) Great, Great, Grandfather, (figure out how many "Greats" he is to you), Henry Wells Jackson, who, at the age of 19, enlisted as a musician in the Mormon Battalion.  After his discharge, he reenlisted for 6 months and stayed in California for a year, participating in the discovery of Gold in California.  He eventually made his way to the Rocky Mountains to reunite with the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley.  With him in the Battalion, made this tour of great interest to me.


We are loving our mission and serving in the Visitor Centers along side the Sister Missionaries.  They have such strong testimonies and are doing a wonderful job teaching others to come unto Christ.  We are also enjoying visiting all the great, historical events that took place here in Missouri.  What a wonderful place to serve a mission!

We love you all and we enjoy hearing from you.

Love,
Elder and Sister Godfrey