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United States. Army. Mormon Battalion

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1846 - 1847

Administrative History

The Mormon Battalion (1846-1847) was a unit in the United States military that served during the Mexican-American War.

The Mormon Battalion, which began official service in July 1846, was the only religiously based united in United States military history. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 539 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Created to assist with the Mexican-American War (which lasted from 1846-1848), the unit marched nearly 2,000 miles from Iowa to San Diego.

The unit was discharged on July 16, 1847, five months after its arrival in San Diego.

Citation:
Larson, C.V. A data base of the Mormon Battalion, c1987: p. 1 (formed July 16, 1846, at the request of the U.S. govt.) p. 2 (discharged July 16, 1847) p. 4 (U.S. Mormon Battalion)

LC data base, 12/30/87 (hdg.: Iowa Infantry. Mormon Battalion, 1846-1847)

Wikipedia, via WWW, 27 January 2015 (The Mormon Battalion, which began official service in July 1846, was the only religiously based united in United States military history; was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 539 members of the LDS church;Created to assist with the Mexican-American War (which lasted from 1846-1848); marched nearly 2,000 miles from Iowa to San Diego; was discharged on July 16, 1847, five months after its arrival in San Diego)

Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:

Biography of Jacob Kemp Butterfield

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230240969]
Identifier: MSS SC 417
Scope and Contents

Typewritten biography of Butterfield, an early Latter-day Saint Church convert, pioneer and Mormon Battalion mamber. Also includes letters from the donor.

Dates: undated

A brief sketch of the life of Samuel Gould

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230348499]
Identifier: MSS 1381
Scope and Contents

Typewritten biography of Samuel Gould by his daughter. The date of composition is unknown. Gould was a member of the Mormon Battalion and an early pioneer in Parowan Utah. Also included is a program from the Iron County Centennial Celebration of 1951 and a brief history of the Parowan Ward of the Mormon Church.

Dates: 1920-1951

Daniel Brown biography

 Collection — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230351030]
Identifier: MSS 5909
Scope and Contents

David Brown's third great grandson, Erold Clark Wiscombe, writes about Brown's family history; marriage to Elizabeth Stephens; removal to Illinois in 1831; conversion to Mormonism in 1840; removal to Florence, Nebraska; son, James, joining the Mormon Battalion; quarrel with Brigham Young leading to removal to Calhoun, Iowa; Indian difficulties in Iowa; rebaptism in Salt Lake City, in 1874; and death in Calhoun, Iowa.

Dates: 1804-1875

Russell R. Casper biography of William Wallace Casper

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197225537577]
Identifier: MSS 3714
Scope and Contents

Transcript of a biography of William Wallace Casper, with an emphasis on his service in the Mormon Battalion. Biography contains excerpts from a narrative account by William Casper. The edited biography is incomplete, documenting only brief elements of Casper's life.

Dates: Date not identified

Abraham Day III

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230326982]
Identifier: MSS SC 2680
Scope and Contents

Photocopy of a typewritten biography of Abraham Day, III (1817-1900). Abraham Day was born in Vermont, joned the Mormon Church, moved to Montrose, Iowa near Nauvoo, Illinois, served in the Mormon Battalion 1846-1847, migrated to Utah, took a second wife, and lived in Springville and Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and served in the Black Hawk War. The date of the composition of this item is uncertain.

Dates: approximately 1930

Lafayette Frost letter and biography

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230345727]
Identifier: MSS 956
Scope and Contents

Photocopy of a handwritten letter and a handwritten biography. The date of the biography is uncertain. The letter was written by Frost while serving in the Mexican War with the Mormon Battalion when he was in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Frost writes about the scenery along the line of march, his duties, a change in leadership, and about his illness.

Dates: 1846-1860

The life sketch of David Pinkney Rainey

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230308501]
Identifier: MSS SC 1063
Scope and Contents

Biography of David Pinkney Rainey (1815-1888) by an unknown author. Rainey was baptised into the Mormon Church in 1843. He served on two missions for that church and was in the "Mormon Battalion" (1846-1847) during the war with Mexico. He came to Utah and lived in Provo and Richmond in that state.

Dates: approximately 1925-1950

Mormon Battalion Association records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 8000
Scope and Contents

Materials include reports, minutes, biographies, correspondence, histories, newsletters, and other materials from the Mormon Battalion Association and its earlier women's auxiliary organization, both of which were headquartered in Lehi, Utah. The materials document the activities and governance of these organizations, as well as the history of the original Mormon Battalion of 1846-1847. Materials date from between 1846 and 2012.

Dates: 1846-2012

John Conrad Naegle historical and biographical materials

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197231012391]
Identifier: UA 414
Scope and Contents

Contains historical and biographical material of John Conrad Naegle, Mormon pioneer, who, at one time, owned a tract of land in Fremont, California, which was purchased by BYU in 1961 as a possible site for a junior college. 23 items.

Dates: date of production not identified

Shadrack Holdaway

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197231046415]
Identifier: MSS 1314
Scope and Contents

Typewritten biography of Shadrack Holdaway by his granddaughter. Newren writes about Haldaway's service in the Mormon Battalion and his later life in Provo, Utah.

Dates: approximately 1930