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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 16 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
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Biography of Jacob Kemp Butterfield

Biography of Samuel Miles the son of Samuel and Prudence Marks

 Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 7599
Scope and Contents Manuscript autobiography, labeled by the author as a biography, with thirty-two pages of a handwritten life story by Samuel Miles. The story includes a life summary from 1826 to 1851, and short yearly summaries for each year between 1852 and 1881. The text includes information that is particularly familial and spiritual, but often references broader historical events that contextualize his life. He mentions several events in Latter-day Saintn history including the violence in Missouri, his...
Dates: approximately 1852-1881
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Biography of Samuel Miles the son of Samuel and Prudence Marks

Abner Blackburn diary

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230233485]
Identifier: MSS SC 43
Scope and Contents

Typescript of diary which gives accounts of the Mormon experiences in Missouri, frontier and pioneer life, Indian customs and warfare, and gold-digging during the California gold rush of 1849.

Dates: 1827-1851
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Abner Blackburn diary

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
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / A brief sketch of the life of Samuel Gould

Jacob Kemp Butterfield letter

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230311513]
Identifier: MSS SC 1385
Scope and Contents

Photocopy and typescript of a handwritten letter written while on the march with the Mormon Battalion. The item is addressed to Butterfield's mother and gives particulars about the Mormon pioneer trek to the west as well as the Mormon Battalion's mission and activities. Butterfield explains his Mormon faith to his mother.

Dates: 1846
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Jacob Kemp Butterfield letter

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
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Abraham Day III

The experiences of a western pioneer

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230234780]
Identifier: MSS SC 127
Scope and Contents

Two handwritten accounts written by an unidentified grandchild of Albert Smith. The first story concerns an acquaintance of the family who, while traveling east from California in 1852, rescued his wagon train's horses from the Indians. The second account concerns Albert Smith and Azariah Smith, their journey with the Mormon Battalion to California, their return to Utah, and their settlement of Manti, Utah.

Dates: approximately 1800s
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / The experiences of a western pioneer

Erastus Darwin Meacham biography

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230317247]
Identifier: MSS SC 1904
Scope and Contents

Typewritten biography of the Meacham family. The item focuses on the history of Erastus Darwin Meacham and his experiences as a Mormon pioneer including his military service as a private in Company D of the "Mormon Battalion."

Dates: 1933
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Erastus Darwin Meacham biography

Thomas Morris autobiography

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197231238202]
Identifier: MSS 7661
Scope and Contents

Photocopy of an autobiography of Thomas Morris, written in 1871. Contains an account of his early life in South Wales, including his various occupations and religious affiliations, his emigration to New York in 1832, death of his first wife in 1837, his second marriage, conversion to Mormonism and relocation to Nauvoo in 1844, his impressions of Joseph Smith, and details of service in Mormon Battalion. Concludes with list of his various marriages and dates.

Dates: 1871
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Thomas Morris autobiography

Charles H. Oliphant and Orson Bennett Adams autobiographies

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230234368]
Identifier: MSS SC 155
Scope and Contents Coverless notebook containing handwritten autobiographies of Oliphant and Adams. Oliphant writes of his childhood, meetings with Brigham Young, his work as a horticulturalist, and the Deseret Horticultural Society. Adams' autobiography is written back to front in the same notebook. He writes about his joining the Mormon Battalion along with his wife who worked as a laundress, his settlement in Parowan, Utah, his fighting the Indian Wars, and exploration during the Utah War during which he...
Dates: approximately 1800s
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Charles H. Oliphant and Orson Bennett Adams autobiographies

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