The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-07-27

ed to Kirkland with those
members of lions Camp who
had families, but thoseof us who
had not, tarried in Missouri
until they went abroad to other
parts of the nation to preach the Cos
pei of Christ. The experience they
obtained in travelling in Zion's
Camp was of more worth than gold,
and the history of that camp viii be
handed down TO the last generations
of men.
With these few words, l wish to
say to this remnant of lions Camp,
let us be true to our God, true to our
covenants, true TO all the principles
of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ, and
true to the Church and Kingdom If
God, until we have finished our tes-
timony here in the flesh, before the
heavens and the earth, that in the
morning of the resurrection we may
all meet together as faithful mem
bers of lions Camp.
a remnant of the Mormon BIttal-
ion is with us to-day. While upon
our exodus from Nauvoo to the
Rocky Mountains, our government
called upon US to raise battalion OF
500 men, to go to Mexico to fight the
battles of cur country. This draft
was ten times greater, according to
the population ofthe Mormon camp.
than was made upon any other por-
ton of our nation, and that too while
we were in the wilderness in an In
dian country. Whether our govern
ment expected that we would com
ply with the request or not, is not
for me to say. But [ think 1 am
safe in saying that plan was laid by
certain parties for cur destruction,
if we did not comply with the re
quest. But President Young said,
eyes, we will raise that battalion il
we have to take that number of our
Elders to do it," That battalion OF
500 men was raised, and nine tenths
of them were Elders of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
They were organized and they start
ed upon their strange campaign,
leaving their wagons and teams,
wives and children, and the aged
and infirm upon the plains, exposed
to the savages that surrounded them
1t took the main strength Of our en-
campment. We had to turn out
nearly all our teamsters. l turned
out every teamster l had. Among
the number was James Ferguson,
whom | got in rs historian of Com
pany a, under Captain Hunt, and
who did more or less writing for the
whole battalion.
This battalion of Mormon Elders
received the blessings of the Apps
tleship, and the members started
upon their pilgrimage cheerfully,
understanding that they occupied
the place of ram caught in a thick
ct, and were making n sacrifice fol-
the salvation Of Israel. 1t formed
one of the new and strange features
of the last dispensation, for it was
not before known in history, since
the foundation of the world, for 500
men, Elders of Israel, having the
Melchisedec priesthood, to gofOrth to
fight the battles of q nation which
had driven them out of its midst in
to the wilderness, to perish by hun
ger and the wild savages of the
plains and the mountains, and that
too for their religion.
[ have not time to-day, to give
even a brief synopsis Of the history
of the Mormon Battalion. Their
travels on foot some 1000 miles,
over dry and sandy deserts, hewing
their way at times through rocky
and wooded canons, with axes, trav-
elling long distances through the
deep sand, sometimes without water
or food, scarce of Taiment, loaded
down with their packs and muskets,
their battles with the mad, wild
bulls of the plains, and the thous-
ands Of other perils they passed
through-all these things, if written
would form history such as was
never before known in the history
of mankind. If any other company
of men on earth, except the Elders
of Israel, sustained by the faith
and prayers of the Saints and
the blessings of God, had attempted
to perform what the Mormon Batta.
lion did, their bones would have been
bleaching upon the sandy desert, and
not One-fifth of them would ever
have reached the Pacific shore.
After their organization they were
lead by Col. Allen to Fort Leaven-
worth. Then he was taken sick
and died. Some time afterward il
fell to the lot of Col. Cook to take
charge Of the Battalion. Those who
marched with him can understand
him much better than l lean describe
him. think he possessed a better
heart than his language would some
times indicate. He was a strict dis
ciplinarian, and like Lord Nelson,
expected every man to do his duty.
But he had a peculiar streak in his
composition at times that induced
him to see how far the Mormon Bat
talon would go in obeying his co M
mand, and that was inconsistent
with reason and good judgment.
As an illustration Of this, for the ed
ification or amusement of the rem
nant of the Battalion who are pres
ent, | will refer to a few incidents,
and if I do not get everything as it
transpired, will get it as near as /
can, from the report of those who
were present.
On one occasion, while the Batta-
lion was crossing a river with a
ferry boat, Col. Cook was sitting on his
mule on the bank looking at them.
The boat went too low down into
such deep water that the setting
poles did not touch bottom. The
colonel told them to put their poles
on the other side of the boat. They
did SO, but could not touch bottom.
cry the upper side" said he. They
did so, bTt could not touch bottom.
The colonel then took Off his hat and
said, "GOod by, gentlemen. When
you get down to the Gulf of Califol
MIA give my respects TO the folks"
He then rode off and left them, no
waiting to see whether they wouIL
reach shore or go down the river
He soon returned and found that
they had got ashore. While sitting
there, Christopher Layton rode VI
to the river on a mule to let it drink.
Col. Cook said to him, "Young man.
/ want you to ride across the river
and carry a message for me to Capt
Hunt" II being natural for the
men to obey the colonel's orders. he
tried to ride in the river, but ne ha..
gone but a few steps before his mule
was going in all over. So Brother
Layton stopped. The colonel hal
loed out, SEQ on, young mani &c
on, young mani" But Brother Lay
ton, on a moments reflection, was
satisfied that il he attempted it, both
he and his mule would stand O good