Mormon Battalion Project

The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history serving from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of approximately 560 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular US army officers. During its service, the battalion made a grueling march, at nearly 2,000 miles in length from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego, California.

The battalion's service was instrumental in helping the US secure much of the American Southwest, including new lands in several Western states, especially the Gadsden Purchase of 1853 of much of southern Arizona. The march also opened a southern wagon route to California. Veterans of the battalion played significant roles in America's westward expansion in California, Utah, Arizona and other parts of the West.

This project will identify members of the battalion as well as others who accompanied the battalion on its march.

Lists of battalion members can be found at:

United States, Mormon Battalion Pension Applications, 1846-1923

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapottaw/mrmnbatt.htm

http://wiki.hanksplace.net/images/6/63/Mormon_battalion_roster.pdf

http://www.battalionwomen.com/roster.htm

http://www.three-peaks.net/battalion.htm

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=vcsr&GSvcid=47106

http://www.fold3.com/title_773/mexican_war_service_records_mormon/

Finding Aid:

Search Geni.com using Google for "Mormon Battalion"