Mormon Batallion Dog Tag

This travel bug is starting where the Army of the West ended their journey.  I want to see how far this bug can travel the other way accross the states.  Destination: Council Bluffs, Iowa.

In July 1846 under the authority of U.S. Army Captain James Allen,  and with the encouragement of Mormon leader Brigham Young, the Mormon Battalion was mustered in at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory.  Allen was to take command of the unit as Lt. Colonel and appoint his staff. By the 16th of that month, over 500 men had enlisted in the Mormon Battalion.  The Mormon Battalion left Council Bluffs to begin the first leg of its historic journey to the traditional marching tune of American soldiers, "The Girl I left Behind Me."

     The men of the Mormon Battalion are honored for their willingness to fight for the United States as loyal American citizens. Their march of 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa to California is one of the longest military marches in history. They participated in the early development of California by building Fort Moore in Los Angeles, a courthouse in San Diego, and by making bricks that were used in constructing houses throughout southern California.

     Their knowledge of irrigation and desert farming techniques, learned through their associations with Native American tribes, contributed to the successful settlement of many communities in the western United States.

     The Mormon Battalion was officially released from military duty in 1847, after roughly one year of service. Some sources indicate that a few members of the Battalion decided to re-enlist, while others settled in California and elsewhere "out west."  However, most of the Battalion marched to Salt Lake City, to be reunited with their families.