In the Footsteps of Their Forefathers

In the Footsteps of their Forefathers

By Edivard H. Anderson

The Mormon Battalion at the end of their 2000-mile in-

fantry march. The Mexican War. The old Mission of San

Diego. Lieutenant-Colonel P. St. George Cooke. General S. F.

Kearny. The years 1846-7.

Seventy-one years later, all but a few days: Descendants of

the Mormon Battalion, in the 145th Field Artillery (1st Utah).

The World War. Col. Richard W. Young. Chaplain B. H.

Roberts. General LeRoy S. Lyon. The year 1917.

These are the headlines of two epochal periods in which

the people of the whole western country are intensely inter-

ested.

Chaplain Brigham H. Roberts, of the 145th Field Artillery

(1st Utah), with the United States army at Camp Kearny, Linda

Vista, California, conceived the idea of arranging a "hike" of

the descendants of the members of the Mormon Battalion to

Old Town, San Diego, the camping place of their forefathers.

Only grandsons and great-grandsons of the members of that

splendid old body of 500 United States volunteers were admit-

ted in the company which numbered seventeen.

Everything was in readiness, on December 14, 1917, for the

march on the morrow. Arrangements had been made on that

day to have the company call at the headquarters of General

Lyon, on the day of the hike, to pay their respects to him, ac-

companied by the regimental band, before leaving camp. On

marching to his tent, however, it was learned that the general

had been detained in San Diego, so that the anticipated pleas-

ure of meeting him was turned to disappointment. Two miles

out of camp, however, the General was met coming from San

Diego. The company stood at "attention" as the general dis-

mounted from his car. A brief description was given to him

by Chaplain Roberts of the march of the Mormon Battalion

seventy-one years ago, and the part they took in the settlement

of California, and the great national events into which their

march interlocked.

In all this General Lyon seemed deeply interested, and

especially with that part of the story that relates to the arrest of

Col. John C. Fremont by General Kearny ( after whom the great

divisional cantonment, Camp Kearny, was named), and his be-

ing taken to Washington for court-martial trial, and the fact that

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS 323

Kearny chose a detail of twelve men from the Mormon Bat-

talion to accompany him on that journey as far as Fort Leav-

enworth, and in the further fact that in the company of descend-

ants present, three were descendants of members of that detail.

Necessarily the account of the Battalion's march and its re-

lations to great national events was very brief and broken, but

General Lyon seemed to catch the spirit of the occasion, and

addressed the company as follows:

VgjBqjBjjjjj 55 l.irr.nnP"" mmiHi?MiiiTmnTmmin]gjg|p^MnmiiTr,riTrnillllimimimimim^

Speech of General LeRoy S. Lyon to the De-

scendants of Members of the Mormon Battalion,

enroute from Camp Kearny to Old San Diego, De-

cember 15, 1917, to Visit the Camping Place of

their Forefathers at the End of the Two-thousand-

mile Infantry March in 1846-7:

"Men: I cannot allow you to proceed on your

pilgrimage commemorating the great march of

your ancestors, without a word of greeting.

"I have learned to know well the Utah men

since I became your commander, and I am sure

such men will make good on our great mission to

Europe.

"I congratulate you men on the ancestors back

of you, and feel confident that you will assist

greatly in our march to Berlin, which is to be our

mission to Europe.

"I wish you a pleasant trip today, and am very

happy to have met you on the road."

The stirring speech of General Lyon, to this little body

of Utah boys in khaki on the dusty roadside, about a mile south

of Camp Kearny, came straight from the heart of a veteran

soldier. It is almost classic in its military spirit and brevity.

As he referred to "our march to Berlin," we have it from the

San Diego Union (Dec. 16, 1917) that "the eyes of the young sol-

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS

diers flashed, and each glance conveyed to General Lyon a prom-

ise to 'make good,' a thousand times over in the great overseas

struggle for democracy."

The Mormon Battalion arrived in San Diego Jan. 29, 1847.

A mile below the abandoned San Diego Mission these 500 vol-

unteer soldiers obtained their first view of the Pacific, after a

march of 2,000 miles from Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Down the

river a distance they estab-

lished themselves at Old

Town. It was on this very

spot where their descendants,

now serving Uncle Sam in

the 145th Field Artillery ( 1st

Utah), Camp Kearny, paid

them reverent tribute. Our

illustration shows Chaplain

Roberts explaining the story

to the boys, standing on the

ruins where their forefathers

camped — near the ground

where Fremont first flung to

the breeze the Stars and

Stripes. It was here the Bat-

talion brought the first wag-

ons to California, where they

dug the first wells, burned

the first brick, built brick

houses and paved the walks

with brick, and where some

of the evidences of their toil

and occupation remain to

this day.

Thereafter, members par-

ticipated in the discovery, and

some of them were the dis-

coverers, of gold at Sutter's

Fort; and others, being honorably mustered out made their way

back over the snow-tipped Sierras and from Pueblo, Col., to Salt

Lake Valley, to take part in the first irrigation by an Anglo-Saxon

people on this continent, doing their "bit" also for years in the

development of the great intermountain region.

No other person could visualize and accentuate their

achievements with more interest and clearness, nor more accu-

rately impress upon the minds of the boys the significance of

these achievements upon great national events, than could Cap-

tain Roberts, thus inspired by the surroundings and the occa-

sion.

Chaplain Brigham H. Roberts

145th Field Artillery (1st Utah)

326 IMPROVEMENT ERA

At the Old Mission the boys enjoyed "chow, songs, and

stories." At Old Town they were met by the celebrated Utah

band, then ascended the Bluff to the old fort site in the shadow

of the old Sierra cross. Here reveille was blown, patriotic songs

sung, pictures taken, taps sounded. They made the hills and

valleys resound with the inspiring old battle song:

"We'll rally round the flag, boys,

We'll rally once again,

Shouting the battle cry of freedom."

At Old Town Plaza, "The Star Spangled Banner" was

played and exercises conducted. These consisted of music, a

hearty speech of welcome by Mayor Wilde, of San Diego, with

a special introduction of the fine, stalwart young men who were

participants in the "hike."

Col. Young was introduced and was given three rousing

"rahs" by the men, which he acknowledged with a smile, and

the statement, according to the Union:

"That is very unmilitary, but none the less pleasant. In

certain sections of our country, the false idea may have at one

time prevailed that the 'Mormons' lacked in loyaltv. ]>n+ the

men of Utah have done and are now doing more than enough

to dissipate any such erroneous beliefs, and will do even more

before the end of the present struggle. * * * The colonel

related how at one time it had been intended to include all of

what is now California as a part of Utah, but that the Govern-

ment would not consent. He paid a high tribute to the men

whose ancestors were part of the heroic Mormon Battalion."

In graphic style Chaplain B. H. Roberts then told of the

part that the Mormon Battalion played in shaping future na-

tional events.

Furgus Furguson, grandson of Sergeant-Major Furguson of

Col. Cooke's staff, read Order No. 1, issued by Col. Cooke, com-

mander of the expedition, showing the limitless courage, the re-

markable fortitude, and the spirit of sacrifice, which distin-

guished both officers and men of the Mormon Battalion. The

historic document, written at the termination of the harrowing

two-thousand-mile inarch from Fort Leavenworth to San Diego,

is worth a reprint here in full:

Headquarters Mormon Battalion, Mission of San Diego, January 30, 1847.

(Orders No. 1)

The lieutenant colonel commanding congratulates the battalion on their

safe arrival on the shore of the Pacific ocean, and the conclusion of their

march of over 2,000 miles.

History may be searched in vain for an equal march of infantry. Half

of it has been through a wilderness where nothing but savages and wild

beasts are found, or deserts where, for want of water, there is no living

creature. There, with almost hopeless labor we have dug deep wells, which

the future traveler will enjoy. Without a guide who had traversed

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS

them, we have ventured into trackless tablelands where water was not found

for several marches. With crowbar and pick-ax in hand, we have worked

our way over mountains, which seemed to defy aught save the wild

goat, and hewed a passage through a chasm of living rock more narrow

than our wagons. To bring these first wagons to the Pacific, we have pre-

served the strength of our mules by herding them over large tracts, which

you have laboriously guarded without loss. The garrison of four presidios

of Sonora, concentrated within the walls of Tucson, gave us no pause; we

drove them out, with their artillery, but our intercourse with the citizens

was unmarked by a single act of injustice. Thus, marching half naked and

half fed, and living upon wild animals, we have discovered and made a

road of great value to our country.

"Arrived at the first settlement of California, after a single day's rest,

you cheerfully turned off from the route to this point of promised repose,

GROUP OF THE DESCENDANTS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE

Who 'hiked" from Camp Kearny to San Diego, Dec. 15, 1917, to visit the old

camp ground of their forefathers, Lt. Roberts to the extreme right, and

on the left Mr. George Austin Charnock of the Base Hospital, Y. M. C.

A., guest of the party.

to enter upon a campaign, and meet, as we believed, the approach of an

enemy; and this, too, without even salt to season your sole subsistence of

fresh meat.

Lieutenants A. J. Smith and George Stoneman, of the First Dragoons,

have shared and given valuable aid in all these labors.

Thus, volunteers, you have exhibited some high and essential qualities

of veterans. Rut much remains undone. Soon you will turn your attention

to the drill, to system and order, to forms also, which are all necessary to

the soldier.

Ry order.

P. C. Merrill, Adjutant. Lieut. Col. P. St. George Cooke.

Altogether, the "hike" of the descendants of the members

of the Battalion, in 1917, was a very happy and significant af-

fair, long to be cherished by the participants whose names we

give herewith, through the courtesy of Chaplain B. H. Roberts:

DEC. 15, 1917

'HIKE" TO SAN DIEGO,

Rack line, standing, left to right: Thatcher Willey, Harold G. Wal-

beck, (flag) Merl E. Rrown, J. C. Murdock, Furgus Furguson; 2— Man by

flag partly hidden— Pierce Simmons; 3— Second line of four— seated— left

to right: Price Willey, Wilford E. Shurtliff, Parnell Green, Clyde Rone;

2— Third line seated— five— left to right: Lt. L. H. Duffin, Ralph A. Rrown,

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS 329

LaMar Barlow, Corp. Kingsley Clawson, Lt. Irwin Clawson; 5— Fourth

line— seated— 2 in line, C. H. Oliphant, James Pettigrew Paul.

Roll of Descendants of Mormon Battalion, Present at Camp Kearny and

Making "Hike" to Old San Diego, Dec. 15, 1917. Arranged in Order

of Forefathers' Companies:'*

Company A

*Lt. Murev.s S. Johnson, Batt. F, 145th F. A. (1st Utah).

*Corwin R. Johnson, Batt. F, 145lh F. A. (1st Utah), grandson of Corp. M. L.

Shepherd, Co. A, Mormon Battalion.

Thatcher Willey, Batt. E, grandson of Jeremiah Willey, one of the Kearny

escort.

Price Willey, Batt. E, great grandson of Jeremiah Willey, one of the Kearny

escort.

Furgus Furguson, Batt. E, grandson of James Furguson, sergeant major and

member of Col. Cooke's staff.

Merl E. Brown, Batt. A, grandson of Ebenezer Brown, sergeant major and

member of Col. Cooke's staff.

Company B

J. C. Murdock, headquarters company, grandson of John R. Murdock, Col.

Cooke's teamster throughout the march.

*John T. Miles, Jr., Batt. D, grandson of Samuel Miles, a lawyer, and ap-

pointed to assist Alcalde of San Diego in introducing American forms

of administration.

Pierce Simmons, Batt. A, grandson of Wm. A. Simmons.

Company C

Clyde Bone, grandson of Christopher Layton.

Parnell Green, also grandson of Christopher Layton. (Christopher Layton

was a pioneer in three states, California, LTtah and Arizona.)

Wilford E. Shurtliff, grandson of Charles Hancock.

Company D

Corp. Kingsley Clawson, Batt. E, grandson of Sergt. Nathaniel V. Jones, of

Kearny's escort.

LaMar Barlow, Batt. E, grandson of Wm. H. Jackson, musician in Co. D.

Ralph A. Brown, Batt. A, great-grandson of James P. Brown.

*Hyrum A. Adair, grandson of Win. Maxwell.

Lloyd H. Duffin, headquarters company, great-grandson of John Steele

(among the battalion members who wintered at Pueblo).

Lieut. Irwin Clawson, great-grandson of Nathaniel V. Jones.

Company E

James Pettigrew Paul, Field Hospital corps, grandson of David Pettigrew

(better known as Father Pettigrew, the informal chaplain of the bat-

talion.)

*Lot Smith Carr, Batt. B, grandson of Lot Smith. Served uuder call of

President Lincoln in Civil war as captain of company guarding mail

route.

James L Ashcroft, Batt. C, Fielding, Utah, grandson of Lot Smith.

C. H. Oliphant (143rd F. A.— California— Batt. E, grandson of Zadock Judd.

Geo. Austin Charnock of the Y. M. C. A. men at Camp Kearny, guest.

*Names marked with * for one reason or another could not go on the

'hike," and are not in the photographs taken.