At Council Bluffs, President Young gave a farewell address to encourage those who had enlisted. He assured them that their families would be cared for, and fare as well as his did, and he would see that they were helped along. He predicted that not one of those who had enlisted would fall by the hands of the nation's foe, that their only fighting would be with wild beasts. This undoubtedly was of some reassurance to Edward as well as the rest of the battalion and their families.

EB: The next morning [July 22, 1846] we filed out of camp and went to Trading Point on the Missouri River, where the Battalion was camped for a few days. We took up our line of march for Fort Leavenworth.

The Battalion reached St. Joseph, Missouri on July 29th, 1846 and on August 1st arrived at Fort Leavenworth , on the Kansas side of the Missouri River. The company included 549 officers, privates and servants. Families also traveled along in wagons as a support staff.

A company of Missouri volunteers called the Dragoons, had just left Fort Leavenworth headed for Santa Fe, under the direction of Colonel Doniphan. A separate regiment called the "Missouri Volunteer Cavalry" would accompany the Battalion. How ironic that Mormons were to share the trail with the bitter enemy who had recently driven them from Missouri.

The paymaster at Fort Leavenworth was surprised at striking differences between the Mormons and the Missourians. Every man in the Mormon company was able to sign his own name to the payroll. Only about one in three of the Missouri volunteers could put his signature to the document. The paymaster also noted that the members of the Mormon Battalion were generally more intelligent, submissive and obedient to their commanding officers.

EB: We received our arms and camp equipage. We had the privilege of drawing our clothes or the money in lieu thereof. Most of the Battalion men received the money and sent the greater portion of it back to our families.

The objective of the Battalion was to reinforce Kearney's army in California and to build a supply route from Santa Fe to California for future military operations. Each soldier received forty-two dollars. They carried with them clothing, bedding, a few rounds of ammunition, a knapsack and a canteen that held three pints of water. Wagons carried tents which the men slept in by night.

EB: We moved out a short distance from Fort Leavenworth and went into camp waiting for Col. Allen, who was sick at the fort. On learning that Col. Allen was dead, Lieut. Smith was given command of the Battalion and he put on a forced march to Santa Fe [beginning August 14, 1846].

A few days out from Ft. Leavenworth quite a number of the Battalion took sick with chills and fever. Doctors Sanderson and McIntyre were assigned to the company. Dr. Sanderson, or as the company would come to call him, "Doctor Death", was the senior physician and threatened with an oath to cut the throat of any man who administered any medicine without his orders. Dr. McIntyre was a good botanic physician, but was restricted by the command. Some of the Battalion members felt at times that even Lieutenant Smith was subservient to Dr. Sanderson's will.

Each morning the sick were marched to the Doctor's quarters where "wicked cursing" accompanied the administration of calomel and arsenic from the "Old Iron Spoon". These were nearly all the medicines he utilized except for a concoction of bayberry bark and camomile flowers which he used as "strengthening bitters". Needless to say, several died along the way as a result of the offered cure.

The battalion followed the Santa Fe Trail which was first carved by William Becknell in 1821 and had since become a two-way thoroughfare of international trade. It proceeded diagonally across Kansas through the Oklahoma panhandle to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

During this early part of the trek they came upon buffalo. To emigrants from the east the scene was overwhelming, for as far as the eye could see roamed herds of majestic buffalo. They turned the plains into a "shaggy rug." Edward must have gazed in awe at the sight.

By mid-September they left the Santa Fe Trail and the Arkansas River at a point were Dodge City now stands. Here the commanding officer insisted the accompanying families not specifically enrolled as part of the battalion should be detached and sent under a guard of ten men up the Arkansas River to Pueblo, a settlement in the southeast corner of the present state of Colorado.

The battalion then took a short-cut across the "Jornada" or Cimmarron desert to the Cimmarron River. This was a "rattlesnake ridden hot-bed of Indian warfare." The Comanche, a powerful and ferocious tribe, would attack a halted caravan of wagons, stampede and steal the stock and possibly attack the camp. The Indians would likely avoid a well-armed battalion of soldiers; and with any luck this route would be faster than the Santa Fe trail, which circled the desert.

Edward had been an enlisted solder for two months now. He was twenty four years old and probably in better physical condition than many in the company. Surely he was torn between concern for Emily, coping with the hardship of the trek, and anticipation of the great adventure of the new frontier.

During the latter part of September the men were reduced to two-thirds rations. The only drinking water was "brackish" and many of the men became sick with what was called "summer complaint". The main source of fuel for camp fires was buffalo chips which became harder to find as they moved through the desert.

On the 24th, they came across a human skull and the bones of one-hundred mules that had perished in the elements. That night they encountered and camped with a company of traders going south to Santa Fe.

The next day they marched twenty miles over a rough and mountainous road and finally arrived at Gold Spring. There they found good water and saw timber for the first time in several days. On the following day they saw deer, elk and antelope and reached Cedar Springs by nightfall.

As they left the monotony of the barren plains, some of the men saw real "mountains" for the first time. Edward had grown up by the White Mountains, but what he approached now were much larger and majestic.

The teams and men were growing more and more weary. Each night the battalion pitched their tents on a four to six acre area, sometimes by good water and other times by stagnant water. The men attributed the hardship to the lack of three basic elements: (1) Food, (2) Water, and (3) Judgement on the part of their commander.

As October came the men marched on, passing within half a mile of an ancient structure. As they marched they gazed to the north to see what had once been a castle, fortification or other large building. It was almost 200 feet long and averaged four feet high with rock laid in cement. The whole countryside appeared to have been fashioned with an elaborate canal system that irrigated the once-fertile land.

On reaching the Red River the company was divided into two divisions: The first, containing the strongest and most able-bodied men, went ahead; The second, containing the women and sick, followed more slowly. The first arrived at Santa Fe on the 9th of October and the second on the 12th.

Upon arriving at Santa Fe, the first detachment was received by a salute of one hundred guns by order of Colonel Doniphan, a steadfast friend of Joseph Smith and the Mormons during their troubles in Missouri.

Santa Fe gave Edward his first taste of western Mexican-American culture. It must have been an eye-opening experience for the young devotee. With a population of 6,000, it was the oldest seat of government in the continental United States. It predated Plymouth colony by 10 years. The main square was a market and meetingplace where ranchers brought produce loaded on donkeys. Spaniards, Americans, Mexicans, and Indians mingled there by the one story adobe governor's palace surrounded by flat topped adobe houses. Fresh and dried fish could be obtained in the nearby Indian pueblos.

The town was a wide-open wild west Spanish town with saloons, gambling houses, dance halls, sport centers (for cockfights) and alluring retreats where "warm-blooded Spanish and Mexican women sold love at a price". The Mormon men restrained themselves and were busy in preparation for the coming trek. They outfitted six large ox wagons, four mule wagons, plus five mule wagons for each company. Teamsters were assigned to each.

EB: When we got to Santa Fe we drew all of our money and sent a portion of it back to our families. [On October 13th, Captain] Cooke was left at Santa Fe by order of General Kearney to take command of the Battalion and lead it to California.

At Santa Fe I was detailed as assistant teamster to Hyrum Judd. By so doing I did not have to carry my gun and knapsack and was exempt from guard duty. One detachment of the Battalion consisting of the women and [86] sick men were sent on Sunday Oct. 18th, to Pueblo under the command of Captain James Brown to Benton's Fort to winter.

The Battalion left Santa Fe on Monday, October 19th, following the Rio Grande River to the south. There were three guides assigned to the unit. One of them was Jean Baptiste (Pomp) Charbonneau, the son of Sacajawea and a Canadian Frenchman. Captain Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition had wanted to adopt Jean and raise him as his own, but that never occurred. In 1823, while living with his father in Kansas, Jean met a German Prince who took him to Germany. "In a castle near Stuttgart, Pomp lived among royalty, received additional education as well as training in court behavior, and traveled with the prince throughout Europe and North Africa. He returned to the American West in 1829 and spent the next seventeen years ranging with Jim Bridger and other mountain men. Edward was a recipient of the vast experience of Pomp Charbonneau and the military training of Colonel Cooke.

Lieutenant Colonel P. St. George Cooke, was born in Virginia in 1809. He gradutated from West Point in 1827 and served continuously in campaigns in Illinois and Kansas before taking command of the Battalion in Santa Fe. Colonel Cooke was a strict and impartial "letter of the law" disciplinarian. Where Lieutenant Smith, who led the march to Santa Fe, was sometimes perceived by the troops as weak, Colonel Cooke was definitely not. The contrast in leadership styles and effectiveness must have proved educational for Edward.

As the battalion proceeded south it suffered a great deal from excessive marches, fatigue and short rations. A few fat cattle were taken along, which the company thought were to be used for food. But the Colonel informed the troops that the animals were intended to work and were only to be slaughtered after they failed from sheer weakness and exhaustion.

From that point forward, the work animals were killed as they gave out and the carcasses issued as rations. No portion of the animal was thrown away that could possibly be utilized for food. "Hides, tripe and entrails" were eagerly and completely devoured, often without water to wash them down. The bone marrow was considered a luxury, and issued in turns to the various camps.

On November 10th, a detachment of 55 sick men under the command of Lieutenant W. W. Willis was separated from the main body and started back to Pueblo.

On approaching the Mexican border Colonel Cooke was, to quote David Crockett, "dumbfounded". There appeared to be some confusion about the direction to pursue. The current course appeared to be taking the battalion toward Mexico and not California. Gloom fell over the entire group. All their hopes, conversation and songs, since leaving Nauvoo, had been centered on California and the expected reunion with families and friends. That night Edward and over three hundred others offered fervent prayers to have the direction changed.

The next day, after traveling a short distance, the Colonel ordered a halt. "This is not my course--I was ordered to California," He said with firmness. Turning to the bugler, he said, "Blow the right."

"God bless the Colonel!" James P. Pettegrew burst forth.

The Colonel turned and with a penetrating glance surveyed the troop for the source of the comment. For once, his stern face softened and showed signs of satisfaction.

Late in November, the main body reached the summit of the Rocky Mountains. Edward was familiar with the mountains in the east, but this must have been a thrilling experience to be standing on top of the world. From this point forward the waters all ran to the west instead of the east. Edward had reached the gateway to the Pacific.

In early December, as they continued down the San Pedro River, the advance soldiers came upon hundreds of wild cattle. They were directly ahead in the line of march. The rumblings of the approaching battalion wagons startled the cattle, dispersing them in various directions. Some, to gratify their curiosity, moved towards the battalion.

They were terribly beautiful and majestic which prompted the soldiers to ready their muskets in case the animals turned on them. Cattle that were clearly visible from some distance ran away, but those which came upon the battalion suddenly wheeled and charged. From one end of the line to the other the roar of firing muskets was almost deafening. Some estimated that over eighty bulls were killed on the spot.

Corporal Frost was on foot near Colonel Cooke who was on horseback, when an immense coal-black bull came charging from some hundred yards away. Cooke ordered Frost to run for safety, but instead Frost, in a protective effort, very deliberately aimed his flintlock and fired when the beast was "within six paces." The bull fell headlong almost at his feet. Cooke said of Frost that he was "one of the bravest men he ever saw."

Contrast this with the tale of another man who "shot six balls into one bull, and was pursued by him, rising and falling at intervals, until the last and fatal shot, which took effect near the curl of the pate." As these stories were retold around the campfire, Edward surely reflected at the contrast in method and outcome. One obviously inexperienced man repeatedly attacked the problem until it was resolved, the other, with ability and knowledge, calmly and quickly executed the task. The difference seemed striking.

The Battalion anticipated some rest and relief at Tucson, but the town of four or five hundred was protected by a force of two hundred Mexican soldiers. They were under order not to allow a U.S. armed force to pass through without resistance. Before a battle could be waged, the soldiers and citizens fled the town and the Battalion passed through without confronta-tion or a chance for relief.

The Battalion left Tucson in mid-December and the remainder of the month it suffered almost beyond human endurance. Lack of food and water, in addition to overmarching, caused substantial hardship. The education Edward received from this experience was purchased with pangs of hunger and the struggle to continue.

Toward the end of December the group arrived at a Pima Indian village and camped the following day by a village of Maricopa Indians. Generally, Indians were a scourge and not well regarded by many, but these were hard working and generous. Great praise was heaped on them by the men.

January of 1847 saw the Battalion reach the Colorado River and arrive near San Diego, California. At least 14 of the Battalion had died along the way. Having enlisted in July of 1846 for a twelve-month period, they had marched over two thousand miles, but their term of enlistment would not be complete for another six months.

Tyler reported the following statement made by Colonel Cook on January 30th:

"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 wells, which the future travelers will enjoy. Without a guide who had traversed them, we have ventured into trackless tablelands where water was not found for several marches."

"With crowbar and pick and axe in hand, we have worked our way over mountains, which seemed to defy the wild goat, and hewed a passage through a chasm of living rock more narrow than our wagons. To bring those first wagons to the Pacific, we have preserved 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."

EB: On the 27th of January we reached San Luis Mission where we remained a short time. Then we moved up to Los Angeles [Mar. 19] at which place we remained until we were discharged on the 16th day of July.

The dragoons accompanied the Battalion to Los Angeles. On arrival the dragoons camped in town and the Battalion on the eastern edge. The Battalion was ordered to finish erecting Fort Moore, an earthen barricade, on a hill above the plaza of Pueblo de Los Angeles. The Fort stood eighty feet above the old Plaza Park and Olvera Street, the old Mexican business district.

When members of the battalion would venture into the wild and rough town among the native Mexican population, bullies would begin to "impose on the Mormon boys." The dragoons would intercede and say: "Stand back; you are religious men, and we are not; we will take all of your fights into our hands," then with an oath would say: "You shall not be imposed upon by them."

Company B, which had been stationed at San Diego, arrived on July 15th, 1847. The next day at three o'clock, p.m., the Battalion came to formation, with A company in front and E in the rear. Lieutenant, A. J. Smith, inspected the troops and then in a low tone of voice said: "You are discharged." That was all, and the ceremony that closed their days of military service was over.

Following discharge, eighty-one members of the Battalion re-enlisted for six months at Los Angeles and were ordered to San Diego, to act as a provost guard to protect the citizens from Indian raids. The rest of the Battalion organized into companies in preparation for a march towards the East.

Edward had served his country, he had served his God and he had been spared. This one year's experience had taken him through the refiner's fire. He had seen the wonders of the west and experienced a lifetime of adventure. He had established friendships that would last the rest of his days. The term "greenhorn", which meant "farmer who had no idea how to live off wild country", no longer appled to him. But with all the knowledge and wisdom he had gained, he was half-a-continent away from the person he loved and longed for.