Mormon Settlement in Arizona | Page 9

and after fifty men "passed up a creek about five miles above
Tucson toward a village (San Xavier), where they had seen a large
church from the hills they had passed over." The Mexican commander
reported that the Americans had taken advantage of him, in that they
had entered the town on Sunday, while he and his command and most
of the inhabitants were absent at San Xavier, attending mass.
The Pima villages were reached four days later. By Cooke the Indians
were called "friendly, guileless and singularly innocent and cheerful
people."
In view of the prosperity of the Pima and Maricopa, Colonel Cooke
suggested that this would be a good place for the exiled Saints to locate,
and a proposal to this effect was favorably received by the Indians. It is
possible that his suggestion had something to do with the colonizing by
the Mormons of the upper part of the nearby Salt River Valley in later
years.
About January I, 1847, to lighten the load of the half-starved mules, a
barge was made by placing two wagon bodies on dry cottonwood logs
and on this 2500 pounds of provisions and corn were launched on the
Gila River. The improvised boat found too many sandbars, and most of
its cargo had to be jettisoned, lost in a time when rations had been
reduced to a few ounces a day per man. January 9 the Colorado River
was reached, and the command and its impedimenta were ferried over

on the same raft contrivance that had proven ineffective on the Gila.
Colonel Cooke, in his narrative concerning the practicability of the
route he had taken, said: "Undoubtedly the fine bottomland of the
Colorado, if not of the Gila, will soon be settled; then all difficulty will
be removed."
The Battalion had still more woe in its passage across the desert of
Southern California, where wells often had to be dug for water and
where rations were at a minimum, until Warner's ranch was reached,
where each man was given five pounds of beef a day, constituting
almost the sole article of subsistence. Tyler, the Battalion historian,
insists that five pounds is really a small allowance for a healthy
laboring man, because "when taken alone it is not nearly equal to mush
and milk," and he referred to an issuance to each of Fremont's men of
ten pounds per day of fat beef.
Congratulation on Its Achievement
At the Mission of San Diego, January 30, 1847, the proud Battalion
Commander issued the following memorable order:
"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 2000 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 wells,
which the future traveler 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 ax in hand, we
worked our way over mountains, which seemed to defy aught save the
wild goat, and hewed a pass through a chasm of living rock more
narrow than our wagons. To bring these 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 garrisons

of four presidios of Sonora concentrated within the walls of Tucson,
gave us no pause. We drove them out with our 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 settlements of California, after a single day's rest,
you cheerfully turned off from the route to this point of promised
repose, to enter upon a campaign and meet, as we supposed, 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 invaluable aid in all these labors.
"Thus, volunteers, you have exhibited some high and essential qualities
of veterans. But 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."
Mapping the Way Through Arizona
The only map of the route of the Mormon Battalion is one made by
Colonel Cooke. Outlined on a map of Arizona, it is printed elsewhere
in this