U.S. Mormon Batallion Award

U.S. Mormon Batallion Award

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The U.S. Mormon Battalion Trail Award commemorates the longest march ever made in the history of organized military units, completed by the Mormon Battalion of the United States Army during the Mexican War. The award is designed to challenge Scouts to study the early history of our Country, and to become better acquainted with our heritage in the great Southwest.

The award is jointly sponsored by the Mormon Committee on Scouting and by the High Adventure Team of the San Diego (now Desert Pacific) Council.

Award Requirements:

There are four major requirements that must be met to earn this award. Working as a unit, you must:

1. Learn the history of the Mormon Battalion Trail:
a. Read a history of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War.
b. Discuss with a Scoutmaster, Advisor, or Counselor the history of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War, with an emphasis on the following subjects:
i. What was the Mormon Battalion, and what was its dual mission.
ii. What was the approximate size of the Mormon Battalion at three points of its history:
1. Departure from Ft. Leavenworth
2. Departure from Santa Fe
3. Arrival in San Diego
4. What was the cause for the change in size at all three points
iii. Recruitment of the Battalion:
1. Crossing the Pawnee Fork
2. Crossing the Arkansas and the Colorado Rivers
3. Forced marches under Colonel Smith
4. The “Battle of the Bulls”
5. Tucson
6. Box Canyon
7. Hardships crossing the Southwest Deserts
iv. What distance did the Battalion cover:
1. How long were they on the march
2. What were some of the daily distances marched

2. Visit Memorials and Museums
a. Visit a Memorial dedicated to the Mormon Battalion.
b. Visit a museum that displays artifacts of that era, particularly wagons, harnesses, saddles, clothing, and kitchen ware
c. In Old Town, San Diego visit two of the following sites:
i. The Mormon Battalion Memorial in Presidio Park
ii. The Mormon Battalion Visitor’s Center on Juan Street
iii. The Hazard Museum in the Seeley Stables

3. Learn about the Rations of the Mormon Battalion:
a. Describe the average daily rations of the Mormon Battalion on the Trail
b. Describe some of the water problems encountered on the Trail
c. Carry and serve their supper on the backpack, both in type and quantity of the food. (Beef jerky may be substituted for dried mule meat and the supper may be cooked over a backpacking stove where open fires are prohibited).

4. Hiking the Mormon Battalion Trail:
a. The backpack must be an overnight backpack of at least 15 miles, or 7 ½ hours of scheduled hiking time, along the original Trail of the Mormon Battalion.
b. All food, water, and equipment must be backpacked the entire distance.
c. Where the original Trail is closed to hikers, or where it is not safe to use the original Trail, an approved alternate route may be used.

5. A Tour Permit of the Boy Scouts of America is also required.