The 500 Volunteer Soldiers of the Mormon Battalion
1840 - 1848
In the midst of preparations for their exodus to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, the Mormon pioneers were asked by the United States government to enlist a battalion of 500 volunteers for service in the war with Mexico. These troops started from western Iowa in July, 1846, and arrived in San Diego January 29, 1847. Completing the longest infantry march in history, this expedition helped win the war, prepared the way for colonization of the southwest, opened new trade routes, and strengthened distant national boundaries.
Marker can be reached from Presidio Drive.
Courtesy hmdb.org
