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MORMON BATTALION MONUMENT (the true story vs. the lies of KTTV reporter Tony "Reconquista" Valdez)
media.utah.edu ^ | 2006 | Susan Easton Black

Posted on 05/04/2006 9:55:00 AM PDT by doug from upland

Hear the incredible MP3 of the exchange between KTTV news reporter Tony Valdez and KFI's John and Ken -- CLICK AND LISTEN

"And here in California there's a monument to the Mormon Battalion, the great heroes who killed a lot of Mexicans, enough Mexicans so that this part of the world could be taken by force, by force by the United States." ...Tony Valdez, KTTV Newsman, 5-1-06 Simulcast on KFI radio and KTTV =====================================================================

I've spoken to the public affairs spokesman for the Mormon church in Los Angeles and sent them the clip. I suspect that the apology the station is making him give on his Sunday morning Channel 11 show at 9:00AM may include a special apology to the Mormons and a corrected version of his distorted view of history. This clown belongs on Univision or Telemundo or Aztlan Radio, not regular network television posing as a real newsman.

And now, here is the real history.

MORMON BATTALION

Mormon Battalion monument, State Capitol Grounds

In July 1846, under the authority of U.S. Army Captain James Allen and with the encouragement of Mormon leader Brigham Young, the Mormon Battalion was mustered in at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory. The battalion was the direct result of Brigham Young's correspondence on 26 January 1846 to Jesse C. Little, presiding elder over the New England and Middle States Mission. Young instructed Little to meet with national leaders in Washington, D.C., and to seek aid for the migrating Latter-day Saints, the majority of whom were then in the Iowa Territory. In response to Young's letter, Little journeyed to Washington, arriving on 21 May 1846, just eight days after Congress had declared war on Mexico.

Little met with President James K. Polk on 5 June 1846 and urged him to aid migrating Mormon pioneers by employing them to fortify and defend the West. The president offered to aid the pioneers by permitting them to raise a battalion of five hundred men, who were to join Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, Commander of the Army of the West, and fight for the United States in the Mexican War. Little accepted this offer.

Colonel Kearny designated Captain James Allen, later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, to raise five companies of volunteer soldiers from the able-bodied men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five in the Mormon encampments in Iowa. On 26 June 1846 Allen arrived at the encampment of Mt. Pisgah. He was treated with suspicion as many believed that the raising of a battalion was a plot to bring trouble to the migrating Saints.

Allen journeyed from Mt. Pisgah to Council Bluffs, where on 1 July 1846 he allayed Mormon fears by giving permission for the Saints to encamp on United States lands if the Mormons would raise the desired battalion. Brigham Young accepted this, recognizing that the enlistment of the battalion was the first time the government had stretched forth its arm to aid the Mormons.

On 16 July 1846 some 543 men enlisted in the Mormon Battalion. From among these men Brigham Young selected the commissioned officers; they included Jefferson Hunt, Captain of Company A; Jesse D. Hunter, Captain of Company B; James Brown, Captain of Company C; Nelson Higgins, Captain of Company D; and Daniel C. Davis, Captain of Company E. Among the most prominent non-Mormon military officers immediately associated with the battalion march were Lt. Col. James Allen, First Lt. Andrew Jackson Smith, Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke, and Dr. George Sanderson. Also accompanying the battalion were approximately thirty-three women, twenty of whom served as laundresses, and fifty-one children.

The battalion marched from Council Bluffs on 20 July 1846, arriving on 1 August 1846 at Fort Leavenworth (Kansas), where they were outfitted for their trek to Santa Fe. Battalion members drew their arms and accoutrements, as well as a clothing allowance of forty-two dollars, at the fort. Since a military uniform was not mandatory, many of the soldiers sent their clothing allowances to their families in the encampments in Iowa..

The march from Fort Leavenworth was delayed by the sudden illness of Colonel Allen. Capt. Jefferson Hunt was instructed to begin the march to Santa Fe; he soon received word that Colonel Allen was dead. Allen's death caused confusion regarding who should lead the battalion to Santa Fe. Lt. A.J. Smith arrived from Fort Leavenworth claiming the lead, and he was chosen the commanding officer by the vote of battalion officers. The leadership transition proved difficult for many of the enlisted men, as they were not consulted about the decision.

Smith and his accompanying surgeon, a Dr. Sanderson, have been described in journals as the "heaviest burdens" of the battalion. Under Smith's dictatorial leadership and with Sanderson's antiquated prescriptions, the battalion marched to Santa Fe. On this trek the soldiers suffered from excessive heat, lack of sufficient food, improper medical treatment, and forced long-distance marches.

The first division of the Mormon Battalion approached Santa Fe on 9 October 1846. Their approach was heralded by Col. Alexander Doniphan, who ordered a one-hundred-gun salute in their honor. At Santa Fe, Smith was relieved of his command by Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke. Cooke, aware of the rugged trail between Santa Fe and California and also aware that one sick detachment had already been sent from the Arkansas River to Fort Pueblo in Colorado, ordered the remaining women and children to accompany the sick of the battalion to Pueblo for the winter. Three detachments consisting of 273 people eventually were sent to Pueblo for the winter of 1846-47.

The remaining soldiers, with four wives of officers, left Santa Fe for California on 19 October 1846. They journeyed down the Rio Grande del Norte and eventually crossed the Continental Divide on 28 November 1846. While moving up the San Pedro River in present-day Arizona, their column was attacked by a herd of wild cattle. In the ensuing fight, a number of bulls were killed and two men were wounded. Following the "Battle of the Bulls," the battalion continued their march toward Tucson, where they anticipated a possible battle with the Mexican soldiers garrisoned there. At Tucson, the Mexican defenders temporarily abandoned their positions and no conflict ensued.

On 21 December 1846 the battalion encamped on the Gila River. They crossed the Colorado River into California on 9 and 10 January 1847. By 29 January 1847 they were camped at the Mission of San Diego, about five miles from General Kearny's quarters. That evening Colonel Cooke rode to Kearny's encampment and reported the battalion's condition. On 30 January 1847 Cooke issued orders enumerating the accomplishments of the Mormon Battalion. "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 lack of water, there is no living creature."

During the remainder of their enlistment, some members of the battalion were assigned to garrison duty at either San Diego, San Luis Rey, or Ciudad de los Angeles. Other soldiers were assigned to accompany General Kearny back to Fort Leavenworth. All soldiers, whether en route to the Salt Lake Valley via Pueblo or still in Los Angeles, were mustered out of the United States Army on 16 July 1847. Eighty-one men chose to reenlist and serve an additional eight months of military duty under Captain Daniel C. Davis in Company A of the Mormon Volunteers. The majority of the soldiers migrated to the Salt Lake Valley and were reunited with their pioneering families.

The men of the Mormon Battalion are honored for their willingness to fight for the United States as loyal American citizens. Their march of some 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs to California is one of the longest military marches in history. Their participation in the early development of California by building Fort Moore in Los Angeles, building a courthouse in San Diego, and making bricks and building houses in southern California contributed to the growth of the West.

Following their discharge, many men helped build flour mills and sawmills in northern California. Some of them were among the first to discover gold at Sutter's Mill. Men from Captain Davis's Company A were responsible for opening the first wagon road over the southern route from California to Utah in 1848.

Historic sites associated with the battalion include the Mormon Battalion Memorial Visitor's Center in San Diego, California; Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial in Los Angeles, California; and the Mormon Battalion Monument in Memory Grove, Salt Lake City, Utah. Monuments relating to the battalion are also located in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, and trail markers have been placed on segments of the battalion route.

See: Sergeant Daniel Tyler, A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War 1846-1848 (1969); Philip St. George Cooke, et. al., Exploring Southwestern Trails, 1846-1854 (1938); Frank Alfred Golder, Thomas A. Bailey, and Lyman J. Smith, eds., The March of the Mormon Battalion From Council Bluffs to California Taken from the Journal of Henry Standage (1928).

Susan Easton Black


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aztlan; illegalimmigrants; illegals; invasion; kttv; mecha; mormon; reconquista; seenit; southernborder; tonyvaldez; unodemayo
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1 posted on 05/04/2006 9:55:04 AM PDT by doug from upland
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To: doug from upland

Thanks for helping to set the record straight on this Doug. I was glad to hear John and Ken on KFI really emphasize how Valdez distorted history as well.


2 posted on 05/04/2006 9:58:20 AM PDT by MikeA (Not voting in November because you're pouting is a vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House)
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To: doug from upland

I sent an email to Fox regarding Tony Valdez comments. I heard back from them that he is going to say an apology during his show next week.

I told them not to bother as no-one will watch to increase his ratings.


3 posted on 05/04/2006 9:58:26 AM PDT by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: ARA

YOUR EMAIL ON ANOTHER THREAD ---

I recieved this email:

Tony Valdez will apologize during his Mid-Day Sunday Show on Sunday May 7, 2006 at 9a.

Carol A. Breshears
Assignment Manager
KTTV FOX 11 - KCOP UPN13
1999 S. Bundy Drive
Los Angeles CA 90025

325 posted on 05/03/2006 6:28:42 PM PDT by ARA
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4 posted on 05/04/2006 9:59:24 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: doug from upland

More benefits from the Great Illegal Alien Boycott of All Things American on 5/1. People are a little quicker to jump up and dispute these stupid statements.


5 posted on 05/04/2006 10:00:29 AM PDT by hsalaw
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To: MikeA

If this ***clown's name were John Rocker, Al Campanis, Jimmy the Greek, or Rush Limbaugh, he would have already been fired.


6 posted on 05/04/2006 10:00:54 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: Jeff Head

ping


7 posted on 05/04/2006 10:01:50 AM PDT by Spiff ("They start yelling, 'Murderer!' 'Traitor!' They call me by name." - Gael Murphy, Code Pink leader)
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To: doug from upland
"Here in California, there's a monument to the Mormon Battalion. The great heroes who killed a lot of Mexicans so that this part of the world could be taken by force by the United States."

That's what he said.
8 posted on 05/04/2006 10:05:55 AM PDT by Spiff ("They start yelling, 'Murderer!' 'Traitor!' They call me by name." - Gael Murphy, Code Pink leader)
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To: doug from upland

Another newsie outed by his bias. Shame the dipsh*t didn't read up on the history of the West. He is probably too stupid to know that he is stupid, and will continue until stopped by management. Maybe cBS can hire him to help Cutie-pie Katy!


9 posted on 05/04/2006 10:06:39 AM PDT by geezerwheezer (get up boys, we're burnin' daylight!!!)
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To: doug from upland

***While moving up the San Pedro River in present-day Arizona, their column was attacked by a herd of wild cattle. In the ensuing fight, a number of bulls were killed and two men were wounded. ***

Well, maybe they were MEXICAN bulls!

When one says that the Mormon Battalion shot the bull they are correct.

They did their duty and should have the honors.


10 posted on 05/04/2006 10:08:49 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (ISLAM is STILL the religion of the criminally insane!)
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To: All

I just spoke with Professor Black's assistant at BYU and sent her the clip. They had not yet read the quote and were quite amazed. I suggested that they demand to be on the show to correct the record.


11 posted on 05/04/2006 10:10:07 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: doug from upland
Doug, I had ancestors in the Mormon Battalion, a lot of hard ridding and no fighting.
12 posted on 05/04/2006 10:14:32 AM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: All

This is from newsman and American citizen Tony "Reconquista" Valdez:

"But nevertheless, nevertheless, you took this country. You killed people in order to take this country for yourselves."

(It was fairy funny that Ken and John ended by saying Aztlan as if it were A**land.)

13 posted on 05/04/2006 10:18:38 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: Little Bill

I learned some history through this episode. Perhaps Valdez will be forced to correct his revisionist history.


14 posted on 05/04/2006 10:20:29 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: doug from upland
"But nevertheless, nevertheless, you took this country. You killed people in order to take this country for yourselves."

As opposed to the Native and Spanish populations who gained territory by, what? Talking about it???

I don't think so, my man.

15 posted on 05/04/2006 10:28:10 AM PDT by siunevada (If we learn nothing from history, what's the point of having one? - Peggy Hill)
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To: doug from upland
If this ***clown's name were John Rocker, Al Campanis, Jimmy the Greek, or Rush Limbaugh, he would have already been fired.

Of course. But these days with the objectionable yet celebrated by liberal elites "Big Love" on HBO totally misrepresenting polygamy as being a current practice among Mormons, it's not, it's fashionable to bash Mormons among media types. Of course any Christian religion these days is fair game with the lib-o-crites. That's acceptable bigotry.

16 posted on 05/04/2006 10:32:42 AM PDT by MikeA (Not voting in November because you're pouting is a vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House)
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To: doug from upland; glock rocks

ping


17 posted on 05/04/2006 10:34:30 AM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Hodar
Thought you would find this interesting.
18 posted on 05/04/2006 10:35:12 AM PDT by zlala ("History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid." -Dwight D. Eisenhower)
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To: doug from upland
This has to be the only time in history that a military formation has been attacked by a herd of "wild cattle".
19 posted on 05/04/2006 10:35:55 AM PDT by BnBlFlag (Deo Vindice/Semper Fidelis)
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To: doug from upland

"But nevertheless, nevertheless, you took this country. You killed people in order to take this country for yourselves."

Dear Tony,

If you think California and the West would be better off under Mexican rule may I suggest maybe you would be too? In order to get back to the utopia known as Mexico so that you can experience the glory of living under Mexican governance and subsistance economics, get on the I-5 and head south. Continue driving south for a little over two 2 hours. When you reach a big checkpoint, give your US passport to the US guard stationed there. Then continue to drive south.

I hope this helps!

Sincerely,
Mike


20 posted on 05/04/2006 10:37:35 AM PDT by MikeA (Not voting in November because you're pouting is a vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House)
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