Hosea Stout
Lawman, Legislator, Mormon Defender
foreword by David L. Bigler
Finalist for the 1997 Spur Award
Recipient of the 1997 Certificate of Commendation, American Association of State and Local Historians
Winner of the 1996 Best Book Award, Westerners International
"From the Mexican War to the discovery of gold in California, there were few major events in the history of the Far West from 1846 to 1849 that did not involve the Mormon Battalion. Norma Ricketts's The Mormon Battalion: U.S. Army Of The West, 1846-1848 is the first complete history of this wide-ranging, but heretofore almost forgotten, army unit, restoring it to its uniquely central place in the history of the American West. . . . The Mormon Battalion combines the scrupulousness of an historical scholar with a born story-teller's ability to showcase history for contemporary readers. The Mormon Battalion is an immensely valuable contribution to Mormon studies and Western American history reading lists."
—Midwest Book Review
"An entertaining, wonderfully researched and crafted study . . . an invaluable treasure to those seeking to better understand the rich heritage of the Southwest and California."
—The Journal of Arizona History
Few events in the history of the Far West from 1846 to 1849 did not involve the Mormon Battalion. The Battalion participated in the United States conquest of California and in the discovery of gold, opened four major wagon trails, and carried the news of gold east to an eager American public. Yet, the battalion is little known beyond Mormon history. This first complete history of the wide-ranging army unit restores it to its central place in Western history, and provides descendants a complete roster of the Battalion's members.
