The Mormon Battalion:The Lord's Faithful [Paperback]

Robert O. Day (Author), Linda S. Day (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert O. Day is a retired professor of communication and theatre from East Tennessee State University. During his 30 year career in higher education at Brigham Young University, Southern Illinois University and E.T.S.U., he coached and directed forensic competition; wrote, directed and starred in a 30 part educational television series; wrote and directed plays and a touring company of actors; conducted seminars, lectures and workshops for professionals; in addition to regular teaching duties. An author of over a dozen books; 15 stories; 3 dozen plays and reader theatre scripts; and numerous poems and choral speaking arrangements, since retirement, he and his wife Linda, have served 2 Church Service missions. The most recent being at the Museum of Church History and Art, where he wrote and directed two new Church historical chamber theatres, Nine Blasts of the Cannon and The Enoch Train, Gathering to Zion. His wife did all of the costuming and art layouts. They are presently preparing for a third Church service mission.

With his dear wife Linda Sue Weaver Day, they have been blessed with a family of 8 children and 14 grandchildren who are the inspiration for the research and writing of The Mormon Battalion, The Lord's Faithful. It is meant to aquaint them with a part of their rich family heritage, having had 3 great, great, great grandfathers, that after being driven out of Nauvoo, served in the Battalion while their families were left behind to wait for them at Kanesville and Winter Quarters. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From Chapter 5: At noon on 21 July 1846 [Smith puts the date on July 20th]1, the Mormon Battalion left the Mosquito Creek camp area and took up their 200 mile march to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The lilting music of "The Girl I Left Behind Me" filled the air for the men to march to, but there were many thoughts in the minds of family and friends who had no idea when or if they would ever see these good men again.2 They had faith in the promises of their prophet, but the subconscious human concern that it might be the next life before their next meeting.

"Captain Allen got his Mormon battalion, enlisting and organizing it and marching it down the river toward Fort Leavenworth just a month after he reached the Mormon camps in western Iowa. As they marched a band played 'The Girl I Left Behind Me' and there were quite a few girls left behind, some holding babies in their arms and others holding the lines of the teams their men had driven from the Mississippi to the Missouri. Soon the great oxbow bend of the river hid their men and the bottom trail that led below Trader's point, though before they went there had been a farewell dance in a cottonwood grove and Brigham Young had boasted to Colonel Kane that 'the time would come when the Saints would support the government of the U. S. or it would crumble to atoms.'"3

Gail George Holmes said of their march to Fort Leavenworth:

"Four companies of volunteers marched down the east side of the Missouri River July 20 and a fifth followed in a day or two. There were almost 500 men. They were accompanied by some wives as laundresses and some boys as aides to officers."4

The general order of march was structured with the companies in alphabetical order, with each company followed by the wagons . Each company was led by their captain, officers and musicians on horse back, followed by some ninety men marching in a column, then the wagons and the families authorized to accompany that company.5 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Day to Day Enterprises; 1 edition (August 1996)
• ISBN-10: 1566842956
• ISBN-13: 978-1566842952
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,238,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very comprehensive book with beautiful illustrations., December 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mormon Battalion:The Lord's Faithful (Paperback)

I found this book to be very comprehensive. It provided me with the most complete listing of the participants in the Mormon Battalion of any of the books on the market and the illustrations were beautiful and refreshing. I would recommend this book for anyone who is searching for relatives who might have served in the Mormon Battalion, for this book provides more than just names and maps. It gives me insight into the lives of the people who served, not only through fine historical writing by Mr. Day but also through the many journal entries, letters and such that are included within the text. A definite plus for your addition on military or religious history.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Worth the Reading, December 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mormon Battalion:The Lord's Faithful (Paperback)

I found this book of the Mormon Battalion to be the absolutely worse book I have ever read. It is nothing more than a reprint of other authors, sources and books. It is extremely poorly written, because the author himself published it. The history, facts and themes were incorrect and poorly developed. the author has no real understanding of the subject, the Mexican War and the primary sources. I cannot recommend this book.