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Show BIOGRAPHY OF MYRON TANNER. and he bluntly informed 9 that he would not trust the people He wanted to know moving. whose boy I was, I was then not quite twenty, and when I told him he said, 'If you will be responsible you can take the stock over, provided you bring me the money as soon as you get home. His bill amounted to something like $12 and was promptly paid." me whose stock and effects I was ' IN After the THE MORMON BATTALION. break-up Nauvoo, Myron Tanner, with other at members of the family, made the journey across Iowa to Council He makes no mention of any particular events on that Bluffs. journey, and common to it may be inferred that his experience was that suffered usual inconveniences and the others who In 1846, while the vanguard of the Saints was en hardships. at Council Bluffs, war broke out between the United camped States and Mexico. "1 was then twenty years of age and was mustered into the service of the United States in the Mormon Battalion, as near as I can recollect on the 16th day of July. We were immediately ordered to Ft. Leavenworth, the starting We were point of the troops which were ordered to California. allowed." he says, "in our military organization to select the non commissioned officers, and therefore selected men whom we knew " From this and whose command would be most agreeable to us. Fort a number of Missourians had left for the West a short time before. It was noticed that among them two out of every three were compelled to sign their names by means of a In, cross. striking contrast with this educational condition of the Missour ians was the fact that every man of the MormoR Battalion was able to write. Recounting the circumstances of this march westward Myron Tanner in his narration says: "My health was very good till we reached Hurricane Point, that was just before we struck the plains. After that I took down with chills and fever; and at night after being sick a week or so, I would have to crawl on mv hands and knees to the tent, but in the came somewhat improved before mornings we I could walk. reached the plains I be where we took off from the Arkansas River below Ft. Bent. I had been able to |
