Vol. 1 The Field Is White | Vol. 2 The Gathering | Vol. 3 The Nauvoo Years | Vol. 4 The Mormon Battalion | Vol. 5 The Journey Home
Robert was terrified that rumors might be true that a Mexican army of five thousand men was trying to overtake and capture the Battalion as it traveled toward Tucson. Last night a Spanish sheep driver had run away, fearing the rumor to be true. Now everyone was worried, even Colonel Cooke.

"It stands to reason that the Mexicans would send a big army out after us," one of the soldiers in E company said as the men made camp along the San Pedro River.

"If there's a big Mexican army, I hope it heads toward Santa Fe, not toward us," Sgt. Daniel Browett added. The American army had dragoons there, better equipped to fight. "They'll be wanting to recapture Santa Fe. Brigham Young said we might have to fight wild animals, but not Mexican soldiers."
As he began sharpening his knives, the first shots rang out. He felt his muscles tighten. What happened next was almost beyond belief.





Email Darryl Harris

 The words from John Hyrum Green were music to Elizabeth's ears. "Brigham Young is sending two men to Santa Fe to collect the Battalion money," he said. "They're leaving tomorrow and will take letters."

Elizabeth began writing her letter to Daniel in her mind: Since Daniel and Robert's departure, her camp had been moved to Cutler's Park, several miles northwest.

Brigham Young and members of the Twelve were exploring a new area for a permanent winter camp, even negotiating with Indians for temporary land. They were already making a street layout for a place to be called Winter Quarters.

"I don't like to complain," Elizabeth said. "But I'm going to tell Daniel I'm sure tired of living out of this wagon box." Hannah already had found paper and a pen. "I hate to tell Robert about his sister."
Darryl Harris has been a magazine publisher for more than thirty years. He and his wife, Chris, reside in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and have five children. From 1997 to 2000, they presided over the Korea Seoul Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and then served as a bishop for one of the campus wards at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg.
"I really felt compassion for Elizabeth and her struggles to accept the doctrine of polygamy. She reacted the same way most women would have done."
-Suzanne Rowser
Heber City, Utah
"I've never read anything so complete regarding the attempted kidnapping of Joseph Smith in 1843 by the Missouri sheriff. Or about Joseph and Hyrum's untimely deaths and the trial of their murderers that took place in Carthage in 1845. The detail, as seen through the eyes of the main characters of this book, really drew me in. Now I appreciate so much more the Nauvoo epic of our people. I felt a real pain for the prejudice the Mormons suffered during that time. The book was intriguing, to say the least, and a real page-turner."
-Reed Moss
Ririe, Idaho