After our last episode about music of the Battalion, we are happy to have Miriam Andrus share the story of her ancestor, George Washington Taggart. He was a gifted musician in the Battalion and the blessing of music has continued on through his descendants even today. The photo used for this episode is a picture of one of the instruments that belonged to GW Taggart housed in the Mormon Battalion Historic site in San Diego, California. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/denny-watts-henson/message ..read more

What music did the Battalion sing, hear, use? A conversation with Margaret Larson, about her research and the delightful stories behind the tunes battalion members would have known. Sheet music for: We Wept When We Remembered Zion ⁠https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/121/096⁠  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/denny-watts-henson/message ..read more

Carl and Margaret Larson share his efforts to identify burial locations for all Battalion members - which is still ongoing today. Listen to his dedicated efforts and perhaps you'll be inspired to help fill in some of the blanks for men's burial locations that are still unknown. If you know of a battalion grave that does NOT have a battalion plaque, please contact the Mormon Battalion Association or comment in this podcast feedback form. In the next episode you'll hear how Margaret's mind caught a hold of some trivia that she found in Carl's research. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcas ..read more

Carl Larson's research was absolutely critical to Kevin Henson's modern delination of the trail. His years of diligent research also serves as the basis for the Battalion Association's current efforts to identify an accurate battalion roster. We think you'll enjoy meeting Carl and his wife Margaret and be amazed at the effort it took to obtain the information described in this interview. The next episode shares how the burial site project came to be. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/denny-watts-henson/message ..read more

Val John Halford re-joined us to hike the San Pedro River Valley - most well known in the Battalion Story for the Battle of the Bulls.  He'll share his impressions of the area, how being on site enabled him to see just how easy it would have been for the bulls to surprise the line of Battalion volunteers, and what challenges he had hiking through the veggetation and terrain that day. Val joined us the first time as we marched out of Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.  To hear those memories, see the episode titled "Leaving Ft. Leavenworth – Val John Halford’s Memories" The video by Jim Mahon ..read more

With 30 years as a infantryman, a passion for reenacting military marches, and experience managing public lands, Mike Bilbo brings a truly unique perspective to The Battalion Trek reenactment. His help obtaining permits to allow us to cross public lands was invaluable.  He was able to hike with us twice in New Mexico and what a treat it was to have him along. News Article about Mike's 2021 Bataan Death March participation:  https://www.alamogordonews.com/picture-gallery/news/local/community/2021/04/20/2021-bataan-memorial-death-march/7285535002/ Bataan Memorial Death March Event webs ..read more

Peter Guilbert joins us again to remember the time we spent in Santa Fe, at Rancho de los Golondrinas Harvest Festival Event, walking into Old Town Plaza, visiting the Palace of the Governors, a fireside event, and walking to Albuquerque.  He, Kevin, and Mark Cummings braved the truly "miserable" day of hiking out of Aqua Frieta with cold rain.  Just before the fireside we had a hailstorm which was fun because that is what actually happened to the Battalion while they were in Santa Fe. Rancho de las Golondrinas website:  https://golondrinas.org/  --- Send in a voice message ..read more

Jeff helps us remember the “Grand Lady of the Santa Fe Trail, Faye Gaines, who passed away this month at age 94. We reminisce about her contribution to history, our time together and what an honor it was to know her.  You can hear her talk about her passion for history from the recording we made September 28, 2008 in her home. We also discuss the Battalion detachments sent to Pueblo, Colorado, Kevin’s discovery of the role and identity of a person mentioned often in journals, our experience at the Annual Grant County Home Products Dinner, the grasslands and rattlesnakes, hiking in trail t ..read more

In this episode, we’ll discover how living history missionaries are sharing Battalion & pioneer stories throughout California schools and at historic venues and events. How this Living History Mission started and how is it impacting participants and visitors are topics we discuss. If you would like to be a living history missionary, please contact President Dennis Amaral at dennisbearhawk@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/denny-watts-henson/message ..read more

On the evening of September 12, 2008 Ken Weidner and mother nature joined forces to create an experience that transported us back to 1846 in a way none of us there that evening will ever forget. We have so much fun reminiscing with Ken, Marilyn Yost, Jim Groth,  and Howard and Londa Koehn about the hospitality we enjoyed in their homes, and especially the magical evening we spent in Ken’s tipi. There WILL be pictures and a video made of this episode!  Watch for it on our Battalion Trek YouTube Channel. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/denny-watts-h ..read more