Tyler's narrative has long been considered the authoritative work on this heroic battalion of Mormon volunteers. The battalion, numbering about 500 men, was organized at Council Bluffs, Iowa, in July 1846. After reaching Santa Fe, they headed to California following the Gila River. They experienced, as reflected in Tyler's vividly written account, a journey filled with unbelievable hardship. Thirst, starvation, heat, and freezing cold were their constant companions." The reached San Diego ...