Overview
The Grand Encampment and Mormon Battalion Mustering Grounds mark one of the most significant sites in Council Bluffs' role in America's westward expansion. In 1846, thousands of Mormon pioneers gathered here after crossing Iowa while journeying west in search of a new home. Just twelve days after arriving, approximately 500 men answered President James K. Polk's call for volunteers and formed the Mormon Battalion.
The Battalion marched more than 2,000 miles from the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast, traveling through present-day Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona before reaching California. Although the unit did not engage in major combat, its members helped open routes to the American West and demonstrated the contributions of Mormon pioneers during the Mexican-American War.
Today, the marker commemorates both the Grand Encampment and the mustering of the Mormon Battalion, connecting visitors to a pivotal chapter in the story of the Mormon Trail, westward migration, military service, and the settlement of the American frontier. Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke, who commanded the Battalion, later remarked that "history may be searched in vain for an equal march of infantry."
Category: Attractions
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
