When the Mormon Battalion left Santa Fe on 19 October 1846, they followed the Spanish Trail south for some time. Today, the trail is well known, and many Boy Scouts in the area have earned their BSA--Mormon Battalion Trail Patch on this stretch of the trail. The Battalion camped at Aqua Fria the first night; at San Felipe Pueblo on the second night. They camped above the cornfields at Bernalillo on the 22nd; below Alameda on the 23rd and on the 24th they passed Albuquerque (Col. Cooke did buy corn from the merchants there, however), crossed the Rio Grande below the present 1-40 bridge, and camped three miles down river from the crossing. (This illustrates how detailed their trail is known as they passed through this area.)
Sometime ago, the Battalion was contacted to learn if someone could attend the dedication of the monument which was being rebuilt. It had been torn down (by the Highway Department) in 1982 to make room for widening the highway into an Interstate (25). Lt. Col. Virgil Peterson, Company "A," was teaching at the University when the first monument was erected. He remembers it as a pedestal of rocks reaching about 20 feet into the sky and with a wagon wheel anchored to the top. Today, it is a 25-foot cast stone monument on a concrete pedestal with a bronze wagon wheel on top. At the base is a large 3 x 4 foot plaque detailing the history of the Battalion.
Ltc. Bascom, executive officer, was assigned to follow-up on the invitation, and he and his wife, Leonora, together with Col. Madson and his wife, Ramona, and daughter, Robyn, attended the ceremonies. Ltc. Bascom had spoken on Friday night to a large gathering in Montano Chapel where more than fifty descendants were in attendance. Pres. Stanley Hatch, of Albuquerque stake, gave a brilliant talk on Heritage, which was followed by Ltc. Bascom briefly describing the accomplishments of the Battalion.
Then two politicians, Rep. Bill Weeks, and Sen. Joe Carrero mid how they were involved in the creating of the monument by Georgia Frasier, a member of the Church in Albuquerque. (Always, there is a WOMAN behind any great accomplishment, isn't there?) Elder Daryl Garn, Area Authority of the Church, was the concluding speaker and spoke very knowingly on the history of the battalion. Sister Bascom gave copies of The Valiant to those who signed the registration sheet as wanting to join the Battalion (seventeen!), and took the name and address of those who wished to have a printout of their ancestor from the DATA BASE (over twenty). The next day, we heard speeches from all the politicians from Lt. Governor to Division of Highways rep, but the best part was the talk by Col. Madsen who spoke for the Mormon Battalion. We can be proud of Col. Madsen. He always knows how to blend his remarks in with the speeches of others, so that he makes the audience feel that they are a part of the success of the Battalion and its achievements. He is a dedicated Battalion man! The closing remarks by Elder Daryl Gain, Area Authority from Mesa, AZ, representing the Area Presidency of the Church, put the capstone on all remarks and left us with a sense of fulfillment. Then, he gave a short but very insightful dedicatory prayer on the monument. Ltc. Don Shurtz and Terry Wirth sat on the stand with us and added to the color and presence of the Battalion for this occasion. We sold all our books and took orders for more. We had our pictures taken by many Saints and visitors. We were interviewed by both of the Albuquerque TV stations 7 and 13 and were treated most royally by the committee for dedication, the stake presidents, and the saints. Ltc. Bascom also spoke at a youth fireside Sunday evening at the Juichina Chapel, attended by a wonderful group of youth from the Albuquerque area. This experience in Albuquerque convinces us that this is a fertile field for recruitment, and the National staff, fully intends to follow up on the possibilities of organizing a company there. If so, it will be the culmination of some 10 years of effort by col. Madsen and others of the National Staff who have been earnestly seeking to achieve this.