John King: A Battalion Soldier's Original Journal Documenting the March to California (1846–1847)

John King was a soldier in the Mormon Battalion who kept an original journal throughout the entire expedition from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to San Diego, California. His record provides direct testimony to the experiences, trials, and spiritual moments of Battalion service.

King's journal captures day-to-day details that bring the march to life: the buffalo hunting expeditions undertaken to supplement provisions, the encounters with fellow soldiers, the crossing of difficult terrain, and the moments of spiritual significance that marked their path.

On November 3rd, 1847 (after the Battalion had been discharged), King recorded in his journal: "this morning after we got our breakfast br rainy and my self started out a buffalow hunting as our provisions..." This simple entry illustrates the practical challenges the soldiers faced—even after their official military service ended, they still needed to hunt for food to sustain themselves on their journey to the Great Salt Lake.

King's journal stands as one of the important primary documents of Battalion history. Along with journals kept by Henry Standage, John Borrowman, and Levi Hancock, King's account contributes to our understanding of what the soldiers experienced, how they coped, and what sustained them spiritually and physically through one of the great faith-promoting adventures of early Church history.

Though King's life was marked by service to others—a pattern evident in his Battalion service—he exemplifies the quiet faithfulness of ordinary soldiers who did extraordinary things.