Elijah Allen: Mormon Battalion Veteran and Reminiscence-Keeper (1826–1866)

Elijah Allen, the eldest son of Andrew Lee Allen and Clarinda Knapp, was born February 7, 1826, in the town of Burton (now Allegany), Cattaraugus County, New York. He was appointed a Private in the Mormon Battalion and marched with the company in the Mexican War. After concluding his service with the Battalion, he returned to resume life among the Saints. His reminiscences—preserved in the Church History Catalog—record his Battalion service and the brief details of his life before joining it. He died April 1866. His record stands as a witness of the faith of the Battalion men who left families and hardship to march for their country and their Church.