David Candland — Divine Provision of Water in the Desert

During the grueling march of the Mormon Battalion across the southwestern deserts in late 1846, David Candland and his fellow soldiers in Company B faced extreme thirst and exhaustion. Candland recorded in his journal the desperate situation where both men and animals were on the verge of collapse due to the lack of water. He describes a specific instance where, against all geographical expectations in the arid wilderness, the Battalion discovered 'charcos' (natural water holes) just as they reached their limit of endurance. Candland explicitly attributed this discovery to the 'interposition of Providence' and the 'blessing of the Almighty' upon the Battalion for their sacrifice and service.