David H. Caldwell — Divine Protection in the Lot Smith Cavalry

In 1862, David Hyrum Caldwell served as a private in the Lot Smith Cavalry Company, a unit called by Brigham Young at the request of President Abraham Lincoln to protect the transcontinental telegraph and mail lines during the American Civil War. During a winter expedition in the Snake River region of the Idaho Territory, the company faced life-threatening conditions, including extreme starvation and sub-zero temperatures. Caldwell recorded that the company was miraculously preserved from death by freezing and starvation through the power of prayer and what he described as the 'unmistakable hand of Providence.' He recounted that despite the lack of adequate clothing and food in the wilderness, the men were guided to safety and sustained in a manner that defied their physical circumstances, a testimony he maintained throughout his life.