On May 13, 1846 a state of war was recognized between the United States
and Mexico--an event that was to result in the discovery of Cooke's
Peak. That same year, Mormon leader, Brigham Young, agreed to the paid
enlistment of 500 of his best young men to help fight the war with
Mexico...establishing the Mormon Battalion. To the Mormon heirarchy,
this meant 500 men would be taken to California at federal government
expense to assess the land for possible emigration. The government hoped
to conciliate this persecuted religious minority. The Mormon Battalion
left Council Bluffs on July 16, 1846 marching to Fort Leavenworth. On
October 13, the Battalion reached Santa Fe, where Colonel Philip St.
George Cooke had assembled supplies for a 60-day march westward.