7th US Infantry
The 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment was one of the regular Army units that served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). The regiment participated in several major campaigns under the command of Winfield Scott, including the advance from Veracruz to Mexico City. The 7th Infantry fought in key battles such as Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, where American forces defeated the Mexican Army and opened the way to the capture of Mexico City. Throughout the war, the regiment earned a reputation for discipline and effectiveness in combat, helping secure the United States' victory and the eventual signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the conflict and greatly expanded U.S. territory.
Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was a volunteer unit of about 500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that served in the Mexican–American War from 1846 to 1848. Recruited by the U.S. Army while the Latter-day Saints were migrating west, the battalion marched nearly 2,000 miles from Iowa to California, making one of the longest infantry marches in American military history.
Although the battalion saw little direct combat, its members helped build roads, forts, and supply routes that supported the American conquest of the Southwest. Their service improved relations between the U.S. government and the Latter-day Saints and provided much-needed pay to help support Mormon families during their westward migration. The Mormon Battalion remains an important part of both Utah and American military history.