The longest infantry march in U.S. history went straight through Arizona, and the only “battle” these soldiers ever fought was against cattle. In 1846, roughly 500 Mormon men enlisted in the U.S. Army and began a nearly 2,000-mile march west during the Mexican-American War. By December, they had reached present-day Cochise County. On December 11, while camped along the San Pedro River, wild cattle charged through their camp. Wagons overturned. Mules were gored. Several men were injured, and around nine bulls were killed. It became known as the Battle of the Bulls. Five days later, the Mormon Battalion reached Tucson. Mexican troops withdrew before they arrived, allowing the soldiers to pass through without a fight. They continued west, stopping at Akimel O’odham villages along the Gila River, where residents provided food that helped them continue the journey. The Battalion reached San Diego on January 29, 1847. Of the roughly 500 men who started, about 335 completed the full ...