It was near Yuma, Arizona, that the Mormon Battalion arrived at and crossed the Colorado River. With the starving and weakened condition of the battalion members, the crossing was particularly challenging. The animals were broken and struggling as well. All dreaded the miles of barren desert ahead of them. They were there Jan. 9-11, 1847, because it took that long to get all across the river.
Battalion member William Coray noted in his journal that it was the one-year anniversary of his receiving blessings in the Nauvoo Temple. He then added, “I little thought of being here at this time, I am certain.”
This monument to the battalion stands where that story unfolded at Yuma in West Wetlands Park on the banks of the Colorado River. It was put in place in 2007.