Scout leader to walk 2,500-mile Mormon Battalion trail

The past six years of Kevin Henson's life have led up to the beginning of an eight-month, 2,500-mile re-enactment of the 1846 Mormon Battalion march from Iowa to California.

Henson, who came up with the idea and planned the re-enactment, which began Friday at Mount Pisgah, Iowa, developed his own interest in re-enactments when he was a Latter-day Saint Scout leader six years ago with "a really neat set of pro-active young men."

They attended

a living-history re-enactment at River of Time in Bay City, Mich., that covers many time periods. After

spending time there, the Scouts wanted to be re-enactors themselves,

Henson said. But they couldn't think of what they could re-enact that

would be within their budget.

After much prodding from the Scouts, an idea finally dawned on him — before dawn, to be exact.

"I sat up in bed at 3 a.m. and thought, 'the Mormon Battalion!' "

Henson, of Midland, Mich., knew the battalion was a reasonable choice because it involved men of all ages, women, and simple costumes — battalion members did not wear formal uniforms.

So the group began re-enacting the Mormon Battalion of the Mexican War and has become a favorite at the River of Time because of all the pioneer games and

history they share with the community.  Six years later, the idea of trekking came, Henson said.

"There are a lot of side stories (with the battalion march) that we don't know about," that an actual trek would hopefully flush out, he said.  For example, Henson has come across stories while preparing for the trek. One was about a time when the battalion went through certain areas and interacted with American Indian tribes. At one point, a battle almost broke out with a tribe.

"The focus (of the re-enactment) is not only on the Mormon Battalion. It's also to help understand what the situation was like."

And what better way to gain that understanding than by walking the entire 2,500 miles, which is what Henson plans to do.

"I'll go as far as my legs will let me," he said.