Jefferson Hunt was a contemporary of Daniel Boone...born and bred in the same Kentucky backwoods where he learned to conquer the wilds with stalwart resolve. He married the beautiful Celia Mounts in 1823 and eleven years later they both converted to Mormonism shortly after the "new American religion" was organized by Joseph Smith amid a pitched wave of fervent religious zeal.
Jefferson Hunt left his Kentucky roots to join the Mormon migration to Far West, Missouri. His skills as a frontiersman were quickly recognized and he was commissioned by Joseph Smith as a Major in the Nauvoo Legion and later participated in the Battle of Crooked River.
Like thousands of other Nauvoo Mormons, Hunt was forced to leave his home and in the early months of 1846 he crossed the ice covered Mississippi River and built a temporary shelter for he and his wife in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was there in June of 1846 that he enlisted in the Mormon Battalion upon request of Brigham Young. His reputation preceded him and at the request of Brigham Young, the U.S. Army agreed to commission him as a Senior Captain by the U.S. Military. He worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. Military envoy James Allen and Captain Thomas Kane in overcoming the general feeling of suspicion in recruiting 500 men who readily believed the U.S. Government had abandoned them over the past year.
His rugged physique and gristly beard gave him a patriarchal appearance, but it was his leadership that was highly respected by his fellow soldiers. Just a few months into the one year enlistment campaign he was asked to take command of the entire Mormon Battalion when their trusted U.S. Army leader, Capt. James Allen, suddenly died from a rapid onset of an unknown medical condition.
Feeling the weight of the survival and performance of 500 untrained Mormon soldiers would have caused Hunt to reflect back on the instructions he received from Brigham Young: "...be a father to the men and manage their affairs by the power and influence of their Priesthood and then you will have power to preserve their lives and escape difficulties." Brigham then went on to say that he would not be afraid to pledge his right hand that every man would return alive, if they would perform their duties faithfully and without murmuring.
Capt. Hunt proved to be a reliable soldier for both the U.S. Army as well as for Brigham Young. By authorizing duly appointed agents to receive the $42 clothing allowance from each of the Mormon soldiers, Capt. Hunt was facilitating the salvation for the Church as well as the families left behind. In a further demonstration of his faith in the providence of the Mormon Battalion, he authorized those agents (Newel K. Whitney, et al) to apply the funds to such uses as they saw fit.
Following his discharge from the Mormon Battalion, Hunt and family settled in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1847. He was later asked by church leaders to help create a Mormon colony in San Bernadino, California which became the first American settlement in California after Statehood. He then served in the California State Assembly from 1853-1857 where during that time he was appointed as a Brigadier General in the California State Militia.
Hunt returned to Utah and founded the town of Huntsville on the Ogden River in 1860 and served as a representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1863, representing Weber County. He died in 1879 and the following statesmen are but a smattering of his noble legacy:
- John Hunt Udall, great-grandson, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona
- Jesse Addison Udall, great-grandson, Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
- Don Taylor Udall, great-grandson, Arizona State Legislator
- Nick Udall, 2nd great-grandson, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona
- Gordon H. Smith, 3rd great-grandson, U.S. Senator from Oregon
The character of Captain Jefferson Hunt will provide the narration for Battalion--The Musical to be performed in Huntsville, Utah on June 26th and 27th, 2009.
