THE FOUNDATION

In 1987 a group of Tucson Mormons began efforts to
erect a monument honoring the men and women of
this historic, peaceful exchange between the
anglo-american and hispanic cultures and the
beginning of U.S. influence in the Southwest. To
accomplish their objective, they formed The Tucson
Mormon Battalion Monument Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization whose mission was to erect a significant monument to commemorate this historic event.
 

The monument was dedicated December 14, 1996 on the sesquicentennial of the event by Gordon B.
Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormons”). this memorial sculpture is a gift to the people of Tucson from the The Tucson Mormon Battalion Monument Foundation, through the support of many individuals dedicated to preserving and honoring Arizona’s historical heritage.

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THE ARTIST
Clyde Ross Morgan, an internationally renowned sculptor, was commissioned to design the monument.
Mr. Morgan, of Sedona, Arizona, is known for
his historically accurate, narrative bronze sculptures.

 

For this commission, he selected three historical
figures: Captain Jefferson Hunt, Commander of Company A and Battalion senior captain; Private Christopher Layton, Company C, later colonizer and community leader in Southern Arizona, and Teodoro Ramirez, a successful and highly respected Tucson Presidio merchant.
 

In the sculpture, Captain Hunt points to the spot
where Private Layton has been ordered to post the
American flag while Teodoro Ramirez examines the
Captain’s chest of quality European clothing that is
being offered in exchange for bags of beans and wheat.