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During the Mexican-American War, the United States did not have a military presence in California.

The Mormon Battalion was a volunteer unit of more than 500 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commanded by United States Army officers. They marched almost 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego. It was the longest march in U.S. military history.

The battalion arrived in San Diego on Jan. 29, 1847 — two weeks after the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed, effectively ending military conflict in California.

Against this background, how can a seemingly innocuous sentence in a young soldier’s diary have a historic impact?

Pvt. Azariah Smith wrote about baseball, the earliest evidence of the game being played in California.

“Saturday March the 6th we drilled as before and through the day we play ball and amuse ourselves the best way we can,” he wrote. “It’s very cool weather and clothing scarce.”

Smith, 18, was a member of the Mormon Battalion Company B that bivouacked at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. Smith was born in upstate New York, where he probably learned an early version of the “town ball” game that was a precursor to baseball.

Smith’s diary is recognized by Major League Baseball’s official historian, John Thorn.

There is also an account of a New York Volunteer Regiment occupying Santa Barbara a month later in April 1847. “Largely because of the baseball games, the Spanish-speaking people of Santa Barbara came to look upon the New Yorkers as loudmouthed, uncouth hoodlums,” it read.

There are no references to baseball again in California until the early 1850s, although Alexander Cartwright was credited with introducing the sport to California during the 1849 Gold Rush.

This claim, like many made by Cartwright, is pyrite. At the time, California was mad for gold and not baseball.

The first previously known baseball in San Diego County was played May 6, 1871 at Horton Plaza. The results are lost to the ages.

There’s an obvious connection between baseball’s origins and the modern-day game in San Diego. If baseball was being played at Mission San Luis Rey, it’s possible that brown-robed Franciscan friars — padres — were playing the game 178 years ago.

Gwyn Grimes, executive director at Mission San Luis Rey, was excited to hear of the church’s role in sports history.

“Wow! I was surprised and excited to find out that baseball was first played in California at Mission San Luis Rey,” she said. “We’d be thrilled to have a plaque to honor this part of our history. As a Padres fan, it makes it all even more special.”

E Clampus Vitus is a colorful organization dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the West, especially the California Gold Rush. Sean Englert, the grand noble historian of the local Squibob Chapter, said his organization would look into recognizing the history made at the mission.

“The Office of Historic Preservation in Sacramento would strongly consider this for designation as a California State Historical Landmark,” he said. “This is due to the fact that it is documented as being the birthplace of baseball in California by the staff at Mission San Luis Rey along with Major League Baseball.”

Smith’s story doesn’t end with baseball. After mustering out of the Army, Smith and others worked their way north and east to Utah, where other LDS members had settled. On Jan. 24, 1848, they were at Sutter’s Creek in Coloma working for James Marshall when he discovered gold.

Marshall allowed Smith and others “the privilege of picking up gold odd spells and Sundays, and I have gathered up considerable,” Smith wrote.

It is unknown if Smith ever played baseball again. But modern baseball scouts continue to scour the Golden State for prized nuggets on the diamond.

Bill Swank has authored and co-authored six books on San Diego baseball.