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LOCAL CIVIL WAR UNITS First California Cavalry |
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Cols., David Ferguson, Oscar M. Brown Under the first call for troops from California the state was asked to furnish one regiment of infantry and five companies of cavalry to guard the overland mail route from Carson Valley to Salt Lake and Fort Laramie. The five cavalry companies organized under this call became the 1st battalion of the 1st cavalry. The men rendezvoused at a camp called Camp Merchant, near Lake Merritt, Oakland, and the companies were there mustered into the U. S. service for three years on various dates, between Aug. 15 and Oct 31, 1861. Charles S. Thompson, who enlisted in Co. B at Folsom, Aug. 10, 1861, was the first man enlisted in the regiment. Its first commanding officer was Lieut.-Col. Davis, serving as captain in the 1st U. S. cavalry at the time he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. He resigned as such Nov. 1, 1861, and returned to duty in his old regiment. During the year 1863 the battalion was made a full regiment of twelve companies and Maj. Fergusson was promoted to colonel. The seven companies organized in 1863 were mustered in between May 16 and Dec. 31 for three years. As soon as the first battalion was organized it was sent to the southern part of the state, three companies being stationed at Camp Latham, near Los Angeles, and two at Camp Carleton, near San Bernardino. The battalion remained in the southern part of the state until the spring of 1862, when it became part of the "California column," and formed the advance of Carleton's expedition to New Mexico and Texas. A detachment of the regiment was engaged with some of Baylor's Texan Rangers, under Capt. Hunter, at Picacho pass, April 15, 1862, losing 2 killed and 1 wounded, Lieut. Barrett being one of the 2 killed. On May 24, 1862 Lieut.-Col. Eyre, commanding the battalion, was ordered to reoccupy old Fort Breckenridge, near the confluence of the Gila and San Pedro rivers, the name of which was changed to Fort Stanford, in honor of the governor of California. Says the official report of Gen. Carleton:"The energy enterprise and resources of Col. Eyre' as exhibited in his rapid march from Tucson to the Rio Grande, his crossing of that river, and his unlooked-for presence directly upon the heels of the retreating rebels, cannot be too highly appreciated. He exhibited some of the finest qualities of a soldier, and had he not been fettered by orders from higher authority than himself, he would without doubt have achieved advantages over the enemy creditable to himself and to the column from California. But for his timely arrival upon the Rio Grande, Las Cruces and Mesilla would both have been laid in ashes by the enemy. Hampered as he was by orders, he nevertheless managed to hoist the stars and stripes upon Fort Thorn, Fort Fillmore, Mesilla and Fort Bliss, in Texas." In Aug., 1862, Capt. Shirland, Co. C, proceeded still farther into Texas and hoisted the national colors over Fort Davis, participating in a severe skirmish with Indians on the 30th, near Dead Man's hole, on his return to the Rio Grande. In Oct., 1862, Cos. A and D cooperated in an expedition to Dog canon, N. M., against the Mescalero Apache Indians, the expedition being under the command of Col. Kit Carson, of the 1st N. M. cavalry. The Apaches were completely subdued, and 400 of them were taken prisoners. During practically the whole of their term of service the various companies of the regiment were stationed at different posts in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, engaged in scouting, patrol and picket duty. They were repeatedly engaged with the hostile Apaches and other Indians, sustaining numerous losses, and marching thousands of miles through the mountains and deserts. In Jan. 1863, Capt. Shirland, Co. C, captured Mangus Colorado, an Apache chief, and brought him prisoner into Fort McLean. In March of the same year, a detachment, under Maj. McCleave, went in pursuit of a band of Gila Apaches, who had succeeded in running off some 60 horses of the public herd at Fort West, N. M. The Indians were completely routed with a loss of 28, and most of the horses were recaptured, together with many Indian horses. The loss of the troops was only 1 killed and 2 or 3 wounded. In April, 1864, a detachment under Capt. French surprised and routed a party of the enemy at Spencer's ranch, opposite Presidio del Norte, and marched 499 miles to San Elizario, Tex., in 20 days without losing a man. In April of the same year, another detachment, under Capt. Whitlock, consisting of about 60 men, attacked 250 Indians near Mount Grey, Ariz., and after a sharp fight of an hour's duration, routed the enemy, killing 21, and wounding a large number. In Nov., 1864, Cos. B. K and M formed part of an expedition under command of Col. Kit Carson, sent against the Kiowa and Comanche Indians, and participated in the battle near the old adobe fort on the Canadian River in northern Texas. The engagement, which lasted all day, resulted in the destruction of the Kiowa village of 150 lodges and the rout of the Indians with a loss of 60 killed and wounded. The loss of the 1st cavalry was 2 killed and 7 wounded. In May, 1865, Co. F was attached to an expedition under Col. Carson, which proceeded to the Comanche country and built a stone fort, known as Fort Nichols, at Cedar bluffs, Ind. Ter. The following month, while Co. F was escorting a train from Fort Nichols to Fort Lamed, Kas., it repulsed an attack by about 50 Comanche warriors sustaining no loss, but killing or wounding several of the Indians. The company continued to perform escort duty on this station until Oct., 1865. Other Indian fights in which portions of the regiment were engaged were, with a band of Navajoes, near Sacramento mountains, N. M.; near San Andreas pass, near White Mountains La Monica Springs. A detachment of Co. M formed part of an expedition under Col. Willis, which proceeded from Fort Selden, N. M., to the town of Janos, Mex., where a band of Apaches had taken possession of the town. In 1864 the original members of the regiment, except veterans reenlisted, were mustered out at Las Cruces and Fort Union, N. M. New companies, A, C and E, composed of veterans and recruits, were formed to take the places of the compares of the corresponding designations. Co. B was entirely reorganized from reenlisted veterans and recruits. Co. E was mustered out March 6, 1866; A and I, May 22, 1866; L, June, 1866; the remaining companies, B, C, F, G, H, K and M, then stationed in New Mexico and Texas, were ordered to assemble at Baird's ranch, near Albuquerque, for the purpose of being mustered out during Sept., 1866. Co. M was mustered out on the 30th, and was the last company organization of California volunteers in the U. S. service, but was not the last of the California volunteers to be mustered out, as those who wished to be returned to the state were consolidated into two companies, one of cavalry and one of infantry, the former under the command of Capt. Thomas A. Stombs. This column arrived in San Francisco Dec. 28, 1866, where all were mustered out at the Presidio Dec. 31, except Capt. R. H. Orton, of Co. M, who was mustered out Jan. 4, 1867 -- the last of the California volunteers.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908, Vol. 4, p. 414. |
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Copyright © 2003-2008 — Phil Sheridan Camp 4, Dept. of CA & Pacific, SUVCW Webmaster: Tad D. Campbell, PDC |
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