The 6th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 attached to the Department of the Pacific

Department of the Pacific

The Department of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:The Department of the Pacific was first organized on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, taking over from the previous Pacific Division. The department reported directly to...

. The Regiment was organized at Benicia Barracks, San Francisco on February 1, 1863. 6th Regiment mustered out from October 25 to December 20, 1865. The only recorded engagements of the Regiment occurred with the detachment sent to the Humbolt District in 1864, near the end of the Bald Hills War

Bald Hills War

Bald Hills War was a war fought by the forces of the California Militia, California Volunteers and soldiers of the U. S. Army against the Chilula, Lassik, Hupa, Mattole, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Tsnungwe, Wailaki, Whilkut and Wiyot Native American peoples.The war was fought within the boundaries of the...

. It had engagements with the indians in the Skirmish at Booth's Run, May 1 (Company "E") and Kneeland's Prairie May 2 (Company "E"), near Boynton's Prairie May 6 (Company "C") and at Grouse Creek May 23 (Companys "E" and "G").

6th California Regiment of Infantry Commanders

• Colonel Henry M. Black
  Henry M. Black
  Henry M. Black was a United States Army officer who served as Commandant of Cadets at the United States Military Academy.-Early career:...
  
   February 1, 1863 - June 30, 1864.

Company assignments

• Headquarters: Muster in, March 14, 1863 - Muster out October 31, 1865.
• Company A: Raised in Washington Territory
  Washington Territory
  The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
  
   it was mustered in, October 21, 1862, as a company of U. S. Volunteers, unattached, by Captain Winder, Third U. S. Artillery, at Alcatraz Island, Cal. On November 17, 1862, it took post at the Presidio, San Francisco. On February 9, 1863, the company was designated as Company A, 6th Regiment of Infantry, California Volunteers. Duty at Benicia Barracks. Ordered to Camp Bidwell, near Chico, California
  Chico, California
  Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
  
  , August 20, 1863, and duty there until May, 1864. Ordered to Alcatraz Island
  Alcatraz Island
  Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
  
   May 30, and duty there until muster out October 31, 1865.
• Company B: Mustered in, May 11, 1864. Duty at Benicia Barracks until mustered out October 25, 1865.
• Company C: Mustered in, October 20, 1863. Left Benicia Barracks February 15, 1864, and arrived at Fort Humboldt, Cal., February 17, 1864. Same day ordered to scout after Indians. Returned to Arcata, February 27, 1864.
  • March 1, 1864, ordered to Camp at Boynton's Prairie.
    • Scout from Boynton's Prairie, March–July 8, 1864 Company on scout from this camp until July 8, 1864.
      • Skirmish near Boynton's Prairie May 6.
  • Company C was ordered to Camp Jaqua arriving July 8, 1864.
    • Scout from Camp Jaqua, July 10 to October 30, 1864. Forty Indians killed and captured on scout from Camp Jaqua.
  • October 10, 1864, the company left Camp Jaqua for Fort Humboldt. Arrived October 11, 1864.
  • May 8, 1865, left Fort Humboldt for Camp Lincoln, and arrived May 10, 1865. Distance marched by the company during eight months' active campaigning against the Indians amounted to nearly two thousand miles. The company was on duty at Camp Lincoln, Humboldt County, until it was ordered to the Presidio, San Francisco, for finally muster out December 15, 1865.
• Company D: Muster in, September 12, 1864 in San Francisco. It was stationed at Benicia Barracks until June, 1865 when it went to Nevada
  Nevada
  Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
  
  , and was stationed for a short time at Camp McDermit, Queens River. It was mustered out at the Presidio, San Francisco, December 20, 1865.
• Company E: Muster in, July 11, 1863, and stationed at Benicia Barracks. On February 15, 1864, it was ordered to Fort Humboldt, where it arrived by steamer February 17, 1864. From that time until October 10, 1864, it was constantly in the field operating against hostile Indians in the District of Humboldt.
  • Skirmish at Booth's Run, May 1. Skirmished with indians at Booth's Run.
  • Skirmish at Kneeland's Prairie, May 2.
  • Skirmish at Grouse Creek, May 23. With Company "G" skirmished with indians at Grouse Creek
    Grouse Creek (Humboldt County, California)
    Grouse Creek in Humboldt County, California is a tributary on the west bank of the South Fork of the Trinity River. Its basin lies approximately 20–25 miles east of Eureka, California....
    
    

Left Fort Humboldt for Benicia, October 16, 1864 and arrived October 20, 1864. Muster out October 31, 1865 at Benicia Barracks.

• Company F: Muster in, August 17, 1864, and was stationed at Benicia Barracks, until mustered out, October 25, 1865.
• Company G: Muster in at Benicia Barracks, February 2, 1864. It left February 15, 1864, by steamer, arriving at Fort Humboldt on February 17. Left Fort Humboldt and arrived at camp near Arcata February 28. March 2 left camp near Arcata, and arrived at camp near Fort Gaston
  Fort Gaston
  Fort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. It was located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation...
  
   on March 5.
  • Left for Stephens' Camp on the 9th, scouted the South Fork of Trinity River
    Trinity River (California)
    The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northwestern California in the United States. It drains an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern Klamath Mountains, northwest of the Sacramento Valley...
    
    , and returned to camp near Fort Gaston on the 17th.
  • Left camp for Martin's Ferry, on the Klamath River
    Klamath River
    The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
    
    , on the 22nd, and arrived there the same day. Left on the 24th for a scout down the Klamath River
    Klamath River
    The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
    
    , and returned to Martins Ferry on the 28th, and on the 30th returned to camp near Fort Gaston. Estimated distance marched, two hundred and ninety miles in rain and snow most of the time.
  • April 13, 1864, the company left camp near Fort Gaston, and arrived at Camp Iaqua, on the 18th.
  • Scout to Fort Baker, April 22–26, 1864. Left Camp Jaqua for Fort Baker
    Fort Baker
    Fort Baker is one of the components of California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort, which borders the City of Sausalito in Marin County and is connected to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, served as an Army post until the mid-1990s, when the headquarters of the 91st Division...
    
     on the 22nd on a one hundred and fifty mile scout returning on the 26th.
  • Scout to Brown' Ranch, May 1–8, 1864. A detachment of the company left camp for the vicinity of Brown's Ranch, on a scout, and returned on the 3rd. Left on the 4th for the same place; returned on the 8th.
  • Scout on Mad River, May 6–9, 1864. Second detachment left on the 6th to scout on Mad River
    Mad River (California)
    The Mad River is a river in upper Northern California. It flows for in a roughly northwest direction through Trinity County and then Humboldt County, draining a watershed into the Pacific Ocean north of the college town of Arcata near Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville...
    
    ; returned on the 9th.
  • Scout to Redwoods, May 10–20, 1864. First detachment left on the 10th for Redwoods, and returned on the 20th. Second detachment left again on the 12th for Pilot Creek; returned on the 20th.
  • Scout to Fort Baker, May 16–18, 1864. A small detachment left on the 16th for Fort Baker; returned on the 18th.
  • Fight at Grouse Creek, May 23, 1864. Company left for Rabbit Creek on the 21st, and (with Company "G") had a fight with the Indians, at Grouse Creek May 23, killing twelve and taking four prisoners, returned on the 25th. Estimated distance marched, including company and detachments, four hundred and eighty miles.
  • Scout to Fort Baker, June 5–29.1864 A detachment left Camp Jaqua on the June 5th for the Mad River, and returned on the 15th. Left again on the 25th for Redwoods and Fresh Water Slough; returned on the 29th.

Captain Cook, with Company G, left Camp Jaqua on July 11, 1864, for Fort Humboldt, arriving on the 12th. Company left Fort Humboldt October 18, 1864, marched, two hundred and forty-five miles to Benicia Barracks October 20, 1864 and duty there until January 24, 1865. The company left Benicia Barracks, marched one hundred and sixty-five miles to Monterey Barracks via San Jose

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

 and San Juan and arrived February 17, 1865. Company G was mustered out of service at the Presidio Barracks, San Francisco, October 31, 1865.

• Company H: Muster in at Benicia Barracks, March 4, 1864. It was stationed at that post during the whole of its term of service. During the later part of the war it provided guard detachments on Pacific Mail steamboats. It was mustered out October 25, 1865.
• Company I: Muster in at Benicia Barracks, September 2, 1864, where it remained on duty until June 3, 1865. It started for Nevada, arriving at Fort Churchill
  Fort Churchill State Historic Park
  Fort Churchill State Historic Park is a Nevada state park in Lyon County, Nevada, in the United States. Located south of the town of Silver Springs, it is in the Central Nevada Region of Nevada State Parks, and is one of seven National Historic Landmarks in the state of Nevada. The site is one...
  
   June 14, 1865; it was at Camp Black, Paradise Valley, during July and August, 1865; in the field during September, and finally mustered out at the Presidio, San Francisco, December 20, 1865.
• Company K: Muster in at San Francisco, February 3, 1864. This company was stationed at Benicia Barracks until September, 1864; it was then on duty in San Francisco as Provost Guard until July, 1865. During this time it provided guard detachments on Pacific Mail steamboats. Then it was at Benicia Barracks until its final muster out at that post October 25, 1865.