District of California
Encyclopedia
The District of California was a Union Army
command department
formed during the American Civil War
. The district was part of the Department of the Pacific
, the commander of the department also being District commander. The district was created as a separate command on July 1, 1864, after Irvin McDowell
took command of the Department of the Pacific, relieving General Wright, who then remained as District of California commander. The District comprised the state of California
and the areas of the Rogue River
and Umpqua River
in Southern Oregon
. Its headquarters were in San Francisco, co-located with those of the Department of the Pacific. On March 14, 1865, the District of Oregon was extended to include the entire state of Oregon
, removing the Rogue River and Umpqua River areas from the District.
On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific
was created under Major General
Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Department of the Pacific. It consisted of the Department of the Columbia
replacing the District of Oregon and the Department of California
. George Wright, now a U. S. Army Brigadier General, was assigned to command the new Department of the Columbia.
1862
1863
1864
1865
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...
command department
Department (United States Army)
Department, is a term used, by the U.S. Army, mostly prior to World War I. In 1920, most of the departments were redesignated as corps areas. However, the Hawaiian, Panama Canal, and Philippine Departments retained their old names...
formed 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...
. The district was part of 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 commander of the department also being District commander. The district was created as a separate command on July 1, 1864, after Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
took command of the Department of the Pacific, relieving General Wright, who then remained as District of California commander. The District comprised the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the areas of the Rogue River
Rogue River (Oregon)
The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
and Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
in Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
. Its headquarters were in San Francisco, co-located with those of the Department of the Pacific. On March 14, 1865, the District of Oregon was extended to include the entire state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, removing the Rogue River and Umpqua River areas from the District.
District of California commanders
- Albert Sidney JohnstonAlbert Sidney JohnstonAlbert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
, January 1861 - March 1861 - Edwin Vose SumnerEdwin Vose SumnerEdwin Vose Sumner was a career United States Army officer who became a Union Army general and the oldest field commander of any Army Corps on either side during the American Civil War...
, March 1861 - October 1861 - George WrightGeorge Wright (general)George Wright was an American soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, October 1861 - June 27, 1865
On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific
Military Division of the Pacific
The Military Division of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W...
was created under Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Department of the Pacific. It consisted of the Department of the Columbia
Department of the Columbia
The Department of the Columbia was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W...
replacing the District of Oregon and the Department of California
Department of California
The Department of California was one of two Army Departments created September 13, 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific and was composed of the territory of the United States lying west of the Rocky Mountains and south of Oregon and Washington territories, except the Rogue River...
. George Wright, now a U. S. Army Brigadier General, was assigned to command the new Department of the Columbia.
Oregon Posts in the District of California 1861-1865
- Fort UmpquaFort UmpquaFort Umpqua was a trading post built by the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District , in what is now the U.S. state of Oregon. It was first established in 1832 and moved and rebuilt in 1836....
, 1856–1862 - Camp Baker, 1862-1865
Posts in the District of California
- Benicia ArsenalBenicia ArsenalThe Benicia Arsenal 1851-1964, and Benicia Barracks 1852-1866, was a large military reservation located next to Suisun Bay in Benicia, California. For over 100 years, the arsenal was the primary US Army Ordnance facility for the West Coast of the United States.In 1847 a parcel of land adjoining...
, 1851–1964 - Benicia BarracksBenicia ArsenalThe Benicia Arsenal 1851-1964, and Benicia Barracks 1852-1866, was a large military reservation located next to Suisun Bay in Benicia, California. For over 100 years, the arsenal was the primary US Army Ordnance facility for the West Coast of the United States.In 1847 a parcel of land adjoining...
, 1852–1866 - Fort JonesFort Jones, CaliforniaFort Jones is a city in the Scott Valley area of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 839 at the 2010 census, up from 600 as of the 2000 census.-History:...
, 1852–1858, 1864 - Post of Alcatraz Island or Fort Alcatraz, 1853–1907
- Roop's Fort, Fort Defiance, Susanville 1853-1863
- Fort Point San JoséFort MasonFort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...
, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 1853–1882 - Fort Point, San Francisco, 1853–1886
- Fort Crook 1857-1869
- Camp Allen, OaklandOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
1860-? - Camp Cady, 20 miles east of BarstowBarstow, CaliforniaBarstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
1860, 1862, 1864 - 1871 - Camp Dragoon Bridge, south of the town of LitchfieldLitchfield, CaliforniaLitchfield is a census-designated place in Lassen County, California. It is located east of Susanville, at an elevation of 4065 feet . The population was 195 at the 2010 census.-History:...
1860-1863 - Camp Downey, Oakland, 1861
- Camp Halleck, StocktonStockton, CaliforniaStockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
,1861-1863 - Camp Fitzgerald, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
June 1861 - September 20, 1861 - Fort on Pine Creek, IndependenceIndependence, CaliforniaIndependence is the county seat of Inyo County, California. Independence is located south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of 3930 feet . The population of this census-designated place was 669 at the 2010 census, up from 574 at the 2000 census....
1861-1865 - Camp San Bernardino, San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
1861 - Camp Lyon, San Francisco 1861-1865
- Mare Island PostMare IslandMare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
, 1861–1862 - Camp McClellan, AuburnAuburn, CaliforniaAuburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
1861 - Camp McDougall, near StocktonStockton, CaliforniaStockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, 1861- Camp Gilmore, 1863
- Camp Union, SuttervilleSutterville, CaliforniaSutterville is a former settlement in Sacramento County, California. It was located on the Southern Pacific Railroad south-southwest of Sacramento,...
1861-1866 - Camp Sigel, near Auburn, 1861–1862
- Camp Sumner, San Francisco, 1861-1865
- Camp Wright, San Francisco, 1861
- Camp Alert, San Francisco, 1862-1865
- Camp Hot Creek Station, 1862
- Camp Hooker, near Stockton, 1862
- Camp at Red Bluff, Red BluffRed Bluff, CaliforniaRed Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Tehama County, California, United States. The population was 14,076 at the 2010 census, up from 13,147 at the 2000 census....
, 1862 - Camp Reynolds on Angel Island, 1863–1866
- Camp BidwellCamp BidwellCamp Bidwell, later Camp Chico was a U. S. Army post during the American Civil War. Camp Bidwell was named for John Bidwell, the founder of the nearby town of Chico, California and a that time a Brigadier General of the California Militia. It was established a mile outside Chico, by Lt. Col....
, ChicoChico, CaliforniaChico 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...
, 1863–1865- Camp ChicoCamp BidwellCamp Bidwell, later Camp Chico was a U. S. Army post during the American Civil War. Camp Bidwell was named for John Bidwell, the founder of the nearby town of Chico, California and a that time a Brigadier General of the California Militia. It was established a mile outside Chico, by Lt. Col....
, Chico, 1865
- Camp Chico
- Camp Merchant (originally Camp Merritt), 1863
- Fort Miller, 1863-1864.
- Camp StanfordCamp StanfordCamp Stanford was an American Civil War tent camp established on March 3, 1863 in present day Stockton, California. It was located in the then undeveloped perimeter of the city, occuping two square blocks of land, now bounded by Rose, Acacia, Van Buren and Monroe streets.The Stockton Daily...
, Stockton , 1863 - Camp Johns, 1864
- Camp Low, 1864-1865
- Camp Pollock 1864
- Camp Susan, SusanvilleSusanville, CaliforniaSusanville is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the south-central part of the county, at an elevation of 4186 feet . The population was 17,974 at the 2010 census, up from 13,541 at the 2000 census...
1864 - Federal Armory, CopperopolisCopperopolis, CaliforniaCopperopolis is a census-designated place in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 3,671 at the 2010 census, up from 2,363 at the 2000 census. The town is located along State Route 4 and is registered as California Historical Landmark #296.- History :Unlike most of the...
1864-1875 - Post at Friday's Station, 1864
- Colusa Post, 1864-1865
- Camp Bidwell 1865-1879 (Later Fort Bidwell)
- Camp near Hornitos, 18 miles northeast of MercedMerced, CaliforniaMerced is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 78,958. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government...
, 1865 - Camp Jackson, near IoneIone, CaliforniaIone is a city in Amador County, California, United States. The population was 7,918 at the 2010 census, up from 7,129 at the 2000 census. Once known as "Bed-Bug" and "Freeze Out," Ione was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern Mines during the California Gold...
, 1865 - Monterey Barracks, 1865-1866
- Camp at Pierson's Ranch, 1865
- Camp Waite, 1865-1866
Events, Skirmishes, Battles in the District of California
1861- January 15, 1861. The Departments of California and Oregon merged into the Department of the Pacific. Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, U. S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Brevet Brigadier General, U. S. Army, assumes commund of the Department of the Pacific (including direct command of the District of California).
- March 23, 1861. Brigadier General Edwin V. Sumner, U. S. Army, assigned to command the Department of the Pacific.
- April 25, 1861. Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, U. S. Army, assumes command of tho Department of the Pacific, relieving Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, U. S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, brevet brigadier-general, U. S. Army.
- August 3–12, 1861. Scout from Fort Crook to Round Valley, California, with skirmish on the 6th in the Upper Pitt River Valley.
- August 15–22, 1861. Expedition from Fort Crook to tho Pitt River, California, with skirmish on the 19th near Kellogg's Lake, California.
- Sept. 7,1861. Skirmish near the Santa Ana Canyon, California.
- Sept. 14, 1861. Col. George Wright, U. S. 9th Infantry Regiment, assigned to command all troops serving in Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. - Sept. 25, 1861. The District of Southern CaliforniaDistrict of Southern CaliforniaDuring the American Civil War, the Army had reorganized including the new Department of the Pacific which was created on January 15, 1861. By 1863, the department had five districts including the District of Southern California established on September 25, 1861...
created, comprising the counties of San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego, and Col. George Wright, assigned to its command. - Oct. 11, 1861. Lieut. Col. Albemarle Cady, U. S. 7th Infantry Regiment, assigned to command the District of Oregon.
- Oct. 20,1861. Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, U. S. Army, relinquishes command of the Department of the Pacific to Col. George Wright.
- Oct. 26,1861. Col. George Wright, assumes command of tho Department of the Pacific.
- Nov. 19,1861. Brig. Gen. George Wright, U. S. Army, formally assigned to command the Department of the Pacific.
- Dec. 12, 1861. District of Humboldt created to prosecute the Bald Hills WarBald Hills WarBald 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...
, to consist of the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, Klamath, and Del Norte, in Northern California, and Col. Francis J. LippittFrancis J. LippittFrancis J. Lippitt, a lawyer and veteran of the Mexican American War and Colonel and Brigadier General in the American Civil War.-Early Life:He was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1812...
, Second California Infantry, assigned to its command.
1862
- Sept. 21,1862. Affair on the Yreka Road, near Fort Crook, Cal.
- Nov. 3-29, 1862. Scouts from Fort Crook, Cal., and Fort Churchill, Nev. Ter., to Honey Lake Valley, Cal.
1863
1864
- July 1, 1864. Brig. Gen. George Wright, U. S. Army, retained command of the District of California but Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell, U. S. Army, relieved him and assumed command of the Department of tho Pacific.
1865
- Apr. 5-18,1865. Expedition from Camp Bidwell to Antelope Creek, Cal.
- June 27, 1865. Military Division of the Pacific created, to consist of the Departments of California and the Columbia. Department of California consisted of the States of California and Nevada and the Territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell, U. S. Army, assigned to command the Department of California.