During the American Civil War, the Army had reorganized including the new 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...

 which was created on January 15, 1861. By 1863, the department had five districts including the District of Southern California

Southern California

Southern 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...

 established on September 25, 1861. It was composed of San Luis Obispo County, Tulare County

Tulare County, California

Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...

, Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County. It had its first Headquarters at Camp Latham, west of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 this was later moved to Drum Barracks

Drum Barracks

The Drum Barracks, also known as Camp Drum and the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum, is the last remaining original American Civil War era military facility in the Los Angeles area...

.

District of Southern California Commanders

• Colonel George Wright
  George 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 4, 1861 - October 14, 1861.
• Colonel James H. Carleton, October 14, 1861 - November 18, 1861. (Carlton was relieved from command November 18, 1861 and resumed command February 5, 1862.)
• Colonel Joseph R. West
  Joseph R. West
  Joseph Rodman West was a United States Senator from Louisiana and a general in the United States Army during and after the American Civil War...
  
  , January 1862 - February 5, 1862.
• Colonel James H. Carleton, February 5, 1862 - May 15, 1862.
• Colonel Ferris Foreman
  Ferris Foreman
  Ferris Foreman was a lawyer, politician, and American soldier during the Mexican American War and Colonel commanding a Volunteer Regiment and the District of Southern California during the American Civil War.-Early Life:...
  
  , May 15, 1862 - May 17, 1862.
• Colonel George W. Bowie, May 17, 1862. - February 7, 1863.
• Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Lee
  Harvey Lee
  Harvey Lee was a lawyer, politician, judge and soldier. He was Captain of a company of Illinois Volunteers in the Mexican–American War and Lieutenant Colonel of California Volunteers in the American Civil War....
  
  , February 7, 1863 - April 10, 1863.
• Colonel Ferris Forman, April 10, 1863 - June 19, 1863.
• Lieutenant Colonel James F. Curtis
  James F. Curtis
  James Freeman Curtis II , 49er, Vigilante leader in San Francisco, its first Chief of Police, officer in the California militia and Volunteers in the American Civil War.- 49er :...
  
  , June 19, 1863 - July 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, consisting 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...

 and the expanded 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...

 absorbing the District of Southern California that now consisted of the States 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 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 the Territory of New Mexico and Territory of Arizona.

Events, Skirmishes, Battles in the District of Southern California

• 1861
• Sept. 7,1861. Skirmish near the upper Santa Ana Canyon, California.
• Sept. 14, 1861. Col. George Wright, U. S. 9th Infantry Regiment, assigned to command all troops serving in Southern California.
• Sept. 25, 1861. The District of Southern California created, comprising the counties of San Luis Obispo, Buena Vista, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego, and Col. George Wright, assigned to its command.
• Oct. 5,1861. Expedition from San Bernardino to the Temecula Ranch and Oak Grove, California.
• Oct. 4,1861. Col. George Wright, U. S. 9th Infantry Regiment, assumes command of the District of Southern California.
• Oct. 14,1861. Col. George Wright, U. S. 9th Infantry Regiment, transfers command of District of Southern California to Col. James H. Carleton, First California Infantry.
• Nov. 18,1861. Col. James H. Carleton, First California Infantry, relieved from command of the District of Southern California.
• Nov. 20-29,1861. Pursuit and capture of the Showalter Party at Warner's Ranch in the San Jose Valley, California.
• 1862
• Feb. 5,1862. Col. James H. Carlton, First California Infantry, resumes command of the District of Southern California.
• March 19-Apr. 28, 1862. Expedition from Camp Latham to Owen's River, California, with skirmish on April 9 near Bishop's Creek, in the Owen's River Valley.
• Apr. 10, 1862. Col. Ferris Forman, 4th California Infantry, assumes command of the District of Southern California.
• Apr. 13 - Sept. 20, 1862. Expedition from Southern California, through Arizona, to Northwestern Texas and New Mexico.
• May 15, 1862. Expedition from California to Arizona and New Mexico, organized as the Column from California, Col. James H. Carleton, First California Infantry, commanding. Col. James H. Carleton, relinquishes command of the District of Southern California.
• May 17, 1862. Col. George W. Bowie, Fifth California Infantry, assumes command of the District of Southern California.
• June 11 - Oct. 8,1862. Expedition from Camp Latham to Owen's River, Cal., with skirmish on June 24 at Owen's Lake.
• August 26, 1862. Col. James H. Carleton, First California Infantry, assigned to command tho Department of New Mexico.
• August 30, 1862. The District of Arizona constituted to comprise all the territory from Fort Thorn, New Mexico, along the north bank of the Rio Grande River to Fort Quitman, Texas.
• Sept. 5, 1862. Maj. David Fergusson, First California Cavalry, relieved from command of the District of Western Arizona. Maj. Theodore A. Coult, Fifth California Infantry, assigned to command of the District of Western Arizona. Col. Joseph R. West, First California Infantry, assumes command of the District of Arizona.

• 1863
• Feb. 7,1863. Lieut. Col. Harvey Lee, Fourth California Infantry, assumes command of the District of Southern California.
• April 10, 1863. Col. Ferris Forman, Fourth California Infantry, assumes command of the District of Southern California.
• April 12–24, 1863. Expedition from Camp Babbitt to Keysville, California.
• April 24 - May 26, 1863. Operations in Owen's River and adjacent valleys, Cal.
• May 19, 1863. Lieut. Col. James F. Curtis, Fourth California Infantry, assigued to command the District of Southern California, relieving Col. Ferris Forman.

• 1864
• Jan. 2, 1864. Occupation of Santa Catalina Island, Cal.
• July 1, 1864. Maj.Gen. Irvin McDowell, U. S. Army, assumes command of tho Department of tho Pacific. Brig. Gen. George Wright, U. S. Army, assigned to command the District of California.

• 1865
• July 27, 1865. The Military Division of the Pacific replaced the Department of the Pacific and consisted of the Departments of California and the Columbia. Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck, U. S. Army, was assigned to command the Military Division of the Pacific. The District of Southern California was absorbed into the newly created Department of California, to consisting 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.

Posts in the District of Southern California

• New San Diego Depot, 1851 - June, 1866.
• Fort Yuma
  Fort Yuma
  Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
  
  , 1851–1883
• Fort Tejon
  Fort Tejon
  Fort Tejon in California is a former United States Army outpost which was intermittently active from June 24, 1854, until September 11, 1864. It is located in the Grapevine Canyon area of Tejon Pass along Interstate 5, the main route through the mountains separating the Central Valley from Los...
  
   1854 - 1861, 1863 - 1864.
• Camp San Bernardino 1858, 1861
• Fort Beale 1859 - 1861
  • Fort Piute 1864 - 1868
• Fort Soda, Hancock's Redoubt 1860
  • Fort Soda Lake or Camp Soda Springs 1863 - 1868
• Camp Cady, 20 miles east of Barstow
  Barstow, California
  Barstow 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 Fitzgerald  June 1861 - September 20, 1861
• Fort on Pine Creek 1861-1865
• Camp Latham, September 1861 - March 1862
• Camp Kellogg 1861 - 1862
• Camp Carleton
  Camp Carleton
  Camp Carleton was the largest of several military camps to be maintained at various times in the vicinity of San Bernardino. It was established in the fall of 1861 by Captain William A. McCleave and a detachment of the 1st California Cavalry to check any successionest activities in San Bernardino...
  
   Fall 1861 - 1862
• Camp near Temecula 1861-1865
• Camp Wright, October 18, 1861 - December 1866.
• New Camp Carleton
  New Camp Carleton
  New Camp Carleton was a Union Army garrison of the District of Southern California during the American Civil War. It was established on March 22, 1862 near El Monte, California...
  
   1862-1865
• Camp Drum later the Drum Barracks
  Drum Barracks
  The Drum Barracks, also known as Camp Drum and the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum, is the last remaining original American Civil War era military facility in the Los Angeles area...
  
  , January, 1862 - November 7, 1871.
• Camp Laguna Grande 1862
• Camp Babbitt, June 24, 1862 - August 19, 1866.
• Camp Leonard, 15 miles northeast of Keysville
  Keyesville, California
  Keyesville is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located 2 miles west of Lake Isabella, at an elevation of 2848 feet . Keyesville is named for Richard M. Keyes, whose discovery of gold in 1853 started the Kern River Gold Rush...
  
   1863
• Camp Morris, in San Bernadino June 6, 1863 - October 27, 1863.
• Camp Independence
  Fort Independence (California)
  Fort Independence, originally Camp Independence, was established on Oak Creek, north of nearby modern Independence, California on July 4, 1862 during the Owens Valley Indian War. The fort was abandoned at the end of hostilities with the Owens Valley Paiute, in December 1864. However it was...
  
   July 4, 1862 - July 5, 1877.
• Camp Coster1862 - 1863
• Camp Bishop Creek 1863
• Camp Leonard 1863
• Redoubt Bitter Springs 1863-1868
• Camp Giftaler Ranch, 1863
• Camp Santa Barbara 1864
• Camp Santa Catalina Island
  Camp Santa Catalina Island
  Camp Santa Catalina Island , located on Santa Catalina Island, California at the isthumus, at what is now Avalon, California. In 1863, following the incident of the Confederate privateer, J. M...
  
  , 1864
• Camp Rancho Cucamonga 1864
• Camp San Felipe 1865