1st California Infantry Regiment

1st California Volunteer Infantry 1st California Infantry Regiment Flag.jpg National color of the regiment September 1861 to October 21, 1866 United States Union Infantry American Civil War Capture of the Showalter Party (Co. G, D, F) Battle of Picacho Pass (Co. I) Battle of Apache Pass (Co. G & E) First Battle of Adobe Walls The 1st Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States. History Most of the 1st California was recruited from August to October 1861, with the exception of Company K, which was organized the following February. Many of its companies were formed from companies of the California Militia taken intact into federal service others from individuals drawn from the militia. James H. Carleton served as colonel, Joseph R. West as lieutenant colonel and Edwin A. Rigg as major. It came under the command of the Department of the Pacific (later it would come under the Department of New Mexico). After some training at Camp Downyhttp://www.militarymuseum.org/CpDowney.html Historic California Posts: Camp Downey www.militarymuseum.org near Oakland and Camp Latham near Los Angeles. Companies D, F and G were sent to establish and garrison Camp Wright in November 1861. Detachments from the camp captured Daniel Showalter's party near Warner's Ranch, November 20–29, 1861. In December, 1861, five companies of the regiment were sent to Fort Yuma on the Colorado River and the others to various posts around Southern California.https://archive.org/details/recordscaliforn00ortogoog Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion 1861 to 1867 California Adjutant General's Office 12 January 1890 State office Internet Archive thumb|Colonel Joseph R. West in 1861 The regiment was assigned to the California Column,Stockton Independent, 26 May 1862 which was commanded by Carleton and composed of one infantry regiment (the 5th) and parts of two cavalry regiments (the 1st and 2nd) of California volunteers and a company of Regular artillery. The Column was formed to drive the Confederate Army of New Mexico out of the eastern part of the New Mexico Territory. Due to supply problems, the force did not start for New Mexico until February 1862. The 1st California Infantry saw fighting at the Battle of Picacho Pass (only Company I) and the Battle of Apache Pass (this battle was against Apache, not Confederates). During the battle sergeant O'Brien and private John Bar were killed.Daily Alta California 16 August 1862 — California Digital Newspaper Collection https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18620816.2.6&srpos=865&e=------186-en--20--861-byDA-txt-txIN-Company+flag----1862--- 2024-12-08 cdnc.ucr.edu The regiment eventually moved to Fort Craig. thumb|Company I recruitment adDaily National Democrat 2 October 1861 — California Digital Newspaper Collection https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DND18611002.2.11.2&e=------186-en--20--1561-byDA-txt-txIN-Company+flag----1861--- 2024-12-06 cdnc.ucr.edu For the remainder of the war, the 1st California Infantry was engaged in garrison duty dispersed in posts across New Mexico Territory and Texas and fighting Apache and Navajo Indians in these places and in Utah Territory. The regiment was mustered out on October 21, 1866. Commanders Colonel James H. Carleton August 19, 1861 - June 1, 1862 Colonel Joseph R. West June 1, 1862 - April 1864 Colonel Edwin A. Rigg April 1864 - December 1864 Flags At the start of the war [special order, No. 2.] was issued by WM. C. Kibbe to help outline the design for California regimental flags.Daily Alta California, 2 September 1861 "The first or national color for Infantry shall be the same as that described for the garrison flag of the United States Army, with this exception: the name and number of the regiment shall be embroidered with silver on the centre strips." The national flag presented to the regiment on 16 September 1861,Daily Alta California, 16 September 1861Los Angeles Star 21 September 1861 — California Digital Newspaper Collection https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LASTAR18610921.2.11&srpos=802&e=------186-en--20--801-byDA-txt-txIN-presented+flag----1861--- 2024-11-23 cdnc.ucr.edu was made with Kibbe's orders in mind. The flag is now stored in the state's capitol. Company C's flag was made by Laura Meek and presented to the company's captain in Jackson. The flag would be carried for three years. When the California Column entered Tucson, this flag was carried at the front. It was the first Stars and Stripes to be flown over Fort Breckinridge after it was recaptured from Confederate forces.The Army of the Pacific : its operations in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Plains Region, Mexico, etc., 1860-1866, by Hunt Aurora, p. 33 It is now in the state's capitol. Company D's national flag was made by the women of San Jose and presented to the company on August 8, 1861.San Jose weekly Mercury, 8 August 1861 It would later be flown over their officer's quarters while at Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station.San Jose daily Mercury 21 December 1861 — California Digital Newspaper Collection https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SJDM18611221.2.7&srpos=991&e=------186-en--20--981-byDA-txt-txIN-presented+flag----1861--- 2024-11-23 cdnc.ucr.edu In 1864 when the company's enlistment expired the men headed home and took their flag with them. While on their trip back home near Fort Yuma one of the men died, soon his comrades draped black fabric around the flag as a sign of mourning.Sacramento Daily Union 10 November 1864 — California Digital Newspaper Collection https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU18641110.2.4&srpos=595&e=------186-en--20--581-byDA-txt-txIN-presented+flag----1864--- 2024-11-26 cdnc.ucr.edu Company E was presented a "Banner" by the members of the Ladies' Association in Sacramento on August 17, 1861.Sacramento Daily Union, 17 August 1861 Company I received a "..magnificent silk American flag" made by the women of Marysville on July 4, 1861.Daily National Democrat, 29 June 1861Daily National Democrat, 6 July 1861 Then two months later they were presented with a "..beautiful silk flag" by the Treasury Department.San Joaquin Republican 20 September 1861 — California Digital Newspaper Collection https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SRP18610920.2.5&srpos=796&e=------186-en--20--781-byDA-txt-txIN-presented+flag----1861--- 2024-11-23 cdnc.ucr.edu One of the regiment's flank markers is stored in UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library.Ist California Regiment Flag http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt6v19n8pp/?layout=metadata&brand=oac4 2024-10-29 www.oac.cdlib.org en Company assignments Headquarters: At Camp Union from September 1861 to March 1862 when it moved to Camp Wright and then Drum Barracks before joining the California Column's march across southern New Mexico Territory to Texas. There it occupied Franklin, Texas until the regiment was mustered out in December 1864. Company A, Formed largely from men of the California Volunteers, California Militia of Oroville. Company B, Formed largely from men from the Marion Rifles and other militia companies in San Francisco and others recruited at Camp Latham, near Los Angeles. Company C, Formed from the Amador Mountaineers, California Militia, Jackson. Company D, Formed from the San Jose Volunteers, California Militia, San Jose.San Jose daily Mercury,19 November 1861, p. 3 Company E, Formed from the Washington Rifles, California Militia, Sacramento City & County. Company F, Formed from the Sierra Greys, California Militia, La Porte. Company G, Formed from Company "H", California Militia from Nevada City, California. Company H, Formed largely from men from San Francisco. Company I, Formed largely from men from the Marysville Rifles of Marysville. Company K, Formed largely from men from San Francisco. Notable members Sergeant George Hand, Company G, published the book, The Civil War in Apacheland (1996) See also List of California Civil War Union units References California Military History Museum, Regiments of the California Volunteers in Federal Service, 1st Regiment of Infantry Military History Online, The Advance of the California Column to Arizona and New Mexico. https://web.archive.org/web/20070311154001/http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/civilwar/southwest/march.aspx 2007-03-11 Masich, Andrew E., The Civil War in Arizona: the Story of the California Volunteers, 1861-65; University of Oklahoma Press (Norman, 2006). California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories Amador Mountaineers (Company C, 1st Regiment of Infantry, California Volunteers) www.militarymuseum.org. The Civil War in Apacheland: Sergeant George Hand's Diary : California, Arizona, West Texas, New Mexico, 1861-1864, by George O. Hand External links 05899508.3516.emory.edu Frontier service during the rebellion, or, A history of Company K, First Infantry, California Volunteers (1885) THE AFFAIR AT MINTER’S RANCH Category:Units and formations of the Union army from California Category:Military units and formations of the United States in the Indian Wars Category:Military units and formations established in 1861 Category:1861 establishments in California Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1866 Category:1866 disestablishments in the United States