The 1st Regiment California Cavalry was a cavalry regiment in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. First formed as a battalion, the unit later expanded to regimental size.

History

The regiment was first formed as the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment California Cavalry (five companies) between August and October 31, 1861, at

Camp Merchant Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

near

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

. After the battalion was organized it was sent to

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, with three companies stationed at Camp Latham, near Los Angeles, and two at

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 c ...

, near

San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

. From November 20–29, 1861, the detachment under Second Lt. C. R. Wellman was stationed at Camp Wright, and pursued and captured

Dan Showalter Daniel Showalter (1830–1866), was a California miner, state legislator, duelist, secessionist, and Confederate States of America military officer in Texas. Early life Daniel Showalter was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania and came to Califor ...

's party west of the San Jose Valley and

Warner's Ranch Warner's Ranch, near Warner Springs, California, was notable as a way station for large numbers of emigrants on the Southern Emigrant Trail from 1849 to 1861, as it was a stop on both the Gila River Trail and the Butterfield Overland Mail stagec ...

. The battalion remained in Southern California until the spring of 1862 when it became part of the

California Column The California Column was a force of Union volunteers sent to Arizona and New Mexico during the American Civil War. The command marched over from California through Arizona and New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and as far east as El Paso, ...

and was the advance force during the march to

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. In 1863 seven more companies were raised to bring the regiment to a full strength of twelve companies. The five original companies were mustered out August 31, 1864, when the terms of service of most of the men expired. Two new companies, B and C, were organized in New Mexico by consolidation of men whose terms had not expired combined with new enlistments, and two new companies were organized in California, A and E, and then sent to Arizona. All of the companies of First California Cavalry (Companies B, C, F, G, H, K, and M) stationed in New Mexico and Texas were ordered to assemble at Baird’s Ranch, near

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, and were mustered out of service during September, 1866. The 1st California Cavalry Regiment spent its entire term of service in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

in California, New Mexico Territory (and Arizona Territory once it was organized), and Texas.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Benjamin F. Davis August 19, 1861 - November 1, 1861 * Lt. Colonel Edward E. Eyre November 1, 1861 - November 30, 1862 * Colonel David Ferguson November 30, 1862 - November 6, 1863 * Colonel Oscar M. Brown November 6, 1863 - December 31, 1865 * Lt. Colonel Clarence E. Bennett December 31, 1865 - October 19, 1866 *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

William McCleave William A. McCleave (c. 1825 – February 3, 1904) was an Irish-born American soldier and officer in the U.S. Army who served in the American Indian Wars, Indian Wars and the American Civil War. Biography William McCleave was born in northern Ire ...

October 19, 1866 - October 21, 1866

Flags

The regiment has one

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and national symbol, symbolizes a given nation. It is Fly (flag), flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanin ...

and two company guidons on display in the state capitol. Other flags were described by newspapers. Most of the companies' flags were made by the locals of the area. During the war Lieutenant Merriam of Company L captured a

Confederate flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

that was hanging in a church window in

San Joaquin County San Joaquin County ( ; , meaning " St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 779,233. The county seat is Stockton. San Jo ...

Company assignments

* Company A: October,1861 sent to

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...

from Oakland. Duty there until March 1, 1862. Marched to

Fort Yuma Fort Yuma was a fort in California located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was established in 1848. It served as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861. The fort was retired from ...

and on to Stanwix Rancho by March 16. March 29, 1862 Skirmish six miles beyond Stanwix Rancho on the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of ...

. A small scouting party of the company under Lt. James Barrett engaged in battle at Picacho Pass in which he and 2 others were killed and 3 wounded April 16, 1862. On December 29, 1863 1st Lient. Samuel H. Allyne was killed by a fellow soldier in San Elizario. April 3, 1864, a detachment of 25 troops led by Captain Albert H. French left San Elizario, Texas for Spencers Ranch near Presidio Del Norte. On the 15th they ambushed 10 Confederate soldiers there, killing the captain and three others. Two escaped and four more were taken prisoner. No Californians were wounded. The Confederate camp was located and the muskets, ammunition, and horses were emancipated. The skirmish over, the detachment and their prisoners returned to San Elizario on April 24, having covered 499 miles. * Company B: October 1861 sent to

Camp Wright Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station is a stage station in the western foothills of the Laguna Mountains, in northern San Diego County, California. It is located on California State Route 79, State Route 79, northwest of Warner Springs, Californ ...

. November 20–29, 1861, Second Lt. C. R. Wellman pursued and captured Daniel Showalter's party near

, west of the San Jose Valley. nd Lt. Wellman was in Company B according to Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion.* Company C: * Company D: * Company E: * Company F: Mustered at

Camp Stanford Camp Stanford was an American Civil War tent camp established on March 3, 1863, in present-day Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (Californi ...

October 31, 1863. * Company G: Mustered at Camp Stanford June 12, 1863. * Company H: On January 8, 1864 while station at

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, a private named Finnegan was throwing stones at a police officer. The officer quickly drew his gun and opened fire on the private severely wounding him. A day after Colonel. Brown would attempted to arrest the officer but he was soon let go with no charges. * Company I: * Company J: * Company K: Organized at

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

; moved to Camp Morris in October 1863, in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

. Moved to Drum Barracks in December, 1863. Moved to Tucson, Arizona Territory in February 1864, then on to

Camp Valverde Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

and

Fort Craig Fort Craig was a U.S. Army fort located along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, near Elephant Butte Lake State Park and the Rio Grande in Socorro County, New Mexico. The Fort Craig site was approximately 1,050 feet east-west by 600 feet nor ...

at the end of March 1864, arriving in April and remaining until moving to Fort Union in August. Moved to Cottonwood Springs in October and returned to Fort Union in December 1864, remaining there until May 1865 when they moved to the Camp near Fort Larned,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

where they remained until moving to Camp at Lower Cimarron Springs in August, 1865. They returned to Fort Union November 1865, moving on to Camp Lincoln in December 1865 where they remained until May 1866 when they returned to Fort Union on June 30, 1866. The company assembled at Baird's Ranch, near Albuquerque, to be mustered out of service, during the month of September, 1866. * Company L: Organized at Camp Union, California, oct 1, 1863. On October 26, Lieutenant Merriam was riding by Cumberland Presbyterian Church when saw a small rebel flag flying from one of the windows. The lieutenant captured the flag and describe it as "... has two red and one' white stripe and seven stars in a field of blue."History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, by Tinkham, George H. p.335 * Company M: Organized at Camp Union, California, July 1, 1863. Moved to Tucson via

Drum Barracks Drum Barracks was the Union Army's headquarters for Southern California and New Mexico during the Civil War. It consisted of 19 buildings on 60 acres (240,000 m2) in what is now Wilmington, with another 37 acres (150,000 m2) near the waterfron ...

, in February, 1864. At Camp Goodwin,

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

March 31, 1864. In

Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; ; lit. 'the crosses') is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the county seat, seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 United States ce ...

from April to October, 1864, then moved to Hatch's Ranch, New Mexico. Moved to Camp at Blue Water Creek in November, 1864 and participated in the "Kiowa and Comanche Expedition," near Fort Bascom, New Mexico in December, 1864. It then returned to Las Cruces in January, remaining until May 1865 when they moved to

Fort Selden Fort Selden was a United States Army post, occupying the area in what is now Radium Springs, New Mexico. The site was long a campground along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. It was the site of a Confederate Army camp in 1861. The U.S. ...

, then Fort Craig in June, returning to Fort Selden until September 1866 when it moved to Baird's Ranch to muster out on September 30, 1866. It was the last company of the regiment to be mustered out.

References

{{reflist

Sources