Camp Bidwell, later Camp Chico, was a U.S. Army post 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 ...

. Camp Bidwell was named for John Bidwell, the founder of the nearby town of

Chico, California Chico ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 United Sta ...

, and a brigadier general of the California Militia. It was established a mile outside Chico, by Lt. Col. Ambrose E. Hooker with Company A, 6th California Infantry, on August 26, 1863. Although a Company F, 2nd California Cavalry and Company K, 2nd California Infantry under Captain Augustus W. Starr had been there from July 31, 1863, Lt. Col. Hooker moved the camp to a new location for its better defense and for better sanitation. By early 1865, it was being referred to as Camp Chico when a post called Camp Bidwell was established in the far northeastern corner of California, later to be named Fort Bidwell. Observing confusion between the two, Robert W. Pease explained that such a transfer of name between outposts was a common Army practice of the time.

Commanders

* Lt. Colonel Ambrose E. Hooker, August 26, 1863 – October 20, 1863 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Augustus W. Starr, October 20, 1863 – April 1864 * Captain James C. Doughty, June 1864 – May 1865

Garrison

* Company F, 2nd California Cavalry, July 1863 – April 1864 * Company K, 2nd California Infantry, August 16, 1863 – October 26, 1863 * Company A, 6th California Infantry, August 26, 1863 – October 20, 1863 * Company B,

1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers was an infantry battalion in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States, attached to the Department of the Pacific. It was organize ...

, May 1864? * Company I, 2nd California Cavalry, June 1864 – May 1865 Records of California men, pp. 193.

References

Sources:
Records of California men in the war of the rebellion 1861 to 1867 by California
Adjutant General's Office, SACRAMENTO: State Office, J. D. Young, Supt. State Printing. 1890. {{coord, 39.7860, -122.0060, display=title Chico, California History of Butte County, California Former installations of the United States Army California in the American Civil War American Civil War army posts 1863 establishments in California