District of Southern California

During the American Civil War, the United States 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. It was composed of San Luis Obispo County, Tulare County, Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County.^[1][2] It had its first Headquarters at Camp Latham,^[3] west of Los Angeles this was later moved to Drum Barracks.^[4][5]

Commanders

• Colonel George Wright, 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, January 1862 - February 5, 1862
• Colonel James H. Carleton, February 5, 1862 - May 15, 1862
• Colonel Ferris Foreman, May 15, 1862 - May 17, 1862
• Colonel George W. Bowie, May 17, 1862. - February 7, 1863
• Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Lee, February 7, 1863 - April 10, 1863
• Colonel Ferris Forman, April 10, 1863 - June 19, 1863
• Lieutenant Colonel James F. Curtis, June 19, 1863 - July 27, 1865

On July 27, 1865, the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Department of the Pacific, consisting of the Department of the Columbia and the expanded Department of California absorbing the District of Southern California that now consisted of the States of California and Nevada and the Territory of New Mexico and Territory of Arizona.

Events, skirmishes, and battles

• 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 Owens River, California, with skirmish on April 9 near Bishops Creek, in the Owens 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 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, assigned 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 the Department of the 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.^[6]
• Fort Yuma, 1851 – 1883
• Fort Tejon 1854 - 1861, 1863 - 1864
• Camp San Bernardino 1858, 1861^[7]
• Fort Beale 1859 - 1861^[8]
  • Fort Piute 1864 - 1868
• Fort Soda, Hancock's Redoubt 1860^[9]
  • Fort Soda Lake or Camp Soda Springs 1863 - 1868
• Camp Cady, 20 miles east of Barstow 1860, 1862, 1864 - 1871 ^[10]
• Camp Fitzgerald June 1861 - September 20, 1861^[11]
• Fort on Pine Creek 1861-1865^[12]
• Camp Latham, September 1861 - March 1862^[13]
• Camp Kellogg 1861 - 1862^[14]
• Camp Carleton Fall 1861 - 1862^[15]
• Camp near Temecula 1861-1865^[16]
• Camp Wright, October 18, 1861 - December 1866
• Camp Drum later the Drum Barracks, January, 1862 - November 7, 1871.
• New Camp Carleton 1862-1865^[17]
• Post at Kline's Ranch, 1862 ^[18]
• Camp Laguna Grande 1862^[19]
• Camp Babbitt, June 24, 1862 - August 19, 1866^[20]
• Camp Leonard, 15 miles northeast of Keysville 1863^[21]
• Camp Morris, in San Bernardino June 6, 1863 - October 27, 1863^[22]
• Camp Independence July 4, 1862 - July 5, 1877
• Camp Coster1862 - 1863^[23]
• Camp Bishop Creek 1863^[24]
• Camp Leonard 1863^[25]
• Redoubt Bitter Springs 1863-1868^[26]
• Camp Giftaler Ranch, 1863^[27]
• Camp Santa Barbara 1864^[28]
• Camp Santa Catalina Island, 1864
• Camp Rancho Cucamonga 1864^[29]
• Camp San Felipe 1865^[30]

See also

• California in the American Civil War

References

1. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume L, CHAPTER LXII, pg. 2. eHistory at The Ohio State University
2. Tulare County at the time was composed of additional territory now belonging to Kern County, to Inyo County, Kings County and a small part of southeastern Fresno County. Santa Barbara County included what is now Ventura County, Los Angeles County included what is now Orange County and parts of Kern and Inyo County. San Bernardino County contained parts of Inyo and Riverside Counties. San Diego County included most of Riverside County, and Imperial County.
3. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Latham
4. Historic California Posts: Drum Barracks (Camp San Pedro, Camp Drum, Fort Drum, and Wilmington Depot)
5. Historic California Posts: Fort MacArthur - Military Museum
6. The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: San Diego Barracks(Including New San Diego Depot)
7. The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Camp San Bernardino
8. The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Fort Piute (Fort Beale, Fort Piute Hill)
9. The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Fort Soda (Hancock's Redoubt, Fort Soda Lake, and Camp Soda Springs)
10. The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Camp Cady
11. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort Moore (Post at Los Angeles, Fort Hill and including Camp Fitzgerald), reprinted with permission from Colonel Herbert M. Hart, USMC (retired), Old Forts of the Far West, published in 1965
12. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort on Pine Creek
13. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Latham
14. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Kellogg
15. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Carleton (Camp Banning, Camp Prentiss, New Camp Carleton)
16. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp near Temecula
17. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Carleton (Camp Banning, Camp Prentiss, New Camp Carleton)
18. Congressional edition Volume 3583, War of the Rebellion, Series I vol. L in two Parts. Part I- Reports and Correspondence, Etc., Government Printing Office, Washington, 1897. p. 1111, Report to Headquarters Department of the Pacific from Assistant Adjutant General, Lt. Col. Richard C. Drum, May 20, 1862
19. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Laguna Grande
20. Colonel Herbert M. Hart, USMC (retired), Historic California Posts: Camp Babbitt from Pioneer Forts of the Far West, published in 1965, The California State Military Museum
21. Located in the Kern River Valley, about 15 miles northeast of Keysville, Kern County, on the north bank of the south branch of the Kern River. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Leonard
22. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Morris
23. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Coster
24. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Bishop Creek
25. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Leonard
26. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Redoubt Bitter Springs
27. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Giftaler Ranch
28. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Santa Barbara
29. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Rancho Cucamonga
30. The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp San Felipe