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California played an important role in the American Civil War , and this is one of the least researched areas of American history. In many ways it was a microcosm of the whole United States, both North and South . California was settled primarily by Midwestern and Southern farmers who were sympathetic to decentralized government and States' Rights . California also was the destination for a minority of powerful Northeastern capitalists who played a significant role in Californian politics through their control of mines, shipping, and finance. Portions of the state came close to Seceding California's involvement in the war included recruiting or funding a limited number of combat units, numerous fortifications, and some of the war's most famous generals. It was also plagued by Guerrilla Warfare skirmishes throughout the war. FROM STATEHOOD TO THE CIVIL WAR When California was admitted into the United States in 1850, Californians were divided as to whether it should enter as a territory or as a state with a small population of 250,000. Northern California, which was dominated by mining, shipping, and commercial elites of San Francisco , favored becoming a state. However, Southern California, being exclusively of a rural character—of dry ranches and open range—favored becoming a territory. Further, the bulk of the state was at the time settled by Midwesterners and Southerners, whereas the seat of wealth and power in Northern California—San Francisco—was dominated by a few wealthy men from New England. California was admitted as a Free State , though one of its two new senators actively supported the Slave State s in the Senate. By 1859, the differences between the two halves of the state led to an agreement that southern California would Secede from the rest of the state. The vote for secession passed in the legislature in 1859. The new state in the south was to have the name "Colorado," after the river flowing along its eastern edge. Secession was also agreed upon in a popular referendum, but it left San Luis Obispo County in question. The legislature came upon a new division of the state that was acceptable to all, with the split to occur further north, above the Tehachapi Mountains , in order to integrate San Luis Obispo County in its new state. Because secession was approved by both popular referendum and the legislature, and signed by the governor, there remained only the new state's admission into the Union. In 1860, tensions rose, which set the secession decision aside. California had voted 32% for Abraham Lincoln and 68% for the other three candidates. Thus, a majority of the state of California, even among those born in the Midwest, did not endorse Lincoln's candidacy. However, since the Democratic vote was split three ways, Lincoln won the election in California with a plurality of only 734 votes. After the Civil War began, the territory of Arizona seceded from the larger Territory of New Mexico, and was admitted into the Confederacy . This prompted fears that southern California would also secede. Not only had California voted almost 70% against Lincoln, but rural areas, especially Southern California—which was about to complete its own secession from Northern California—were made up of many Southerners and Southern sympathizers. Several units of volunteers were sworn in under the supervision of public officials such as sheriffs and judges, most notably in Los Angeles and San Diego counties in the south, and Sonoma County in the north. Most famous among these were the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles , which included more than a few volunteers with Hispanic surnames. However, thousands of Californians made it across the Colorado River into the Confederate Territory Of Arizona , including the California Greys and the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles—who disbanded when they reached their goal of the Arizona Territorial capital of Mesilla (now in New Mexico ). Not only was much of the American population of California sympathetic to the South, but the Californio population was even more so. The Californios claimed to identify with the slower and more genteel ways of the rural South than with the fast-paced commercial interests of the Northeast. The Confederacy was also favored by the free Indians of the independent country of Oklahoma, and so it was natural that the Californios would identify more closely with the South. Further, many of them were unhappy with their treatment at the hands of wealthy " Yankee s." Thus, many of them joined the fight in the east, and fought with the Confederacy. (After the war, the Indians would lose Oklahoma for their support of the Confederacy.) OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR During California's legislative tumult over the war, an unusual seventeen-star version of the Confederate Stars And Bars (the First National Flag of the South) was flown in the state capital ( Sacramento ) very briefly during California's legislative tumult over the war. This is the Major Gillis Flag, also known as the "Biderman" flag, and it has six more stars than normal. These stars were apparently for the border states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, and for Arizona (a Confederate territory), which were all traditionally identified with the South—and California. The only surviving story about the flag is from the Biderman family, which had it in its possession. The Bidermans were pro-North, and according to them, one of their family took the flag barehanded from an Army major in a fist fight. California's Confederate flag is currently held in the California Military Museum of Sacramento. Historian Laurence Talbott of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo , stated, "It is truly a Californian flag, of unique design." At the time of the war's outbreak, Federal troops were under the command of Colonel ( Brevet Brigadier General ) Albert Sidney Johnston , headquartered at the Department Of The Pacific in Benicia . General Johnston strongly believed that the South represented the cause of freedom, and traditional American democracy of popular sovereignty. The majority Southern sympathizers in the state made plans to secede with Oregon to form a "Pacific Republic." Their plans rested on the cooperation of General Johnston. Johnston understood this, and met with the men, but he declined. He said he had sworn an oath to defend the Union, and although he believed that Lincoln had violated and destroyed the Constitution holding the Union together, he would not go against his word. Thus the plans for California to secede from the United States never came to fruition. Johnston soon resigned his commission and joined the fight in the east as a general with the Confederacy. The Los Angeles Mounted Rifles escorted him across the desert, crossing the Colorado River on July 4 , 1861 . Like other units leaving California for the Confederacy, the volunteers joined up principally with Texas regiments. General Johnston was later killed at the Battle Of Shiloh . In response to the pro-South insurgency in gold-rich California, Lincoln quickly sent 15,000 troops from Massachusetts to prevent volunteers from reaching the east. Lincoln called these his "California Column," indicating their field of operations—not their state of origin. Thereafter, the first Republican Governor Of California was elected, Leland Stanford , a powerful Capitalist from the Northeast, on September 4 , 1861 . Three years after sending Northern troops to occupy California, Lincoln won the 1864 Election with almost 59% in California. Eighty-eight battles of various sizes were fought in California, many of them seeking to capture gold for the Confederacy. Most of the fights were Guerrilla battles, or in the terminology of the day, battles with "partisan rangers." Indeed, a few men left the guerrillas under the command of the ruthless school teacher, William Quantrill , in Missouri, and came to California to train supporters there. One partisan warrior, Dan Showalter , once robbed a Stagecoach of all its gold, leaving a receipt behind with the driver to keep him out of trouble with his bosses. The westernmost attack related to the Civil War occurred just outside downtown San Jose . A bronze historical plaque marking the site identifies it as a battle with "outlaws," rather than a battle of the American Civil War . CIVIL WAR ERA FORTS At this time, the U.S. had a number of military forts to defend against the Indian threat, and to solidify the U.S. claim to the state. New forts were founded to protect ports, defend against the Indians, and to hold Confederate soldiers and sympathizers, such as Fort MacArthur , at the head of San Pedro Bay and at Two Harbors on Catalina Island . The coastal fortifications of San Pedro , and the San Diego and San Francisco Bays were also important. San Pedro was protected by the Drum Barracks . In San Francisco, Fort Point was built at the edge of the Presidio , as well as Fort Baker on the Marin Headlands . The San Francisco Bay was also protected by the Navy at Mare Island , the Benicia Arsenal , Fort Mason with the posts at San Francisco's Point San Jose, and Fort McDowell on Angel Island . Some forts were bereft of troops who were sent east to the war, such as Fort Tejon , which lies in the Tejon Pass , protecting San Joaquin Valley from the south and east. Fort Tejon is now the site of Civil War Reenactments of battles of the east by descendants of the North and South. There was Fort Miller in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada s in Fresno County ; Los Angeles had Fort Moore ; San Diego County had Camp Wright ; and Camp Babbitt outside the town of Visalia , in Tulare County . One Civil War-era fort, Post Of Alcatraz Island or Fort Alcatraz , on a rocky island just inside the Golden Gate, later became an infamous Federal penitentiary, Alcatraz . Fort Humboldt , established to assist maintain peace between the Native Americans and new settlers was briefly commanded by Ulysses S. Grant prior to the war. US MILITARY UNITS IN CALIFORNIA DURING THE CIVIL WAR Approximately 15,000 men from Northeastern United States served the Union as U.S. Volunteers during the Civil War. Due to its location, the state's local militia companies remained under state status because of the great number of Southern sympathizers, the Indian threat, and possible foreign attack. A number of state militias disbanded and went east. Therefore, the state dispensed with the usual practice of mustering militia companies into regiments. Volunteers maintained military posts vacated by the Regular Army units that were ordered east. Several companies did offer their services and were accepted by the Union Army. In 1862, five companies of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry (also known as The California 100 and the California Cavalry Battalion ) were enrolled and mustered into service in California. They left San Francisco by sea for service on the east. The California Battalion consisted of Companies A, C, F, L, and M. They participated in 51 battles, campaigns, and skirmishes. California U.S. Senator Edward D. Baker raised a regiment of men on the East Coast. These former Californians and others were generally known as the " California Regiment ," but later designated the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry . Col. Roderick N. Matheson was the leader of the 32nd New York Infantry , also known as the 1st California Regiment. In October 1861, Colonel Baker was authorized to increase his command to a brigade. The additional regiments were commanded by Colonels Joshua T. Owen , Dewitt Clinton Baxter , and Turner G. Morehead , all from Philadelphia, respectively designated the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th California Regiments. The 4th California Regiment, as planned, was composed of artillery and cavalry. These troops were soon detached. After Baker was killed in the Battle Of Ball's Bluff , Pennsylvania claimed these four infantry regiments as a part of its quota, and they became known as the " Philadelphia Brigade " of Pennsylvania Volunteers. They were initially commanded by Brig. Gen. William W. Burns and first served in John Sedgwick 's Division of the II Corps , Army Of The Potomac . They had a distinguished service career, highlighted by their actions at the Battle Of Antietam and their prominent position in the defense against Pickett's Charge at the Battle Of Gettysburg . The units recruited inside California included two full regiments and one battalion of cavalry, eight full regiments of infantry, and one battalion of infantry called mountaineers. The California Troops, known as the California Column, were under the command of General James H. Carleton and were composed of the 1st Regiment of Cavalry, 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, and the 1st, 5th and 7th Infantry Regiments, which served in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The 2nd Regiment of Cavalry and the 3rd Regiment of Infantry under P. Edward Connor kept the overland route to California open. The 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th Infantry Regiments and 1st Battalion of Mountaineers provided internal security in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington by preventing Indian attacks. The First Regiment, Washington Territory Infantry Volunteers, had eight companies that were recruited in California. CALIFORNIA CIVIL WAR REGIMENTS
CALIFORNIA VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS
CALIFORNIA CIVIL WAR MILITIA UNITS
CALIFORNIANS IN THE CIVIL WAR
THE NAVY AND THE CIVIL WAR REFERENCES
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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