California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories
City Guard of Los Angeles
(City Guard)
 

Official or Other Titles:
City Guard of Los Angeles, First Brigade, California Militia. Sometimes referred to simply as the City Guard.
Location: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Mustered in: February 3, 1855
Mustered Out: 1861
 

Commanding Officers
 
William W.Twist, Captain, Date of Rank: February 3, 1855; Commissioned: February 22, 1855
John 0. Wheeler, First Lieutenant, Date of Rank: February 3, 1855; Commissioned: February 22, 1855

W. W. Moore Captain, Elected: February 16,1856
Sol Lazard, First Lieutenant, Elected: February 16, 1856
 

 

Unit Papers on File at California State Archives:

a. Organization Papers 2 documents (1855)
b. Bonds 2 documents (1855-1857)
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 7 documents (1855-1861)
d. Election Returns none
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 2 documents (1855)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 2 documents (1856)
j. Requisitions 1 document (1855)
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none

 
Official History
 
The City Guard was organized on February 3, 1855, in Los Angeles, at a meeting presided over by S. K. Labatt. William W.Twist was elected Captain, of the new company and John 0. Wheeler their First Lieutenant. Two days after. the organization of the City Guard, the Bond of the new company was filed with the County Judge of Los Angeles. Evidently the haste in filing Bonds was due to the great need of help by the civil authorities in suppressing lawlessness, which.was prevalent in that vicinity at that time. In the latter part of February the company received their arms and accouterments from the Adjutant General. Although no further activities of this unit could be found, it was assumed that the company played an important part in preserving order in Los Angeles County and vicinity.

On February 16, 1856, `W.W. Moore was elected Captain of the City Guard, and that election return was the last official paper to be recorded in the Adjutant General's Office. Evidently Brigadier General Andreas Pico of the First Brigade was in touch with the City Guard, as the unit was reported as still being in existence in 1861 by the Adjutant Generals Report of that date. The Report of 1862, however, does not list the City Guard as a unit in the California Militia and it was assumed the company disbanded in the latter part of 1861.
 
 
 
 
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Updated 13 December 2020