Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Fort Reading
Established on May 26,1852,
this adobe built, two-company post was located on the west side
of Cow Creek, about two and a half miles from its confluence with
the Sacramento River at the present town of Redding in Shasta
County. Established by 1st Lieutenant Nelson H. Davis, 2nd Infantry,
by order of Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock, 2nd Infantry, commanding
the department, the post, often flooded during the rainy season,
was primarily intended to protect the mining district from Indian
depredations. The fort, one of the earliest posts in northern
California, was named for Major Pierson B. Reading, paymaster
of the California Volunteers during the Mexican war, and a pioneer
settler in California. Although the garrison was withdrawn on
April 1, 1856, the post was intermittently occupied until June
13, 1867, and completely abandoned on April 6,1870. The fort's
buildings were sold prior to the restoration of the reservation
to the public domain on February 15,1881.
Fort Reading
by Justin Ruhge
Fort Reading was established
on May 26, 1852. Built of adobe buildings, this two-company post
was located on the west side of Cow Creek, about two miles from
where it joined the Sacramento River at the present town of Redding,
Shasta County. 1st Lieutenant Nelson H. Davis, 2nd Infantry,
by order of Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock, 2nd Infantry, commanding
the department, established Fort Reading. The post was intended
to protect the mining district from Native American depredations.
Fort Reading was one of the earliest posts in Northern California.
It was named for Major Pierson B. Reading, paymaster of the California
Volunteers during the Mexican War, and a pioneer settler in California.
It eventually consisted of 24 buildings.
Inspector General Colonel
Joseph Mansfield visited this Fort in July of 1854. He found
the post poorly located on swampy ground, which resulted in continued
sickness among the garrison. He also felt that the post should
be located further east near the wagon trails across the Sierras.
His comments follow:
"…Major and
Brevet Lieutenant Colonel George Wright has been on command since
September, 1852. His authority extends over northern California
and southern Oregon as far west as Weaverville and east to the
Sierra Nevada including Pitt River and Rogue River and Shasta
and Klamath valleys-say 200 north and south and 200 east and
west, comprising an Indian country of say not over 1,000 warriors
very much scattered. Forts Jones and Lane fall within his authority.
The garrison was Company
D, 3 Artillery commanded by 2d Lieutenant James Van Vost, 51
in aggregate, but 48 present for duty…and Company D, 4h
Infantry commanded by 1t Lieutenant Edmund Underwood, also acting
commissary of subsistence... 46 in aggregate but 44 present for
duty…
Attached to this post
is one assistant quartermaster, Captain M.S. Miller, and Assistant
Surgeon P. G. S. Ten Broeck.
The discipline of this
post is good, and the troops well instructed. Colonel Wright
gave two handsome battalion drills, and the companies drilled
well at infantry and as skirmishers. But there was a great want
of musicians, only one drummer boy at the post. They were all
in the new uniform, and their arms and equipment, in excellent
serviceable order. There were two 12-pounder mountain howitzers
and 200 rounds of ammunition for the same, with about 15,000
rounds for small arms in addition to the company supplies, and
a suitable magazine. The quarters were in excellent order although
unfinished and a little limited as to kitchens for the men. A
post bakery and a post fund of 82 77/100 dollars on hand. And
two laundresses to each company. And all the books of the post
well kept… Colonel McCall last inspected this post in 1852.
For a sketch of this post see F hereunto appended."
Fort
Reading as Sketched by Colonel Mansfield in 1854. Courtesy of
the National Archives.
End of Colonel Mansfield inspection report.
The garrison was withdrawn on April 1, 1856; however, the post
was intermittently occupied until June 13, 1867. It was completely
abandoned on April 6, 1870. Fort Reading's buildings were sold
prior to the restoration of the reservation to the public domain
in February 15, 1881.
Fort Reading
by Colonel Herbert M.
Hart, USMC (Retired)
Second Lieutenant Phil Sheridan
was stationed at Fort Reading in 1855, but not quite long enough
to learn about the disadvantages of the place. His tour there
lasted only 24 hours, just long enough for him to be told that
be was supposed to be somewhere else.
The Williamson Railroad
Survey expedition had left a few days before his arrival, Sheridan
learned, with West Point classmate John B. Hood handling the cavalry
escort and another West Point associate, George Crook, in charge
of supplies. Sheridan was supposed to have Hood's assignment in
command of the cavalry.
"The commanding officer
at Fort Reading seemed reluctant to let me go on to relieve Lieutenant
Hood, as the country to be passed over was infested by the Pit
River Indians, known to be hostile to white people and especially
to small parties," wrote Sheridan in his Personal Memoirs.
"I was very anxious to proceed, however, and willing to take
the chances; so, consent being finally obtained, I started with
a corporal and two mounted men, through a wild and uninhabited
region."
On the first night the Sheridan
party camped in a cabin. Here they found a sick soldier left behind
by the main party "with instructions to make his way back
to Fort Reading as best be could when be recovered."
The soldier insisted that
he was better. Sheridan agreed to take him along on the condition
that "if he became unable to keep up with me, and I should
be obliged to abandon him, the responsibility would be his not
mine. This increased my number to five, and was quite a reinforcement
should we run across any hostile Indians."
By noon of the next day,
Sheridan's force was down to three men. The soldier was sick again
and had to be left behind. "One of my men volunteered to
remain with him until he died," said Sheridan, who could
not bring himself to carry out the threat to abandon the soldier.
Four hours later Sheridan
heard voices and thought be had overtaken the Williamson party.
Fortunately be refused to let his men fire their muskets in celebration.
The noise was from 30 Indians who were shadowing the Williamson
party.
Sheridan stayed a respectful
distance behind the unwanted group and spent the night "somewhat
nervous, so I allowed no fires to be built." Supper and breakfast
consisted of hard bread without coffee.
The confrontation came the
next day. Happily for Sheridan, his unexpected appearance behind
the Indians disconcerted them. He moved boldly amidst them, his
confidence being bolstered when he spotted the Williamson camp
a short distance away.
The expedition continued
to Fort Vancouver with little incidence. Sheridan's 50-man cavalry
escort dissuaded most hostile observers; the discretion of the
soldiers prevented an incident that could have been fatal, This
took place when the troops camped next to a hastily abandoned
Indian village, posted guards to insure that the tepees would
not be disturbed, and, fortunately, convinced a lone Indian visitor
that no harm was intended.
The soldiers soon realized
that the result might have been bloody had they disturbed the
village. Almost 400 men rose up out of the grass "like a
swarm of locusts and soon overran our camp in search of food."
Sheridan was glad that the intentions were friendly, and the Army
force was large.
The Williamson Expedition
was one of the major events for Fort Reading. The post was founded
in 1852 to control the Indians for 200 miles in every direction
but soon appeared to be too isolated to do the job. The hostilities
were elsewhere and the other posts which Reading was to supply
were too distant.
Reading's location presented
two more disadvantages. The site was so unhealthy that sickness
was common. The 1852 Inspector General visit found a quarter of
the men-including the surgeon -ill with "intermittent fever."
The 1854 inspector said that the troops were so frequently ill
that they "are powerless in the field with broken constitutions."
Only Brevet Lieutenant Colonel George Wright, the post commander,
seemed to be spared, added the inspector, "but he tells me
that he always takes quinine pills when be feels the attack coming
on."
The other complaint about
the post was a frequent one for many California camps. Although
the creek next to the post was fine for summertime bathing, it
often hit flood stages during the rainy season. Not only did the
parade ground resemble a lake on these occasions, but the soldiers
had to resort to bridges to move between buildings.
In 1856 the Army agreed
that there were better sites than that at Fort Reading. The garrison
was withdrawn and the buildings used only occasionally until they
were sold in 1867.
In 1865 a petition for protection
was received from the settlers around Tehama, 30 miles south of
the abandoned post. District headquarters suggested that Fort
Reading, "at which place we have quarters and a fine stable,"
would be better than locating at Tehama. The recommendation was
not entirely unexpected, considering that by this time the district
commander was Brigadier General George Wright, for three years
the quinine-taking commander at Fort Reading.
TO GET THERE: From Redding, California- city
that spells its name differently because it is named after a
railroad man rather than the fort-take Interstate 5 south seven
miles to the North Street exist in Anderson. Go north (left)
on North Street across Sacramento River to Dersch Road, about
two miles. Site is 5.4 miles directly east of this turn. The
marker is 0.6 mile north of the intersection of Deschutes and
Dersch Roads.
FORT READING
Located 80 rods north. Established May 26 1852 by Co. E 2nd Infantry
U.S.A. Evacuated June 1867.
Marked by U.S. Army April 6 1954
Sponsored by
Shasta Historical Society
B
Barracks
BK
Bakery
CARP SHOP
Carpentry Shop
GH
Guardhouse
H
Hospital
K
Kitchen
MECH'S MESS
Mechanic's Mess
OQ
Officers' Quarters
QM OFF
Quartermasters Officce
SH
Storehouse
ST
Stable
Fort Reading was still unfinished
when inspected in 1854, but report stated, "Quarters are
good, and there is an excellent stable and the store houses, etc,
ample." Unhealthy area and isolated location caused inspector
to lament, "it is to be regretted so much labour and expense
has been put on a post situated as this is." Rainy season
floods came from Cow Creek, causing soldiers to build bridge to
connect barracks with kitchens (bridge is large unmarked rectangular
behind barracks). (Redrawn from Mansfield Report, 1854.)
The two company post of
Fort Reading at this site had 91 men present in 1854, representing
Companies D from both 3d Artillery and 4th Infantry. Each company
also had two laundresses. Post was considered pleasant with "great
harmony" among the officers despite 1854 inspection note
that artillery commander was under arrest.
This page was
reprinted with permission from Pioneer Forts of the Far West,
published in 1965
