California State Military
DepartmentLocation: Aurora, Mono County
- Jacob Hess, Captain; Elected May 18, 1863;
Commissioned May 27, 1863
George N. Donnell, First Lieutenant; Elected May 18, 1863; Commissioned May 27, 1863
California State Military
DepartmentOn May 9, 1863, J. A. Moultrie, County Judge
of Mono County appointed Edwin Sherman, a resident of Aurora,
to superintend the meeting to form a volunteer military company
designated as the Hooker Light Infantry. The company was duly
formed and mustered into the service of the State of California,
May 18,
1863, with Jacob Hess as Captain.
The town of Aurora during the Civil War was the location of one of Mono County's richest gold mines, and renegades from all parts of California had gathered there. Also many of the town s citizens were secessionists The Hooker Light Infantry was formed with the expressed purpose of aiding the civil authorities to maintain law and order among the residents.
In 1863, due to the readjusting of the boundary
line of the territory of Nevada, it was found that the town of
Aurora was three miles on the Nevada side.(1) The Hooker Light
Infantry was dropped from the California roster, but allowed to
keep the arms in their possession. In order that the State of
California would suffer no loss of property, Adjutant General
William Kibbe wrote to the Governor of Nevada in 1864, suggesting
that when Nevada received their arms from their
State Government, they turn over to California the same number
that was retained by the Hooker Light Infantry.(2)
There was no further record of the company, and it is assumed that In the early part of 1864, the Hooker Light Infantry was officially mustered out of California service.
(1) Mono County Mines, published 1878, Page 49.
(2) Adjutant General Report 1864-1867, Page 15.