California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories
Union Guard
(Los Angeles)
Official or other titles: Union Guard, First Brigade, California Militia
Location: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Mustered in: December 17, 1857
Mustered out: 1862
Inclusive dates of units papers: 1857-1858
 
Unit papers on file at the California State Archives:

a. Organization Papers none
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 1 document (1858)
d. Election Returns none
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 1 document (1857)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices none
j. Requisitions none
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none

Commanding Officers

Phinius Banning, Captain, Elected December 17, 1857
Solomon Lozard, First Lieutenant, Elected December 17, 1857
 
 
Official History
 
The Union Guard of Los Angeles was organized on December 17, 1857. Phinius Banning was chosen as Captain and Solomon Lozard as First Lieutenant. No organization papers are on file, and the list of officers were taken from the Muster Roll, which stated that the company was mustered in on December 17, 1857.

On August 15, 1858;. Captain Banning stated in a letter addressed to Brigadier General Andreus Pico, First Brigade commander, that his command was without arms, and unless the Adjutant General was able to supply his unit with suitable equipment, he would not be able to hold the men together as lack of, the necessary equipment was weakening their morale.

There were no papers or records to show that the Union Guard ever received any arms or equipment from the State, and it is assumed that they disbanded without receiving accoutrements of any kind, soon after their organization

 
 
This history was written in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction with the office of the Adjutant General and the California State Library
 
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Updated 8 February 2016