California Militia and National
Guard Unit Histories
Baker Guard
(Baker Guard [Zouave])
Military Unit Designation: Baker Guard, Company H, 4th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Brigade, California Militia. Date of Organization: 15 September 1863
Date of Disbanding: 25 June 1866 Inclusive dates of units papers at State Archives: 1863-1866 Geographical Location or Locations: Sacramento, Sacramento
County
Unit Papers on file
at the California State Archives, Sacramento:
a. Organization Papers none
b. Bonds 1 document (1864)
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 5 documents (1863-1864)
d. Election Returns 4 documents (1864-1865)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 8 documents (1863-1866)
g. Oaths Qualifications 7 documents (1863-1865)
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 4 documents (1863-1866)
j. Requisitions 2 documents (1863-1865)
k. Resignations 3 documents (1864-1865)
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none
Commanding Officers:
W. T. Crowell, Captain: Elected September 15, 1863; commissioned
September 18, 1863; reelected September 2, 1864; reelected September
1, 1865.
James H. Clunie, First Lieutenant: Elected September 15, 1863;
commissioned September 18, 1863. resigned February 2, 1864.
D. K. Zumwalt, First Lieutenant: Elected February 14, 1864; commissioned
March 1 1864.
George W. Bruff, First Lieutenant: September 2, 1864; commissioned
September 20,
H. S. Turton, First Lieutenant:
Elected September 1, 1865; commissioned December 8, 1865.
Official History:
The Baker Guard, Company H was organized in Sacramento under
the Military Laws of the state on the fifteenth of September
1863, and mustered in as a unit of the State Militia on the same
date with a membership of twenty-four, and in less than a year
was recruited up to forty-nine men. Under command of Captain
Crowell the unit was speedily uniformed and equipped and devoted
much time and energy to drill and target practice. The Baker
Guard was soon recognized as one of the best disciplined as well
as one of the finest appearing companies in the State Militia.
However, they were never called upon for active service as a
law enforcement agency. Despite this and the fact that after
the conclusion of the Civil War there was a marked lack of interest
in Military Affairs, the number of enrolled members of this company
did not materially decrease as the Muster Roll of June 1, 1866,
showed fifty-one names. However, under the Law of 1866 pursuant
to which the military force of the State was reorganized as the
National Guard of California and the number of units throughout
the State was materially reduced this organization was disbanded
and the Baker Guard was mustered out of the service of the State
on
June 25, 1866.[1]
It is probable that the members of the Baker Guard reentered
the service under the new National Guard Law as a notation appears
in the Historical Record of the Fourth Brigade to the effect
that the company consolidated with the National Guard, but no
mention is made of a consolidation with any other company. [2]