California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories
Company "A"
 
Official or Other Names: Company A, 1st Brigade, 5th Division, California Militia
Location: Yuba City, Sutter County
Mustered In: 18 May 1861
Date of Disbanding: August 1861
Inclusive Dates of Unit Papers: 1861-1862
 
 
Commanding Officers
 
William A. Sutter, Captain (Date of Rank and Commission: 27 July 1861)
B.L. Bingham, First Lieutenant (Date of Rank and Commission: 27 July 1861)
 
 
Unit Papers on File at the California State Archives:

a. Organization Papers 2 documents (1861)
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 5 documents (1861-1862)
d. Election Returns 5 documents (1861)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns none
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices none
j. Requisitions 1 document (1861)
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none

History

Company A, Sutter County, was organized as a cavalry unit, May 18, 1861, with a membership of sixty recruits. The corps was commanded by Captain William A. Sutter and First Lieutenant B. L. Bingham, who had been elected at the organization meeting. A requisition for arms and accoutrements was sent to Governor John G. Downey but due to the Nation's participation in the War of the Rebellion at that time there was a shortage of arms, and the newly organized corps was unable to receive their quota. This delay, despite the fact t hat forty of the members were already uniformed, had a demoralizing affect on the new company, which was brought out in Captain Sutter's letter to Adjutant-General Kibbe, August twelfth.

In this letter he informed the General of the declining interest of the members in their organization by refusing to attend drills and company meetings, and with but a few honorable exceptions, the unit had a strong aversion of being called into active service either for duty on the plains or home protection. The small number that remained loyal was not sufficient to warrant the upkeep of the company.

Therefore, after three months Company A, was considered formally disbanded having never received either commissions or arms, although the commissions had been issued; but disbandment occurred before the officers received them.

 

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 23 June 2017