Historic California
Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Camp Frederica
Established on 13 August 1850 by Major
Albert S. Miller with a battalion of the 2nd Infantry, Camp Frederica
was situated on the Stanislaus River in the present county of
the same name. For many years historians, locating the camp as
"150 miles east of Monterey," had confused the 1849
and 1850 summer encampments on the river, consolidating them
as "Millers Camp" or Camp
Stanislaus (1849 ), located at or near Taylor's Ferry (modern
Riverbank) on the north bank. Miller's post of 1850 was established
following escort duty for Lieutenant George Derby, U.S. topographical
engineer, who surveyed the coast's mountain ranges, seeking an
easy transport route from Monterey to the central San Joaquin
Valley. The military escort, from Monterey, primarily camped
at Mission San Miguel
Arcangel, located in northern San Luis Obispo County, until
Derby completed his survey of the coast range. The first part
of Derby's survey completed, the escort proceeded from Mission
San Miguel and crossed over the coast range to the San Joaquin
Valley. Following Derby's survey of the valley, he left the escort
to write his report while Major Miller carried out the second
part of his instructions, moving to the Stanislaus River and
going into camp about seven miles from the Durham Ferry crossing
on the San Joaquin River. Historians have made a number of guesses
regarding the derivation of the name "Frederica," without
arriving at any conclusion.