Historic California
Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Camp Stanislaus
(Miller's Camp)
The two summer encampments, Camp Stanislaus
and Camp Frederica, both established
by Major Albert S. Miller, 2nd Infantry, and located on the Stanislaus
River, were confused by local historians, who have generally
consolidated them as Miller's Camp. Camp Stanislaus (1849) was
located at or near Taylor's Ferry [1] (present day Oakdale) and
on the river's north bank; Camp Frederica was established about
a year later but not on the same site.
Footnote
[1] According to Mr. Glenn Burghardt,
Director of the Oakdale Museum, Captain Nelson Taylor, recently
mustered out of Stevenson's
Regiment established his ferry at a location less than a
mile upriver (east) of present day Oakdale. It changed owners
many times after Taylor owned it and eventually was moved downstream
(west) a short distance and became the site of Oakdale's founding
in 1871. Nelson Taylor removed to San Joaquin county where he
became Sheriff and eventually a member of California's first
Legislature. He returned east and in 1861 joined the U.S. forces
in the civil war as a colonel. He advanced to Brigadier General
and fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg where he replaced
General Gibbons in the field as Division Commander.