Historic California
Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Camp Wright
(Warner's Ranch
Camp) (San Diego County)
Camp Wright
by Robert B. Roberts
First established on October
18, 1861, on the grounds of Warner's Ranch by elements of the
2nd Infantry, it was designed to protect the emigrant travel
route between Arizona and California. Moved about November 23,
1861, to Oak Grove, also in San Diego County, the camp was reestablished
by Major Edwin A. Rigg, 1st California Volunteer Infantry. The
post was then renamed for Brigadier General George Wright. The
camp was abandoned in December 1866.
Extracted
from Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer,
and Trading Posts of the United States
Camp Wright
by Wikipedia
During the American Civil
War, Camp Wright was a Union Army outpost in the Pacific Coast
Theater of the American Civil War. It was established to protect
the route to Fort Yuma on the Colorado River, and intercept secessionist
sympathizers traveling to the east to join the Confederate Army.
A detachment of California Volunteer cavalry and infantry first
established Camp Wright at Warner's Ranch near Warner Springs,
in October 1861. The cold and windy conditions in the higher
altitude of the exposed San Jose Valley caused the commander
change its site to the more sheltered Oak Grove location in November.
At about the same time,
the Dan Showalter party of secessionists were attempting to avoid
the post and make their way across the desert to join the Confederate
Army in Texas. They were pursued from Temecula by a 1st Regiment
California Volunteer Cavalry patrol from Camp Wright, intercepted
in the hills west of the San Jose Valley (site of Warner's Ranch)
with the support of a 1st California Infantry detachment from
the camp, and captured without shots being fired November 20–29,
1861. After being imprisoned at Fort Yuma, Showalter and the
others were released upon swearing loyalty to the Union. They
later made their way to the Confederacy.
For a short time in March
1862 Camp Wright was the headquarters of the 5th Regiment California
Volunteer Infantry before it moved on. Used for the rest of the
war as a transit camp for troops moving along the road to and
from New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory, the camp was
abandoned in 1866.
Camp Wright
by Colonel Herbert M. Hart, USMC (Retired)
California's only Civil
War battle was fought by Camp Wright troopers, but the honor is
somewhat minimized because no shots were exchanged and the rebels
were civilians. The affair bore a considerable resemblance to
other secessionist disturbances in the state except that Confederate
agents were involved and Dixie was their destination.
Hardly a week after Camp
Wright was founded on October 18, 1861, Major Edwin A. Rigg, commanding,
was alerted that 40 rebel sympathizers were heading his way. Their
leader was former State Assemblyman Dan Showalter, admitted secessionist
who recently had, killed a fellow assemblyman in a duel over politics.
His disappearance after the duel was explained by common gossip
that he held a Confederate commission and was on his way to Dixie.
On October 27 Rigg dispatched
an 11-man patrol to intercept "someone passing out through
here," but no one was found. Faced with the possibility of
attack, Rigg decided to test the alertness of his new garrison.
He was not disappointed.
"At one o'clock this
morning I had an alarm," he wrote Colonel James H. Carleton
at Los Angeles; "the long roll was beat, and with every soul
in camp, ignorant of such an intention, the companies were under
arms in good order in eight minutes . . . I was very much pleased
with their conduct, and am satisfied that they are ready at a
moment's warning for service."
After dusk on October 28,
Rigg was told that a party of 16 to 20 men was nearby. A 50-man
detail was sent "to hem them in" while a 20-man contingent
"crossed above them to close in on them and capture them."
The opponents turned out to be several stray horses.
When Rigg was informed that
two Confederate groups already had made their way out of California,
he knew that it was vital to capture Showalter for both political
and morale purposes. The previous parties had included Albert
Sidney Johnston, former commander of the Pacific Department, and
judge David S. Terry. The surviving half of the 1859 Broderick-Terry
duel, Terry had gathered recruits for Dixie as he made his way
into Arizona.
"If any party . . .
attempt to pass you," Rigg was directed, "stop it, search
the persons and baggage if you suspect them of being enemies of
our country, and cause them to take the oath of allegiance to
our Government. If you find upon them evidence of their being
disloyal, bold them in confinement . . . We have had enough of
the bullying and treason of such men . . . Keep your own counsel;
act with great circumspection, but with great firmness."
A month of observing Carleton's
directive to "keep a sleepless vigilance," was rewarded
on the morning of November 27. A civilian brought in a letter
that he had been asked to deliver but, as the recipient was missing,
he had read instead. Reference to a group of 18 at Temucla, 20
miles away, left little doubt that the waiting was almost over.
Several detachments were
sent out. A cavalry patrol under Lieutenant C. R. Wellman learned
that the Confederates were hiding at the ranch of John Minter.
Taken by surprise early
on November 29, Showalter and company knew it was too late to
fight. They tried to bluff, as Carleton predicted they would.
Showalter, in particular, refused to be taken to Camp Wright,
preferring instead to "take the consequences." He agreed
to go without a fight after Wellman promised that the party would
be freed if no evidence of disloyalty could be found.
Rigg questioned each of
the 18 prisoners and received from each a statement of pro-Union
sentiments and a sworn oath of allegiance. Despite this, Rigg
told Carleton, "there is no doubt but every one of them is
a rank secessionist, and are on their way to lend aid and comfort
to the enemy."
"They now regret that
they did not resist," Rigg added. "If they had, they
would have given us a hard fight . . . They have pack-mules and
are well fitted out, and a desperate set of men."
The papers found on the
party convinced Rigg that they planned to do more than just head
south into Mexico. All were arrested while Rigg awaited instructions
from Carleton.
It was not until December
13 that orders were issued for the prisoners to be marched to
Fort Yuma. By this time, Rigg also had been transferred to Yuma.
The new Camp Wright commander was complaining that his 118-man
garrison was "rather a small force for our situation, having
20 secession prisoners to guard." His concern was increased
by a reliable report from San Bernardino that a party of 75, "armed
with shotguns and revolvers . . . intend to attack your camp at
night . . . in order to release Showalter and party."
The rescue plot was abandoned.
The Showalter party was taken to Fort Yuma by soldiers whose instructions
from Carleton included: "You must be on your guard against
attempts to rescue these prisoners, and against their rising on
and overpowering them men set to guard them. There must be no
escape and no rescue."
The prisoners spent six
months at Yuma fairly quietly, except for two men who had to be
chained after trying to escape. When their release was directed,
the party was given back their property and the loan of transportation.
In this fashion, and on his promise not to steal the borrowed
horses and equipment, Showalter once again passed Camp Wright.
His destination was the same as before, Dixie, but this time Showalter
made it in time to serve as a Confederate regimental commander.
The Crossroads of Southern California
branched off here in three ways: to Los Angeles, San Luis Rey,
and San Diego. Site of Camp Wright after it was moved an eighth
of mile to high ground nearer Warner's Ranch in November 1861,
was passed by Army as early as Kearney and Cooke expeditions
of 1846-7. Both forces rested here after crossing desert. "A
poor location," Kearney officer wrote, "with a hot
spring and a cold one." Camp Wright commander was less tactful
15 years later: "Climate is unfavorable, very windy, with
hot days and cold nights, and in winter said to be very inclement
and unhealthy."
TO GET THERE: From San Diego take U.S. 80 east
to State 79, about 40 miles. Turn left (north). Stay on State
79 for about 40 miles to intersection with San Felipe road. From
this point, sites of first two Camps Wright are to left in valley.
Continue north on State 79 about 16 miles to Oak Grove site,
marked on left side.
Camp
Wright Monument
Dedication of the
Camp Wright Monument, 1953
CAMP WRIGHT
1861-1866
Camp Wright, named for Brigadier
General George Wright, United States Army, who commanded the
Pacific Department and California District from 1861 to 1865,
was first established October 18, 1861 on Warner's Ranch to guard
the line of communication between California and Arizona. The
camp was moved to this site by Major Edwin A. Rigg, First California
Volunteers, about November 23, 1861 and was abandoned December
1866.
Camp Wright marker
claims post was abandoned in 1866, but records indicate no permanent
garrison was assigned after Carleton's California Column took
troops from it in May, 1862. Tents were pitched under trees at
edge of nearby meadow which had Barefoot pine flagpole in its
center. This was where Company A, 1st California Infantry mutinied
in February, 1861, when all of its privates but one "refused
to obey the order this morning to 'drill with their knapsacks
only " the commanding officer reported. Carleton wrote CO.,
"Give them one hour to reflect on the consequences of their
conduct" then discharge hold-outs without pay. All but 13
obeyed. Guardhouse terms were awarded to holdouts.
Dedication of the
Oak Grove State Station Marker, 1953
The Oak Grove Stage Station was where
Camp Wright moved in December, 1861, because wind near Warner's
Ranch "blows in a perfect gale (not a moderate breeze) more
than half the time driving the dust in clouds, and blinding the
eyes of everyone, and infiltrating into every coffee pot, camp
kettle, water bucket, etc" the surgeon reported. Food could
not be cooked because wind put out fires. Gales blew down all
tents and tipped over tables and inkstands so that company reports
could not be written. The Stage Station was used as hospital
and officers' quarters at Oak Grove camp. This article
was reprinted with permission from Pioneer Forts of the Far
West, published in 1965
