for the enrolling of persons desiring to organize a volunteer militia company. Mr. P. C. Patten was appointed and on March 18, 1862, the first meeting was held in Fisher's Hall, Knight's Ferry.
The members decided to call their company the Franklin Guard. On March twenty-second, another meeting was held and the organization of the company was completed by the election of Abraham Shell as Captain and G. W. Arnold as First Lieutenant.
On July second of that year the Franklin Guard received 45 stand of muskets from the Sheriff of Tuolumne County through an order from Adjutant General Kibbe. Captain Shell complained to
General Kibbe about the condition and age of the muskets, intimating they probably saw service in the Mexican War in 1848. Correspondence between the Captain and the Adjutant General's Office revealed that the muskets were intended for temporary use only, and that as soon as the State received a new allotment of "Minnie" rifles, an exchange would be made.
Letters on file indicate that rather serious strife developed between Captain Shell and Lieutenant Arnold on one side and the remainder of the company on the other. The principal friction was caused by the apparent arrogance of the commanding officers, according to a letter to Adjutant General Kibbe written by Second Lieutenant Alvin T. Bartlett on behalf of the company. The difficulty was solved when Captain Shell and Lieutenant Arnold tendered their resignations which were accepted on August 18, 1862.
The Franklin Guard was a well drilled company, and attended the annual drills of the brigade. There are no special activities recorded concerning this company . The morale of the unit evidently weakened in the early part of 1866, since William A. Davies, Brigadier-General of the Third Brigade ordered a reorganization and election of officers on September 29th. Miner Walden was elected Captain of the unit and Alvin T. Bartlett, First Lieutenant.
In a Special Order No. 23, dated December 24, 1866, by Brigadier General Davies it was charged that the Franklin Guard had failed to comply with several orders previously issued to it pertaining to the reorganization of the unit; and in pursuance of this order the company was mustered out of the State service December 24th of that year.[1]