California Militia
and National Guard Unit Histories
Goodyear's Bar Rifles
(Goodyear's Rifles)
Official or Other Titles: Goodyear's
Bar Rifles, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, California Militia. Sometimes
listed as Goodyear's Rifles
Location:
Goodyear's Bar, Sierra County
Mustered in: December
27, 1854
Date of Disbanding: 1860 Inclusive dates of units papers: 1855-1857
Unit papers on file at the California
State Archives:
a. Organization Papers 1 document (1855)
b. Bonds 1 document (1855)
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 2 documents (1855-1857)
d. Election Returns 2 documents (1855)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 3 documents (1855-1856)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 3 documents (1855-1857)
j. Requisitions 2 documents (1854-1855)
k. Resignations 1 document (1855)
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none
8. Miscellaneous:
Commanding Officers
Charles F. Myers, Captain, Elected December
27, 1854; Resigned October 18, 1855
Justus Bragg, Captain, Elected October
22, 1855;
James M. Smith, First Lieutenant, Elected.December
27, 1854
B. Kennief, Captain: Date of Rank: March 14, 1856; Commissioned:
March 24, 1856
James M. Smith, First Lieutenant, : Date of Rank: March 14, 1856;
Commissioned: March 24, 1856
Official History
Goodyear's Bar, Sierra County, was named
in honor of two of its first 1849 settlers, Miles and Andrew
Goodyear. (1) All travelers came to the little settlement by
pack mule up
to 1859, when the road from Downieville was completed and the
first stage coach made its appearance from Camptonville, decorated
in banners and flags to celebrate the occasion. (2)
The Goodyear's Rifles were organized in 1854 (five years after
the settlement of the town) when residents realized they must
have military protection. On October 27, 1854, enough men signified
their desire to be a .part of the volunteer company and a meeting
was called for December twenty-seventh, and at this meeting officers
were elected and the Muster Roll made up for the presentation
to Adjutant-General Kibbe. The "Rifles" were a part
of the Sierra Battalion under command of Major Hungerford, and
took an active part in the battalion parades. The receipt of
the arms and accouterments February 9, 1855, enabled the corps
to begin their regular drill and parade routine. The company
continued this practice until the guns were called in by Headquarters
in order to be sent to Washoe for the use of the volunteer companies
in the Washoe Indian War of 1860 and 1861. During these pioneer
days the settlers were beset many times by the hostile Indians
and although there are no records to show that the Goodyear's
Rifles as an organized force, took part in any Indian skirmishes,
it is not to be doubted that the members often went to the aid
of other districts that suffered Indian depredations.
In the Fall of 1855 Captain Myers was obliged to be absent from
Goodyear's Bar a great part of the time and because of the loss
of his leadership the corps became disinterested and lax in the
up-keep.of their attendance and routine of drills. Captain Myers
requested the acceptance of his resignation in order that a new
Captain could be elected and so carry on the military spirit
necessary for the well being of any company of the Guard. The
Captain's resignation was accepted and an election was held on
October twenty-second of that year, at which time Justus Bragg
was elected to command the unit. Captain Bragg, however, was
unable to continue as commanding officer for long. Another election
was held March 14, 1856, to reorganize the company and at that
time B. Kennief was elected Captain and James M. Smith was re-elected
First Lieutenant. The rank and file numbered forty-four at this
time, whereas it had numbered seventy at the time of organizing
in 1854.
Apparently the newly elected Captain was not able to stimulate
the interest of the active members of the company, and the Adjutant-General
in his Report of December 1861 remarked that "No returns
had been made by the officers of the Goodyear's Bar Rifles, although
in former years the corps had been in good drill and ready for
any service". It is assumed that after the arms had been
sent to the Washoe War the interest of the members waned. The
men did not keep up their drill practices and agreed mutually
to disband in 1860.
Footnotes
(1) History. Plumas, Lassen and Sierra
Counties California - Farris and Smith, 1882, page 465.
(2) History Plumas, Lassen and Sierra
Counties, California - Farris and Smith, 1882, page 469.
This history was completed
in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction
with the California National Guard and the California State Library
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