California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories
Granite Guard
 

Official Name: Granite Guard, Fourth Brigade, California Militia
Location: Folsom, Sacramento County
Mustered in: May 27, 1861
Mustered out: March 27, 1863
 
 
Commanding Officers
 
 Name  Date of Rank  Date of Commission
 F. S. Mumford, Captain  May 27, 1861  June 27, 1861
 William M. Drew; First, Lieutenant  May 27, 1861  June 27, 1861
 
 
Official History

The Granite Guard, numbering fifty eight men was organized under the military laws of California at Folsom, Sacramento County on May 27, 1861, and mustered into the service of the State as a unit of the Fourth Brigade on that date.

But little information concerning this company is available, there having been no reports made to the Adjutant General's Office concerning the company's. activities subsequent to the muster in date except for a notation that the company was in good condition and ably commanded.(1) For some reason not apparent in the records, there was an evident lack of interest in the affairs of the local company, but it may safely be concluded that this was not due to lack of patriotism on the part of the volunteers. Military zeal and activity was at
its,height during these years and it is s probable that the desire for a more active participation in the War than that offered by adherence to the Granite Guard, was responsible
for the falling off of membership and final disorganization of the company. That there was not sufficient interest taken in the organization to keep it alive and active is shown conclusively by a comment contained in the Adjutant General's Report for 1862, "That the arms issued to the company would be recalled unless an effort was made immediately to bring the corps up to the legal membership standard required by law." (2) .

The record of the mustering out of the Granite Guard is incomplete, but it was recorded that the arms and equipment issued to the company were returned to the State Arsenal on
March 27, 1863, less than two years from the date of its organization and it is assumed the company was mustered out of service sometime during that year.

This history was written in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction with the office of the Adjutant General and the California State Library
 

Footnotes

1. Adjutant General Report, 1861, page 106
2. Adjutant General Report, 1862, page 127


California State Archives Records

a. Organization Papers 1 document (1861)
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 11 documents (1861-1863)
d. Election Returns 1 document (1861)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 1 document (1863)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 1 document (1861)
j. Requisitions 1 document (1861)
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none

 
 
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Updated 8 February 2016