California State Militia and National
Guard Unit Histories
Los Angeles Mounted Rifles
Assigned to:
First Brigade, California Militia Location: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Organized:
March 7, 1861
Mustered Out: 1861
Commanding Officers
Alonzo Ridley, Captain; Elected March
7, 1861
Joseph Cattick, First Lieutenant; Elected March 7, 1861
Papers on file with the California
State Archives:
a. Organization Papers 1 document (1861)
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 1 document (1861)
d. Election Returns none
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 1 document (1861)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices none
j. Requisitions none
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none
History
At a meeting held under the supervision
of George W. Gift, the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles was organized
in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County March 7, 1861, and mustered
into the service of the State under the command of Captain Alonzo
Ridley. Anxious to obtain arms for his company, Captain Ridley
wrote Governor Downey that there were with Banning and Hunchman
Company in Los Angeles, forty rifles in storage, the property
of the State, and were originally intended for the then disbanded
militia company commanded by Captain Moore. The Captain stated
that these guns would prove acceptable to his company and if
this transfer could be made the mounted Rangers would need but
an additional forty muskets to make up their requisition. (1)
Governor Downey on March 22, 1801, sent Captain Ridley an order
upon the firm of Banning and Hunchman for the arms, but did not
include any further equipment to make up the shortage.
With the outbreak of the Civil War, Brevet
Brigadier General Albert Sidney Johnson, commander of the Pacific
Division of the United States Army, who was stationed in Los Angeles,
resigned his commission to join the Confederate Army. Many citizens
of Los Angeles who were southern sympathizers, including the entire
membership of the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles, tried to follow
General Johnson's example.(2) On June 8, 1861, the Governor received
information from Major James Carleton
of the United States Army to the effect that he (Major Carleton)
had been informed that a party of persons about to leave Los Angeles
for Texas, intended to remove beyond the limits of California
certain arms belonging to the State. He understood these arms
included those recently issued to the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles
as well as those belonging to the disbanded Los Angeles Greys.
Bonds to insure the State of California from loss in case these
arms were not produced when required by the State had undoubtedly
been .issued; but in those times the question of money security
was of little importance in comparsion with the possession of
arms in the hands of the enemy to be used as weapons against the
Government of which California formed so important a part.
The Major further stated that if these rumors
had good foundation and the Governor as Commander-in-Chief of
the militia of the State, did not have in that vicinity a sufficient
force to sustain the civil authorities in the matter, he with
his command would lend all possible aid should it become necessary
to protect or recover the arms from, this company by force. And
even should the contingency arise that these arms should be taken
in spite of any precautions that might be inaugurated for their
additional security, if notice of the fact was communicated to
Major Carleton, pursuit would be made by the, troops under.his
command for their recovery. In the event of the Governor having
no secure place where they might be kept the Major would receive
them in custody, and hold them subject to the Governor's orders.
(3)
There was no further records of this company,
but it is assumed that under these conditions the Governor recalled
the arms already issued and the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles were
mustered out of the service of the State in the latter part of
1861.
(1) Letter from Captain Ridley, Los Angeles,
March 9, 1861, to Governor Downey, on file State Archives
(2) History of Los Angeles County,
published 1921, Page 104. Vol. 1
(3) Letter to Governor Downey from James
Carleton, Major, United States Army, Los Angeles, June 18, 1861,
on file State Archives
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
Search
our Site!
Questions and comments concerning
this site should be directed to the Webmaster