Historic California Militia and
National Guard Units
Pacific Guard
Military Unit Designation:
Pacific Guard, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division,
California Militia,
After 1863;Pacific Guard, Company
C, 1st Infantry Battalion, 4th Brigade, California Militia
After 28 July 1866, Pacific Guard, Company
F, 5th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, National Guard of California.
Date of Organization: October 15, 1861
Date of Disbanding: June 13, 1868
Inclusive dates of units papers: 1861-1868
Geographical Location or Locations: Dutch Flat, Placer County
Papers on file at the California State Archives: a. Organization Papers 1 document
(1861)
b. Bonds 3 documents (1864-1866)
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 50 documents (1861-1867)
d. Election Returns 8 documents (1862-1867)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 21 documents (1861-1867)
g. Oaths Qualifications 90 documents (1861-1866)
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 13 documents (1861-1868)
j. Requisitions 4 documents (1861-1866)
k. Resignations 1 document (1867)
l. Target Practice Reports 1 document (1866)
m. Other Letters of Introduction, 5 documents (1862)
Commanding Officers:
B. F. Moore, Captain: Elected October
9, 1861 commissioned October. 15, 1861
C. M. Copp, First Lieutenant: Elected October 9, 1861 commissioned
October. 15, 1861
C. M. Copp, Captain: Elected April 7, 1862; commissioned October
16, 1862; reelected May 4 1863
M. H. Calderwood, First Lieutenant: Elected April 7, 1862; commissioned
October 16, 1862; reelected May 4 1863
M. H. Calderwood, Captain: Elected April 19 , 1864; commissioned
June 7, 1864
John W. Thomas, First Lieutenant: April 19, 1864; commissioned
June 7, 1864
C. M. Copp, Captain Elected April 17, 1865; commissioned April
22, 1865, reelected July 27, 1866.
John W. Thomas, First Lieutenant: Reelected April 17, 1865
S. Wardner, First Lieutenant: Elected July 27; 1866; commissioned
August 22, 1866;
S. Wardner, Captain: Elected October 20, 1866; commissioned November
1, 1866
James Staples, First Lieutenant: Elected October 20, 1866; commissioned
November 1, 1866
M. H. Calderwood, Captain: Elected August 24, 1867; October 1,
1867
James Mathewson, First Lieutenant: . Elected August 24, 1867;
October 1, 1867
Official History:
Dutch Flat being located in the
high mountainous section of Placer County proved to be a very
rich mining district. These gold mines brought many prospectors
from surrounding states and there were some that came from the
East seeking wealth in this new and carefree territory. These
rugged people who faced the hardships of pioneering to establish
homes and build cities are to be greatly admired, as they were
the ones who so readily answered the President's call for troops
in the Rebellion of 1861. The men with families dependent upon
them or those who could not leave their business to join the
Regular Army, formed independent companies of militia as a protection
to the citizens from possible invasions by the Rebels.
It was a group of these staunch defenders of the Union who organized
a company of volunteers at Dutch Flat on August 15, 1861, and
adopted the name of Pacific Guard. Two of the outstanding citizens
of t his town were unanimously elected in command of the company.
B. F. Moore was elected as Captain and Charles M. Copp as First
Lieutenant. Upon the expiration of Captain Moore's term which
was in June of 1862, he was chosen to be sent to the War Zone
in the East. His outstanding ability in commanding the Pacific
Guard and his interest in Military Science gave cause for him
being ordered as a visitor to the scenes of the Civil War. He
was given letters of introduction to such Generals as Fremont,
Nagle, and Shields who were personal friends of Adjutant-General
Kibbe. They were asked to show Captain Moore every courtesy possible,
and that they could place the most implicit confidence in his
loyalty and attachment to the country's flag.[1]
C. M. Copp was elected as Captain of the company to replace Captain
Moore in order to hold the interest of the members in the company.
This was difficult as by September 1862 the unit had received
no arms or accoutrements, with the exception of twelve muskets
which were in a bad condition. This was due to the fact that
they were damaged at the station when Sacramento became flooded
by the rising of the river in December 1861, after the equipment
was crated and ready for shipment.
In a letter written during the early part
of August to the Adjutant-General, Captain Copp stated he feared
the company would disband unless the men received some encouragement.
On the twenty-seventh of the same month the company received
forty stand of arms and accoutrements from the State Arsenal.
The members were t hen able to hold weekly drills , and when
their uniforms arrived the unit would be in a position to participate
in parades and attend social affairs . The members were patient
but hoped they would receive their uniforms before leaving for
Camp. However, they were disappointed when informed they would
have to wait until after the Encampment which was to be held
at Camp Kibbe, one mile north of Washington in Yolo County on
September 19, 1863.
In April 1864 Captain Copp, relinquished t he command of the
company to accept the rank of Major in t he Fourth Brigade of
the California Militia. During his absence Captain Calderwood
was in command of the Pacific Guard. When Major Copp's term expired
the following year he returned to the Pacific Guard, and assumed
his former position as commander of t he unit, holding that rank
until the reorganization of the company on July 28, 1866, at
which time it was mustered into the National
Guard and designated as Company F, Fifth Regiment, Fourth Brigade.
At an election held on October
twentieth of the same year S. Wardner was elected Captain of
the company, but owing to business conditions he was forced t
o resign the following year. Another election of officers on
August 24, 1867, placed Captain Calderwood again in command of
the company. The company was not in existence long after that
as on June 13, 1868, pursuant to Special Order No . 32, the organization
discontinued and was mustered out of the service by Major W.
A. Anderson.
Footnote:
1. Taken from official company
letters, California State Archives.
This history 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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