California Militia
and National Guard Unit Histories
Placer County Mountaineers
Official or Other Titles: Placer County Mountaineers, 2nd
Brigade, 4th Division, California Militia
Location: Forest Hill, Placer County
Mustered in: 17 September 1861
Mustered out: 1861
Inclusive dates of
units papers: 1861
Commanding Officers
David S. Whiting, Captain,
Commissioned: 19 September 1861
Thomas A. Young, First Lieutenant, Commissioned: 19 September
1861
Papers on file at the
California State Archives
a. Organization Papers 3 documents (1861)
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) none
d. Election Returns none
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns none
g. Oaths Qualifications 3 documents (1861)
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices none
j. Requisitions none
k. Resignations 1 document (1861)
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none
Official History
This company was organized
on 17 September 1861, under the military laws of the State, particularly
with the intention of offering its services to the Governor for
one of the regiments of California Volunteers, which at the time
was being formed.* The required ten days notice was posted in
three or more public places in Forest Hill for the purpose of
enrolling members and their first meeting was held 5 September
1861. Thomas Young presided at the meeting and was authorized
by County Judge W. H. Vandecar to open a book for the enrollment
at which time fifty-seven men responded. The company was organized
and the members agreed upon the name of the Placer County Mountaineers.
The election of officers was also held at that time, which placed
David S. Whiting as Captain and Thomas Young as First Lieutenant
of the corps.
Records indicate that
there were never any arms or accoutrements issued this company
as t he men were recruited into the service of the California
Volunteers shortly after the company was organized. Lieutenant
Young retained his rank in Company B of the Fifth Regiment of Infantry, [California
Volunteers] which
also absorbed many of the members of the Placer County Mountaineers.
As it was the intention of the members of this company to enlist
with the California Volunteers the Placer County Mountaineers
was disbanded during the latter part of 1861 although there was
no record on file of the official muster out of the company.*
*Adjutant General Report 1861, page 115. ,
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
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