Historic California Militia and
National Guard Units
Placer Guard
Military Unit Designation: Placer
Guard, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, California Militia
Date of Organization: October 19, 1861
Date of Disbanding: October 1862 [1]
Inclusive dates of units papers: 1861-1862
Geographical Location or Locations: Iowa Hill, Placer County
Records Series Descriptions: a. Organization Papers 2 documents
(1861)
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 13 documents (1861-1862)
d. Election Returns none
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 3 documents (1861-1863)
g. Oaths Qualifications 4 documents (1861)
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 2 documents (1861)
j. Requisitions 1 document (1861)
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none
Commanding Officers:
John P. Kavanaugh, Captain Elected October 19, 1861, commissioned
October 26, 1861
William D. Lawrence, First Lieutenant October 19, 1861, commissioned
October 26, 1861
Official Histories:
The citizens of Iowa Hill and vicinity wished to enroll themselves
into a military company under the new State Militia Law passed
May 9, 1861. On September 28, 1861, notices signed by J. B. Varnum,
were posted "In more than three places for ten consecutive
days".[2] At the first meeting of the Placer Guard the following
officers were elected, John P. Kavanaugh, Captain; William D.
Lawrence, First Lieutenant; John B. Currier, Second Lieutenant
and J. B. Varnum, Brevet Second Lieutenant.
Immediately upon the completion of the organization the requisitions
were duly filed for arms and accoutrements, but considerable
delay was experienced in filling the order. In one of Captain
Kavanaugh's letters to Adjutant-General William C. Kibbe, he
remarked that "soldiering without arms was very dry business,
and he would rather have an order for sixteen arms instead of
twelve, as he would be able to drill the men in several very
pretty maneuvers, marching by the flank in two ranks, etc."
One of the first duties assigned to Captain Kavanaugh by Adjutant-General
William C. Kibbe, was the appointing of a Board of Examiners
to inquire into the causes and circumstances under which t he
arms and accoutrements issued to the Mountain
Blues, Captained by D. G. Lake, March 2, 1856) were destroyed.
This report exonerated the volunteer company in question, as
it was found that the fire which occurred February 2, 1857, had
burned out the entire city. Very little personal property was
saved.
Captain Kavanaugh experienced considerable difficulty in holding
his command together. As a result of t he fire many men had to
spend their leisure time in rebuilding their homes and had no
time for drill. Also some members were not able to attend drill
as the roads were impassable for many months from the winter
storms. Other reasons given for the inactivity of the unit were
that some of the members dropped out because, "They did
not like certain officers," and still others had left the
community "for good".
Captain Kavanaugh tried to instill new life in his company by
requesting more arms, but in reply to this request the Adjutant-General
answered that it would seem the best policy to issue the arms
to companies where more interest was shown for drilling and protection
for the communities. Finally Captain Kavanaugh called a meeting
of the Placer Guard by posting notices in conspicuous places
at the different polls on t he day of election.
The purpose of this meeting was to disband the unit. The attendance
was small but the few men attending refused to disband, and gave
as their principle reason against such a step was "That
it would look like cowardice to disband when the company would
soon expire for want of officers."
Following the meeting Captain Kavanaugh wrote to General Kibbe
explaining the unit's small membership and stating that "Unless
called into active service prior to October nineteenth, the Placer
Guard are practically disbanded." There is no record of
the date this volunteer company was formally mustered out, and
it is assumed they were mustered out by the Adjutant General's
Office following the receipt of Captain Kavanaugh's letter to
General Kibbe.
Footnotes:
1. According to Captain Kavanaugh's letter
it is assumed this company was mustered out on this date.
2. Original copy of these printed posters with enrollment and
minutes of the meeting of the company, Adjutant General's Office.
This history was prepared
in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction
with the California National Guard and the California State Library
Other Online Histories:
Muster Roll
Placer County, California Genealogy Trails
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