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Inter Pocala & History of California (Various Pages) (33 pages)
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Page: of 33
454 MILITARY.
government of San Francisco, which was sanctioned
ecause it could not be abolished, expressed its dissatisfaction with the military power, which retorted,
“prove any of your complaints to be well founded, and
the guilty officer will be removed or punished.” Taking into the account all the novel conditions of the
period, I think it must be admitted that affairs were
coaucted with becoming prudence on the military
side.
In 1849, owing to the inefficiency of the army in
California, and the condition of society at San Francisco from the importation of foreign criminals as well
as the unrestrained freedom of deserting sailors and
soldiers, a military company was formed in that place
‘under the name of First California guard. It was
an artillery company, but drilled also with muskets,
and in the evolutions of infantry. It consisted of 41
members in July, and was increased to 100 by September, on the 8th of which month General Riley
commissioned Henry M. Naglee captain, William 0.
H. Howard and Myron Norton 1st lieutenants ; Hall
McAllister and David F. Bagley second lieutenants ;
Samuel Gerry surgeon, and R. H. Sinton sergeant.
This company continued its existence under the state
laws, and was the initial military organization of this
commonwealth. At present it is known as company
A, light battery, of the national guard. Together
with 50 men of Protection Fire company, No. 2, the
guards repaired to Sacramento to quell the squatter’s riot of 1850. During their sojourn in, the capital two military companies were formed, which now
belong also to the national guard. Twenty-one companies" were organized in San Francisco previous
a : ‘ . ,
mony Bair Gee 125 eons Haron Biles, 05 mony Natisual Lancor, 43
men; Eureka Light-horse Guard, 50 men; San Francisco Blues, 60 men;
City Guard, 55 men; Washington Continental Guards, 40 men; Independent
. National Guard, 70 men; Young America Guard, 35 men; Wallace Guard,
60 men; Independent City Guard, 100; California Fusileers, 60 men; Black
Hussars, 42 men; First Light Dragoons, 59 men; Mechanics Guard, 50 men;
Schuctzen Verein, 150 men; California Light Guard, 66 men; City Guard,
ORGANIZATION OF COMPANIES. 455
to the period of the civil war, which greatly stimulated
the military spirit. As that period was exceptio
it will be treated of by itself. pe was exceptional
_ In 1851 Indian disturbances at San Diego called
for troops, and two companies of rangers were organized from the California Guard, Washington Guard,
and Empire Guard, the only existing military companies in San Francisco at that time. Before transportation to San Diego could be provided the trouble
had blown over. In 1854 six companies then existing
in San Francisco were formed into a battalion with a
colonel and other officers. No military services were
required of them until 1856, when the vigilance committee assumed the government ofthe city, and the
militia were ordered to report for duty to the governor of the'state; nor subsequently, except in June,
1871, when on account of a strike among the miners
of Amador county a collision between the Miners’
League and the mill-owners was feared, and one company each of the national guard and of the Sumner
light guard were ordered to the scene of the disturbance; and still later, when in 1877 the three
days’ labor riots caused the military companies to be
_ placed on duty in San Francisco to guard the armories
and prevent the destruction of valuable property. The
service rendered on these occasions amply illustrated
the benefit to society of these organizations.
T have mentioned in its proper place the early enactment. by the California legislature of a militia law.
The state was partitioned in 1850 into four divisions
with four major-generals, and two brigades to a division, with a brigadier-general to each,” a quarter60 men; r Guar, ‘ {irons Guard, 75 men; McMahon Guard, 43 men; Montgomery
ajor-generals of the Ist, 2d, 3d and 4th division ectively, were:
Thomas J. Green, John E. Brackett, David 8. Douglas and Joshua : Beam,
7 6 rigadier generals in the same order were, J. H. Eastland, William M.
inn, Robert Semple, Alex. C. MeDonald, John E. Addison, D. P. Baldwin,
i Sea H. Bowon and J. M. Covarrubias, Adjutant-general, Therou R.
: i = Quarter-master general, Joseph C. Moorehead. Cal. Jour., 1850,
Many of the appointments were of the former members of the
ch