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Inter Pocala & History of California (Various Pages) (33 pages)
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472 MILITARY,
inf., relieved him, and transferred headquarters to Benicia in the following
Oct. The name of the command was changed to department of the Pacific
in Oct. 1853, and on the 17th of Feb., 1854, Maj.-gen. John E. Wool assumed
command, with headquarters at Benicia. He commanded until the 19th of
Feb., 1857, when he was relieved by Col Thomas T. Fauntleroy, Ist dra oons,
who was relieved April 29th by Brev. Brig.-gen. Newman S. Clarke, 6th inf.,
who established headquarters at S. ¥., where they have since remained. The
designation of the command was changed to that of the department of Cal.
in October 1858. Gen. Clarke died at S. F. Oct. 17, 1860, when Lieut-col
Benjamin L. Beall, 1st dragoons, succeeded to the command from that time
until Jan. 14, 1861, when he was relieved by Col and Brev. Brig.-gen. Albert
S. Johnston, 2d cav., who announced that his command was to be called the
department of the Pacific, On the 25th of the following April he was relieved by Brig.-gen. Edwin V. Sumner, who was succeeded Oct. 17th by
Brig.-gen. of volunteers George Wright, who commanded until July 1, 1864,
when he was relieved by Maj.-gen. of vols Irwin McDowell. Again, Maj.Gen. Henry W. Halleck being assigned to the command of the military division of the Pacific on the 30th of August, 1865, retained it until June 1, 1869,
when it was taken by Maj.-gen. George H. ‘Thomas, who died March 28,
1870, when Maj.-gen. George M. Schofield was assigned to the command,
which he held until July 1, 1876, at which time Gen. McDowell was a second
time assigned to the command of this division, which comprised also the depasha a of the Columbia, commanded py Bai .-gen. O. O. Howard, and the
ept of Arizona, commanded by Col O. B. Willcox, 12th inf., and the dept
of Alaska, created in March 1868. In June 1875, so much of the territory of
Idaho as lay east of the extension of the western boundary of Utah, and
embracing Fort Hall, was detached from the dept of Cal. and added to the
dept of the Platte. On the 15th of Oct., 1882, Gen. Schofield relieved Gen.
McDowell, and was himself relieved Nov. 30, 1883, by Maj.-gen. John Pope,
who retained the command until March 16, 1886, when he retired, and Maj.gen. Howard was assigned to this division.
The coast defenses of the state are not numerous. AtS. F. the principal
fortification is at Fort Point projection of the Presidio reservation which
forms one side of the entrance to the harbor. It is situated upon the southern side of the channel, and consists of large casemated works, and extensive exterior earthen batteries en barbette, for the largest size of guns and
mortars. On the opposite side of the channel is Lime Point, where other
detached batteries are placed. Lying north of S. F., and almost directly
facing Golden Gate is Fort Alcatraz, on a small rocky island, which is completely covered with fortifications of open barbette batteries. This is also
the military prison. Angel island, north of Alcatraz, and Point San José
north of Point Lamb, were fortified in a temporary manner during the civil
war, but were allowed to decay, and have now to be reconstructed. The
eat improvement in ordnance within a few years has rendered it necessary
for the government to make an appropriation of several millions for strengthening its fortifications and providing new guns of more modern size and
capacity. The only other harbor furnished with fortifications is that of San
Diego, where a small amount has been expended by the gov. for earthworks.
ithe naval arm of defence has been similarly neglected, with the exception of Mare Island Navy Yard which from first to last has cost the overnment are sums of money, and is, perhaps, the most commodious work of its
kind in the world. But the decline of the merchant marine service, and the
small need heretofore of an armed squadron in the Pacific, has made it of
comparatively little use in proportion to its cost. Several old government
vessels lie rotting in the gradually increasing deposit of river silt, and mining debris which is lessening the depth of water both in the channel and
upon the side-flats. There bas been some thought of removing the navy
yard and allowing the Central Pacific railroad company to acquire the island
for the establishment of foundries, workshops, depots, and ship-yards, but
no such transfer of a magnificent property has yet taken place, and the government surveyors and engineers report annually very slight changes.
COAST DEFENCES. 473
Much is said of the defenceless condition of the city, the navy yard, and
the Benicia arsenal. Poe withstood all such criticisms for years, but
in 1888 an appropriation of $5,000,000 was agreed to by the senate for the
repair of fortifications, but rejected by the house, which left the state in its
former condition of practical defencelessness. Whether the predicted misfortune will follow is for the future to determine; but nothing can alter the
fact that vast Sums have been saved by the neglect, for such has been the
Improvement in war vessels and heavy ordnance that expensive changes
must have been made every few years. “At the close of the late war the seacoast fortifications of the United States, and the American navy were
quite equal to those of other countries. In the two decades last past,
while Europe has made great progress, this country has apparently remained
indifferent. Only very recently was California permitted to have a stecl
cruiser, the contract for which was let to a8. F. firm. Floating batteries
will hereafter take a foremost rank in the defences of S. . re Pa range
of the guns now in use on ships of war enabling them to throw shells quite
over the shore batteries, and from a distance which would place them out of
reach of the latter. In the meantime, the inventive genius of the country is
not diminishing, and our neighbors are at peace with us. :
The United States naval force in the Pacific is insignificant, there being
few harbors, no detached territory, and a small merchant marine to be protected even in the event of war. In 1862 there was a proposition made to
establish a naval academy at San Francisco, which, however, was not carried
out. In 1874 an act was passed by the legislature establishing and maintain, ing @ training ship to instruct boys in seamanship and the mechanic arts
connected with it, an appropriation being made for that ose by the cit
and county of San Francisco, and a vessel furnished ie oe nay pie
ment. By the rovisions of this act ‘any male person under eighteen years
of age who sh be convicted of any misdemeanor ” might be sentenced to
serve his term of imprisonment on board of the training ship. In 1876 the
law was amended to exclude convicts from serving out their terms on this
ship; and was still further amended in 1878 by receiving boys from any
counties to the number of 100, the state paying their expenses. The boys
trained for Seamen were placed on board merchant vessels when fitted for
duty, a good disposition to be made of bad boys. But the change of constitution in 1879 rendered it illegal for the state to a ropriate money for the
purpose, and the training school was abandoned. Military tactics and drill
are taught at several preparatory schools in the state. ‘The history of our
institutions, however, leads to the conclusion that except when we have some
great object in view we think little about fighting and the glories of war.
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