The District of California was a Union Army command department formed during the American Civil War. The district was part of the Department of the Pacific, the commander of the department also being District commander. The district was created as a separate command on July 1, 1864, after Irvin McDowell took command of the Department of the Pacific, relieving General Wright, who then remained as District of California commander. The District comprised the state of California and the areas of the Rogue River and Umpqua River in Southern Oregon. Its headquarters were in San Francisco, co-located with those of the Department of the Pacific. On March 14, 1865, the District of Oregon was extended to include the entire state of Oregon, removing the Rogue River and Umpqua River areas from the District.

District of California commanders Albert Sidney Johnston, January 1861 - March 1861 Edwin Vose Sumner, March 1861 - October 1861 George Wright, October 1861 - June 27, 1865 David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, pg.822

On June 27, 1865, the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Department of the Pacific. It consisted of the Department of California and the Department of the Columbia, which replaced the District of Oregon. George Wright, now a U. S. Army Brigadier General, was assigned to command the new Department of the Columbia.

Oregon posts in the District of California 1861-1865 Fort Umpqua, 1856–1862 Camp Baker, 1862-1865 Located in Jackson County, Oregon Fort Klamath 1863-1865 -source is Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, v. 50, pt. 2 semi annual returns beginning December 1863.

Posts in the District of California

Benicia Arsenal, 1851–1964 Benicia Barracks, 1852–1866 Fort Jones, 1852–1858, 1864 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort Jones Post of Alcatraz Island or Fort Alcatraz, 1853–1907 Roop's Fort, Fort Defiance, Susanville 1853-1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Roop's Fort (Fort Defiance, Lassen County) Fort Point San José, San Francisco, 1853–1882 Fort Point, San Francisco, 1853–1886 Fort Crook 1857-1869 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort Crook THE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASE, Fort Crook, Near Fall River Mills in Shasta County, California Camp Allen, Oakland 1860-? The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Allen (Alameda County) Camp Cady, 20 miles east of Barstow 1860, 1862, 1864 - 1871 The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Camp Cady Camp Dragoon Bridge, south of the town of Litchfield 1860-1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Dragoon Bridge Camp Downey, Oakland, 1861 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Downey Camp Halleck, Stockton, 1861-1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Halleck Camp Fitzgerald, Los Angeles June 1861 - September 20, 1861 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort Moore (Post at Los Angeles, Fort Hill and including Camp Fitzgerald), reprinted with permission from Colonel Herbert M. Hart, USMC (retired), Old Forts of the Far West, published in 1965 Fort on Pine Creek, Independence 1861-1865The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort on Pine Creek Camp San Bernardino, San Bernardino 1861 The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Camp San Bernardino Camp Lyon, San Francisco 1861-1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Lyon (San Francisco) Mare Island Post, 1861–1862 Camp McClellan, Auburn 1861 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp McClellan Camp McDougall, near Stockton, 1861 Camp Gilmore, 1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp McDougall (Camp Gilmore) Camp Union, Sutterville 1861-1866 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Union Camp Sigel, near Auburn, 1861–1862 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Sigel Camp Sumner, San Francisco, 1861-1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Sumner Camp Wright, San Francisco, 1861 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Wright (San Francisco County) Camp Alert, San Francisco, 1862-1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Alert (San Francisco County) Camp Hot Creek Station, 1862 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Hot Creek Station Camp Hooker, near Stockton, 1862 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Hooker Camp at Red Bluff, Red Bluff, 1862 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp at Red Bluff Camp Reynolds on Angel Island, 1863–1866 Camp Bidwell, Chico, 1863–1865 Camp Chico, Chico, 1865 Camp Merchant (originally Camp Merritt), 1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Merchant (Camp Merritt) Fort Miller, 1863–1864. The California State Military Museum; Historic Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields: Fort Miller (Including Camp Barbour, Camp Miller) Camp Stanford, Stockton, 1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Stanford Camp Johns, 1864 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Johns Camp Low, 1864-1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Low Camp Pollock 1864 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Pollock Camp Susan, Susanville 1864 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Susan Federal Armory, Copperopolis 1864-1875 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Federal Armory Post at Friday's Station, 1864 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Post at Friday's Station Colusa Post, 1864-1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Colusa Post Camp Bidwell 1865-1879 (Later Fort Bidwell) Camp near Hornitos, 18 miles northeast of Merced, 1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp near Hornitos. Located in Mariposa County. Camp Jackson, near Ione, 1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Jackson Monterey Barracks, 1865-1866 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Monterey Barracks Camp at Pierson's Ranch, 1865 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp at Pierson's Ranch Camp Waite, 1865-1866 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Waite

Events, skirmishes, and battles 1861 January 15, 1861. The Departments of California and Oregon merged into the Department of the Pacific. Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, 2nd US Cavalry, Brevet Brigadier General, U. S. Army, assumes command of the Department of the Pacific (including direct command of the District of California). March 23, 1861. Brigadier General Edwin V. Sumner, U. S. Army, assigned to command the Department of the Pacific. April 25, 1861. Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, U. S. Army, assumes command of tho Department of the Pacific, relieving Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, 2nd US Cavalry, brevet brigadier-general, U. S. Army. August 3–12, 1861. Scout from Fort Crook to Round Valley, California, with skirmish on the 6th in the Upper Pitt River Valley. August 15–22, 1861. Expedition from Fort Crook to tho Pitt River, California, with skirmish on the 19th near Kellogg's Lake, California. Sept. 7, 1861. Skirmish near the Santa Ana Canyon, California. Sept. 14, 1861. Col. George Wright, 9th US Infantry, assigned to command all troops serving in Southern California. Sept. 25, 1861. The District of Southern California created, comprising the counties of San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego, and Col. George Wright, assigned to its command. Oct. 11, 1861. Lieut. Col. Albemarle Cady, 7th US Infantry, assigned to command the District of Oregon. Oct. 20, 1861. Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, U. S. Army, relinquishes command of the Department of the Pacific to Col. George Wright. Oct. 26, 1861. Col. George Wright, assumes command of tho Department of the Pacific. Nov. 19, 1861. Brig. Gen. George Wright, U. S. Army, formally assigned to command the Department of the Pacific. Dec. 12, 1861. Humboldt Military District created to prosecute the Bald Hills War, to consist of the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, Klamath, and Del Norte, in Northern California, and Col. Francis J. Lippitt, Second California Infantry, assigned to its command.

1862 Sept. 21, 1862. Affair on the Yreka Road, near Fort Crook, Cal. Nov. 3-29, 1862. Scouts from Fort Crook, Cal., and Fort Churchill, Nev. Ter., to Honey Lake Valley, Cal.

1863

1864 July 1, 1864. Brig. Gen. George Wright, U. S. Army, retained command of the District of California but Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell, U. S. Army, relieved him and assumed command of the Department of tho Pacific.

1865 Apr. 5–18, 1865. Expedition from Camp Bidwell to Antelope Creek, Cal. June 27, 1865. Military Division of the Pacific created, to consist of the Departments of California and the Columbia. Department of California consisted of the States of California and Nevada and the Territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell, U. S. Army, assigned to command the Department of California.

See also California in the American Civil War

References