At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Oregon had no organised militia and had sold most of the equipment bought for the Rogue River Wars. The state's governor, John Whiteaker, was pro-slavery and opposed to Oregon's involvement in the conflict. Consequently it was only in late 1862, with a new governor, that the state raised any troops: the 1st Oregon Cavalry served with the Union army until June 1865., Kindle locations 743, 753, 761

During the Civil War, emigrants to the newfound gold fields in Idaho and Oregon continued to clash with the Paiute, Shoshone and Bannock tribes of Oregon, Idaho and Nevada until relations degenerated into the bloody 1864–1868 Snake War. The 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment was formed in 1864 and its last company was mustered out of service in July 1867. Both units were used to guard travel routes and Indian reservations, escort emigrant wagon trains, and protect settlers from Indian raiders. Several infantry detachments also accompanied survey parties and built roads in central and southern Oregon.Edwards, Glenn Thomas, Oregon Regiments in the Civil War Years: Duty on the Indian Frontier, unpublished Master of Arts thesis, Department of History, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, June 1960.

Oregon's second United States Senator, Col. Edward Dickinson Baker was killed while leading Union troops at the Battle of Ball's Bluff near Leesburg, Virginia on October 21, 1861. His death in battle occurred exactly one month after another Oregonian, Captain James W. Lingenfelter of Company B, 71st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, was killed while on the picket line. In civilian life, Captain Lingenfelter had been a practicing attorney in Jacksonville, Oregon. He had been visiting in the East when the war started and enlisted to serve with Colonel Baker.

Confederate sympathizers In May of 1861, Jacksonville secessionists planned to raise a their own secession flag. During the night, the group stretched a rope across the street and suspended a flag bearing a pine tree on its field. In the morning, it was quickly taken down.Oregon sentinel, June 22, 1861, p.2 A month later, upon hearing the news of the start of the war, citizens across town started flying flags. A lady named Dr. Zany Ganung was walking back into town after a work trip when she spotted a secessionist flag flying in front of J. T. Glenn’s store. The flag bore a Palmetto with a rattlesnake. She soon grabbed an ax, hacked down the flagpole, then took the flag back to her house and put it in her stove, setting it on fire. She was later celebrated for her actions.Southern Oregon In The Civil War, by Jeff LaLande, The Oregon Historical Society

In August of 1861, a man named Welch raised a Confederate flag in Yamhill county. He and his secessionist neighbors protected the flag from threats by Unionists.Morning Oregonian, August 30, 1911, p.10

In 1862, the secessionist residents of Smithfield armed themselves in support of the Confederacy. In the summer, they acquired a small cannon and other weapons. While other members got together to fly the Stars and Bars over town. The flag was soon raised and quickly became noticed by unionists in Eugene who demanded the sheriff take it down. The sheriff, knowing that the residents were armed, declined. Weeks later, one of the towns people was in Eugene trying to buy supplies when he was arrested and taken to the local jail. A mob of unionist tried lynch him, but he fought them with a penknife and held them off for the sheriff and his posse to regain control. In August a detachment of federal troops rode from Fort Vancouver to Smithfield to find a deserter. They located him at a farm and also captured the town's rebel flag.

Oregon regiments in the Civil War

1st Oregon Cavalry 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment Mountain Rangers (Oregon Militia) Washington Guards (Oregon Militia) Fenian Guards (Oregon Militia) Zouave Cadets (Oregon Militia) Marion Rifles (Oregon Militia)

Civil War posts, Oregon

Fort Dalles, Oregon, (1850–1867) Fort Yamhill, Oregon (1856–1866) Fort Hoskins, Oregon, (1857–1865) Siletz Blockhouse, Oregon (1858–1866) A two-story blockhouse built to protect the Siletz Indian Agency. It was a subpost of Fort Hoskins. Originally called Yaquina Bay Blockhouse (1856–1858) located at the mouth of the Yaquina River near South Beach. It was dismantled and floated upriver in 1858. Located at Siletz, Oregon. Camp Baker, Oregon (1862–1865),Garrisoned by the Oregon Volunteer Cavalry to observe Confederate sympathizers in nearby Jacksonville, Oregon. Located one-half mile west of Phoenix, Oregon. Possibly also known as Camp Phoenix. Camp Barlow, Oregon, (1862) Charles Henry Carey, History of Oregon, The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company, Portland, 1922, pg. 663. Near A temporary Civil War encampment for the Oregon Volunteers, located two miles north of Oregon City, Oregon. The entire garrison moved to Camp Clackamas. Camp Clackamas, Oregon, (1862)A temporary state militia post that lasted only one month. Located at the mouth of the Clackamas River about one mile north of Oregon City. Replaced Camp Barlow. Post at Grand Ronde Indian Agency or Fort Lafayette, Oregon 1863,Officially known as Post at Grand Ronde Indian Agency, it was a temporary outpost of Fort Yamhill built by Oregon Volunteers at Grand Ronde, Oregon. Fort Klamath, Oregon, (1863–1890) Fort at Point Adams, Oregon (1863–1865) Fort Stevens, Oregon (1865–1947) Camp Alvord, Oregon (1864–1866)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. On Horse Creek in the Alvord Valley, east of the Steen Mountain Range Camp Dalgren, Oregon (1864)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671 Located slightly east of Camps Maury and Polk. Camp Henderson, Oregon, 1864–1866 Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. This camp, named for Oregon's representative in Congress at that time, was established early in 1864, near the mouth of Jordan Creek, 330 miles from Walla Walla, and was the center of operations in Southeastern Oregon for some time afterward. Camp Lincoln, Oregon 1864Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671 Near Canyon City, on the headwaters of John Day River. Camp Maury, Oregon 1864Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. On the Deschutes River near the mouth of Crooked River. Camp Russell, Oregon 1864–1865 A Civil War training camp once located in Salem, Oregon, at the state fairgrounds, present-day 17th Street and Silverton Road. Camp Watson, Oregon 1864–1869 Camp Colfax, Oregon, 1865, 1867Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. At the Willow Creek crossing of the Canyon City – Boise Road, south of Baker City. Camp Currey, Oregon 1865–1866 Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. On Silver Creek. Camp Logan, Oregon (1865–1868)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671 East of Canyon City, on the road to Colfax. Camp Lyon, Oregon (1865–1869)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671 In the Jordan Valley, east of the Owyhee River. IDAHO STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY REFERENCE SERIES, CAMP LYON, Number 357 July 16, 1965 Camp Polk, Oregon (1865–1866)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. On the Deschutes River near the mouth of Crooked River. Camp on Silvies River, Oregon (1864?)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 674. Located on the Silvies River, north of Malheur Lake. Camp Wright, Oregon (1865–1866)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. North of Harney Lake. A temporary state militia encampment on the Silvies River, possibly to the south of Burns, Oregon. Originally Adobe Camp (1865), a 25-yard square sod-walled post, was located here before being replaced after only two weeks. Old Camp Warner, Oregon (1866–1867)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. Located east of Warner Lakes. A Federal camp originally located 20 miles east of Warner (Hart) Lake. It was moved in 1867 Camp Warner, Oregon (1867–1874)Carey, History of Oregon, pg. 671. Located west of Warner Lakes.

See also Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War Idaho in the American Civil War Montana in the American Civil War Washington in the American Civil War

References

Further reading Carter, Bryan Anthony. "Frontier Apart: Identity, Loyalty, and the Coming of the Civil War on the Pacific Coast" (PhD. Diss. Oklahoma State University, 2014) online, with detail;ed bibliography Edwards, G. Thomas. "Six Oregon Leaders and the Far-Reaching Impact of America's Civil War". Oregon Historical Quarterly 100#1 (Spring 1999): 4–31. Etulain, Richard W. Lincoln and Oregon Country Politics in the Civil War Era (2013). Smith, Stacey L. "Oregon's Civil War: The Troubled Legacy of Emancipation in the Pacific Northwest." Oregon Historical Quarterly 115.2 (2014): 154–173.