The Department of the Pacific or Pacific Department was a major command (Department) of the United States Army from 1853 to 1858. It replaced the Pacific Division, and was itself replaced by the Department of California and the Department of Oregon.

Formation The Department of the Pacific was created on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, replacing the older Pacific Division, (1848–53) and abolishing the existing 10th (California) and 11th (Oregon) Departments, consolidating them within the new department. The department reported directly to the headquarters of the Army in Washington, D.C. It oversaw the military affairs in the country west of the Rocky Mountains (California, Oregon Territory, and Washington Territory), except for the Utah Territory and the Territory of New Mexico east of the 110th meridian west, (thus including most of modern Arizona and southern Nevada).

On September 2, 1854, the headquarters was moved to Benicia Barracks, in Benicia, California.

From 1855 to 1857 the Puget Sound District was organized.

In January 1857, the headquarters again returned to San Francisco.

On January 14, 1858, the Utah Territory was placed within the department but soon removed into the Department of Utah, in 1858, that remained until 1861.

Commanders Brevet Brigadier General Ethan A. Hitchcock 1853–1854 Brevet Major General John E. Wool 1854–1857 Brevet Brigadier General Newman S. Clarke 1857–1858

Posts Post of Alcatraz Island or Fort Alcatraz, California 1853–1907 Fort Bellingham, Washington Territory 1855–1860 Benicia Arsenal, Benicia, California 1851–1964 Benicia Barracks, California 1852–1866 Fort Boise, Idaho, 1863–1912 Fort Bragg, California 1857–1864.California Historical Landmark #615The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Fort Bragg (Camp Bragg) Fort Churchill, Nevada, 1860–1869 Fort Colville, Washington Territory, 1825–1870 Fort Dalles, Oregon, 1850–1867 Fort Klamath, Oregon, 1863–1890 Roop's Fort, Fort Defiance, Susanville, California 1853–1863 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Roop's Fort (Fort Defiance, Lassen County) Fort Douglas, Utah Territory, 1862–1991 Drum Barracks, California, 1862–1870 Fort Gaston, California 1859–1892 Fort Humboldt, California 1853–1867 Fort Jones, California, 1852–1858 Fort Mohave, Arizona Territory 1859–1890 Fort Point San José, San Francisco, California, 1853–1882 Fort Point, San Francisco, California 1853–1886 New San Diego Depot, San Diego, California 1851–1866. The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: San Diego Barracks(Including New San Diego Depot) Fort Steilacoom, Washington Territory, 1849–1868 Fort Yuma, California 1851–1883 Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory 1853–1879 Fort Tejon, California 1854–1861, 1863–1864. Camp Burton, California 1855The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Camp Burton Fort Cascades, Washington Territory 1855–1861 Fort Yamhill, Oregon (1856–1866) Fort Simcoe, Washington Territory, 1856–1859 Fort Townsend, Washington Territory 1856–1861 Fort Walla Walla, Washington Territory 1856–1911 Fort Crook, California 1857–1869 The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts: Fort CrookThe Historical Marker Database, Fort Crook, Near Fall River Mills in Shasta County, California Fort Hoskins, Oregon, 1857–1865 Fort Ter-Waw, California 1857–1862 Located in Klamath, California. California Historic Landmark #544 Historic California Posts: Fort Ter-Waw Camp at Pardee's Ranch, California 1858–1865 The California State Military Museum; Historic California Posts: Camp at Pardee's Ranch

Disbandment On September 13, 1858, the Department of the Pacific was disbanded, replaced by two new departments: the Department of California and the Department of Oregon. The Department of California included the territory west of the Rockies, the Umpqua and Rogue River districts in Oregon, Utah and New Mexico. The Department of Oregon included the Oregon and Washington Territories.

Reborn in the Civil War During the American Civil War the army again reorganized, and on January 15, 1861, the independent Pacific Department was reconstituted by consolidating the Departments of California and Oregon. The first commander of the new Department of the Pacific was Colonel (Brevet Brigadier General) Albert Sidney Johnston who was later to become a prominent General in the Confederate Army. David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001

Civil War commanders Albert Sidney Johnston, 1861 (resigned to join the Confederacy) Edwin Vose Sumner, 1861 George Wright, 1861–1864 Irvin McDowell, 1864–1865

Districts The Department of the Pacific had six subordinate military districts during the Civil War: District of Oregon (headquarters at Fort Vancouver) January 15, 1861 – July 27, 1865 District of California (headquarters at San Francisco, co-located with Department of the Pacific). Independent command from Department from July 1, 1864 – July 27, 1865 District of Southern California (headquarters at Drum Barracks) September 25, 1861 – July 27, 1865 District of Humboldt (headquarters at Fort Humboldt) December 12, 1861 – July 27, 1865 District of Utah (headquarters at Fort Douglas). August 6, 1862 – July 27, 1865 District of Arizona (headquarters at Prescott) March 7, 1865 – July 27, 1865

Reorganized out of existence On June 27, 1865, the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Department of the Pacific, consisting of the Department of the Columbia that now consisted of the state of Oregon and the territories of Washington and Idaho and the expanded Department of California that now consisted of the states of California and Nevada and the Territory of New Mexico and Territory of Arizona.

Philippine Expedition On 30 May 1898, Gen. Wesley Merritt established in San Francisco the Headquarters, US Expeditionary Forces and Department of the Pacific for the campaign to support Adm. Dewey's forces in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War.Stephen D. Coats, Gathering at the Golden Gate: Mobilizing for the war in the Philippines (Ft. Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute, 2006)

At the end of March 1900, the complexities involved in dealing with the guerrillas and governing the islands led to the transformation of what had been the Department of the Pacific into the Philippine Department with four geographical departments, each of which was, in turn, divided into military districts. This step also brought an end to the Eighth Corps.

See also Arizona in the American Civil War California in the Civil War Idaho in the American Civil War Washington in the American Civil War Nevada in the American Civil War New Mexico in the American Civil War Oregon in the American Civil War Utah in the American Civil War

References

External links Militarymuseum.org: "Proposed Invasion of California from Texas"