1st California Cavalry Battalion

1st Battalion, Native Cavalry, California Volunteers
Active 1863–1866
Country United States
Allegiance United States
Union
Branch Army
Type Cavalry (Lancers)
Equipment Colt Army Pistol
Lance
US Model 1840 Heavy Cavalry Saber
Sharps Carbine
Commanders
Notable
commanders
General Andrés Pico
Major Salvador Vallejo
Major John C. Cremony

The 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers was a cavalry battalion in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Recruits were largely drawn from the Californio population (colloquially known as "Native Californians"), though its ranks included Yaqui and Mission Indians as well as immigrants from Mexico, Latin America and Europe (particularly France). In addition to its ethnic makeup, the Battalion is also considered unusual for being one of the few lancer units in the United States Army.[1]

The Battalion spent its entire term of service in California and Arizona Territory.[2]

Commanders

Company assignments

Service in Arizona

After a grueling march across the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, the Battalion arrived at their new duty station, Fort Mason, near the settlement of Calabazas on the border in August, 1865. They were joined there by Companies D, E, and G of the 7th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry. From there, the Battalion was to act against the Apaches as well as patrol the International Line against incursions by the forces of the Mexican Empire and its French allies. The neighboring Mexican State of Sonora had recently fallen to Imperial forces (as part of the French Intervention), forcing Governor Ignacio Pesqueira to flee northward and take up temporary residence at Calabazas.[11]

Service at Fort Mason was generally considered miserable. Because of its somewhat swampy (by Arizona standards) location on the banks of the Santa Cruz River, the men suffered from an epidemic which at one point rendered over half of them too sick for duty and led to 8 deaths, including two of the Battalion's officers.[12] The post suffered from supply problems as well. These conditions caused construction of permanent buildings at the post to slow to a halt, leaving the men to live in tents and temporary brush shelters during their service there and generally curtailing, for a time, operations against the Apaches.[13]

These difficulties did not preclude all active service, however, from time to time, the Battalion was able to organize patrols and scouts. Notably, shortly after their arrival at Fort Mason, Captain Pico led a detachment across the border to Magdalena, Sonora in an unsuccessful effort to recover deserters being held by Imperialist forces there. Likewise, in November, 1865, in response to a cross-border incursion at the settlement of San Rafael by Col. Refugio Tanori and some 350 Opata militia loyal to the Imperialists, a force of Native Cavalrymen pursued the raiders as far south as Ímuris, Sonora. Finally, the Battalion participated in a campaign against the Apaches from December 1865 to January 1866 which took them as far east as the Chiricahua Mountains and as far south as Fronteras, Sonora.[14]

The Battalion left Arizona in February, 1866 and were mustered out in California the following March at Drum Barracks, and Company C in April in San Francisco.[15]

References

  1. Prezelski, Tom, "Lives of the Californio Lancers, The First Battalion of Native California Cavalry, 1863–1866" The Journal of Arizona History, Spring 1999.
  2. Orton, Richard H. Records of California Men In The War of the Rebellion 1861 to 1867, California Adjutant-General's Office, 1890 pp. 304–320
  3. Orton. p. 304
  4. Orton. p. 304
  5. Orton. pp. 304, 307
  6. Orton, Records..., p. 306
  7. Orton, Records..., p. 306
  8. Orton, Records..., pp. 305, 306
  9. Orton, Records..., pp. 306, 315
  10. Orton, Records..., p. 306
  11. Tom Prezelski, Lives of the California Lancers, The First Battalion of Native California Cavalry, 1863–1866, article presented at the 1998 joint New Mexico-Arizona Historical Convention in Santa Fe.
  12. Tom Prezelski, Lives..., note 35. Constance Wynn Altshuler, "Camp Moore and Fort Mason", Journal of the Council on Abandoned Military Posts, vol. 26 (Winter 1976), pp. 34–36; Sacramento Union, October 19, 1865.
  13. Tom Prezelski, Lives..., note 44. Returns, Companies A, B, C, and D, NCC, MNG.
  14. Tom Prezelski, Lives...
  15. Tom Prezelski, Lives...
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