Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is a California state park, located in Eureka, California, United States. Its displays interpret the former U.S. Army fort, which was staffed from 1853–1870, the interactions between European Americans and Native Americans in roughly the same period, logging equipment and local narrow gauge railroad history of the region. Within the collection, there are trains, logging equipment, including a fully functional Steam Donkey engine, and an authentic Native American dug-out canoe. The Fort overlooks Humboldt Bay from atop a bluff. The North Coast regional headquarters of the California State Parks system is located onsite.
California's involvement in the American Civil War included sending gold east to support the war effort, recruiting volunteer combat units to replace regular U.S. Army units sent east, in the area west of the Rocky Mountains, maintaining and building numerous camps and fortifications, suppressing secessionist activity and securing the New Mexico Territory against the Confederacy. The State of California did not send its units east, but many citizens traveled east and joined the Union Army there, some of whom became famous.
The 4th California Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment recruited from northern California during the American Civil War. It was organized at Sacramento, Placerville, and Auburn in September and October 1861.
During the American Civil War, Army reorganization created the Department of the Pacific on January 15, 1861. On December 12, 1861, the District of Humboldt was created, consisting of the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, Klamath, and Del Norte in Northern California. The district was headquartered at Fort Humboldt, located on a bluff above the central portion of Humboldt Bay south of Eureka, California, which is now a California State Historic Park located within the City of Eureka. The District's efforts were directed at prosecuting the ongoing Bald Hills War against the Indians in the northern, coastal area of the large district. A peace was achieved in August 1864.
Camp Grant is a ghost town in Humboldt County located on the South Fork Eel River 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Weott and 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Dyerville. It was originally settled by Northern Sinkyone people, followed by a Union Army camp and later a logging and railroad support settlement for the construction of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.
The 1st Kansas Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. On August 10, 1861, at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, the regiment suffered 106 soldiers killed in action or mortally wounded, one of the highest numbers of fatalities suffered by any Union infantry regiment in a single engagement during the American Civil War.
Fort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles (23 km) from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. It was located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. Fort Gaston as part of the Humboldt Military District was intended to control the Hupa Indians and to protect them from hostile white settlers. The post was named for 2nd Lieutenant William Gaston, of the First Dragoons, who had been killed May 17, 1858, during the Spokane–Coeur d'Alene–Paloos War.
The 3rd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. This regiment was organized at Stockton and at Benicia Barracks, from October 31 to December 31, 1861, to serve three years. The regiment was first commanded by Colonel Patrick Edward Connor. After the formation of the regiment at Stockton, four companies were sent to Humboldt County during the month of November, 1861. During the month of July, 1862, Colonel Connor was sent, with his regiment, to the District of Utah, in which it was on duty for the balance of its term of service.
The 2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States. Organized at San Francisco and Carson City September 2, 1861, to December 30, 1862, and attached to Department of the Pacific. The regiment was first assembled at the Presidio, San Francisco, and after completing its organization, five companies were sent to Oregon and Washington Territory, to relieve the regular troops, and two companies were sent to Santa Barbara. The troops of this regiment sent to Oregon were afterwards returned to California. It was mustered out during the month of October, 1864.
The 6th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States attached to the Department of the Pacific. The Regiment was organized at Benicia Barracks, San Francisco on February 1, 1863. 6th Regiment mustered out from October 25 to December 20, 1865. The only recorded engagements of the Regiment occurred with the detachment sent to the Humboldt Military District in 1864, near the end of the Bald Hills War. It had engagements with the Indians in the Skirmish at Booth's Run, May 1 and Kneeland's Prairie May 2, near Boynton's Prairie May 6 and at Grouse Creek May 23.
1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers was an infantry battalion in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States, attached to the Department of the Pacific. It was organized from men from the counties of Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Klamath, Siskiyou, and Del Norte, and other parts of California, between May 30, 1863, and March 16, 1864, for special service in the redwood forests and mountains that was being fought over in the Bald Hills War in Humboldt County within the Humboldt Military District. The Battalion mustered out June 14, 1865.
Camp Mattole, was a temporary post of a detachment of California Volunteer Mountaineers fighting the Bald Hills War, in early 1864.
Francis James Lippitt was an American lawyer and veteran of the Mexican–American War, the Bald Hills War and the American Civil War. For the later he was made a brevet brigadier general.
Camp Bidwell, later Camp Chico, was a U.S. Army post during the American Civil War. Camp Bidwell was named for John Bidwell, the founder of the nearby town of Chico, California, and a brigadier general of the California Militia. It was established a mile outside Chico, by Lt. Col. Ambrose E. Hooker with Company A, 6th California Infantry, on August 26, 1863. Although a Company F, 2nd California Cavalry and Company K, 2nd California Infantry under Captain Augustus W. Starr had been there from July 31, 1863, Lt. Col. Hooker moved the camp to a new location for its better defense and for better sanitation.
Daley's Ferry Post was located at Daley's Ferry crossing of the Mad River nearly three miles from the town of Arcata in Humboldt County. On June 6, 1862 the ferry had been attacked by Native Americans:
Headquarters Humboldt Military District,
Fort Humboldt, June 8, 1862.
Major: I have the honor to report that on the 6th instant, at 4 p. m., the house or hotel at Daley's Ferry, on Mad River, about five miles from Arcata, and on the most constantly traveled trail, was attacked by a band of Indians, some fifty or sixty in number, all well armed with rifles and shotguns. There were but two soldiers stationed there, as the owner deemed it hardly necessary to have any guard so near to town, and on a public highway. The Indians opened the attack by a volley from the brush. Private Bacon was wounded in the groin at the first fire, but he and his comrade, Private Wyatt, rushed to the house and commenced firing from the windows. Daley also ran to the house, but leaving his family behind, he seized his rifle and fled to his boat in the river. Our soldiers, thus left alone, directed the women and children to endeavor to reach the boat, and they would remain and keep the Indians at bay. The family were successful in making good their escape to the boat, when our men, keeping up their fire, retired slowly, both being now wounded and faint from the loss of blood. Wyatt only was able to reach the boat. Bacon concealed himself behind a log in the brush, and from that position saw and counted twenty-seven Indians who entered the house, pillaged and set it on fire. The party in the boat were immediately fired upon by about twenty Indians on the opposite bank. An old lady, mother of Mrs. Daley, was struck by three balls and killed. Mrs. Daley was wounded in the arm, and Private Wyatt was again wounded, and in the arm under the shoulder, the ball grazing his breast, he being in the act of firing. His first wound was in the groin, and similar to that of Bacon. They were then forced to put back to the shore, escaping into the brush. Mrs. Daley struggling along with two children at last fell from exhaustion, upon which her husband cowardly abandoned her, throwing his infant that was in his arms into the bushes and making for Arcata. Some Indians came up to Mrs. Daley, robbed her of her rings and purse, and said they would not "kill white squaw. " The brave woman made another effort and walked some distance; then taking off off some of her clothing wrapped it around the two eldest, hid them in the bushes and kept on, carrying her infant in her arms, one of which was torn open from the elbow to the wrist by a rifle bullet. She was rescued at last by people from Arcata who came out for the purpose, and who by her directions found the children calmly sleeping at about 2 a. m. Our wounded men were also found, and are now in the hospital at this post, their wounds, though severe, not proving dangerous. I hired man is missing and supposed to be killed, and the Indians carried off a nephew of Mrs. Daley, about five years old. I beg leave most respectfully to bring to the notice of the general commanding Private Joseph N. Bacon, Company I, and Private Henry H. Wyatt, Company H, Second Infantry California Volunteers, for admirable coolness and bravery under the most trying circumstances. I omitted to mention that the soldiers finding themselves disabled put their arms out of the reach of the Indians, one hiding his musket in the brush the other throwing his piece into the stream.
I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,
Jas. N. Olney,
Lieutenant Colonel Second Infty. Colonel Vols., Commanding Humboldt Mil. Dist.
Major R. C. Drum, U. S. Army,
Assistant Adjutant-General, San Francisco.:
Stephen Girard Whipple was a 49er, newspaper editor, politician, and a Union officer commanding an all-volunteer Battalion of Mountaineers and the Humboldt Military District in the Bald Hills War against the Indians in northwest California during the American Civil War. After the Civil War, he was an officer in the U. S. Army serving in the Apache Wars and in the Nez Perce War, at various frontier posts.
Fort Wright, was an Army post located in the Round Valley of Mendocino County, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) s northwest of the present town of Covelo, California. The principal duty of the garrison was to protect the Round Valley Indian Reservation's Indians from the intrusions, thefts and attacks of white settlers. From 1858, Federal troops had garrisoned the Round Valley Reservation until they were sent east in late 1861.
James Freeman Curtis II, participant in the 1849 California Gold Rush, Chief of Police of San Francisco, officer in the California state militia and volunteer in the American Civil War.
The Department of the Northwest was an U.S. Army Department created on September 6, 1862, to put down the Sioux uprising in Minnesota. Major General John Pope was made commander of the Department. At the end of the Civil War the Department was redesignated the Department of Dakota.
