1st Regiment, California Cavalry (Union)

United States   U.S. Military    California     California Military    California in the Civil War   1st Regiment, California Cavalry (Union)

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, California Cavalry was first organized as a battalion of 5 Companies at Camp Merchant, near Oakland, California, and mustered in as follows: Company "A," August 16; Company "B," October 31; Company "C," October 31; Company "D," September 9, and Company "E," August 15, 1861.

7 new Companies organized and mustered in as follows: Company "F," December 15; Company "G," June 13; Company "H," December 31; Company "I," November 12; Company "K," May 16; Company "L," August 15, and Company "M," May 16, 1863.

The regiment was at Fort McDowell, February, 1866. It mustered out March 6 to October 19, 1866.

For additional history, see


 * The California State Military Museum, California in the Civil War: Regiments of the California Volunteers in Federal Service, 1st Regiment of Cavalry, (accessed 26 March 2012).
 * Richard H. Orton, Adjutant-General of California, Records of California in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1867, pages 68-86.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - many men enrolled in San Francisco in San Francisco County and Oroville in Butte County. Roster.

Company B - originally organized at Camp Merchang in August 1861 for 3 years. When first enlistment expired in August 1864, the company was reorganized at Fort Sumner, New Mexico by the reenlistment of part of the original members and recruits from other organizations of California Volunteers who had mustered out in New Mexico. It mustered out as an organization September 10, 1866.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘California in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * California in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for California, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.