California Militia and National
Guard Unit Histories
Santa Barbara Mounted Riflemen
Official title: Santa
Barbara Mounted Riflement, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, California
Militia
Location: Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County
Mustered in: January 6, 1854 Mustered out: 1856
Commanding Officers
Henry Carnes, Captain,
Commissioned: January 6, 1854
C. R. V. Lee, First Lieutenant, Commissioned: January 6,1854
Unit papers on file
at the California State Archives:
a. Organization Papers 1 document (1854)
b. Bonds 1 document (1854)
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 15 documents (1854-1861)
d. Election Returns none
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 1 document (1854)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 2 documents (1854)
j. Requisitions 2 documents (1854)
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice Reports none
m. Other none
History
The Santa Barbara: Mounted
Riflemen consisted of seventy men and was organized January .6;
1854 after the Federal Government had authorized the Governor
of California to issue a call for volunteers for the express
purpose of maintianing law and order as the Indians were giving
much trouble to the emigrants coming into the State of California.
The principal duties.of
the-Mounted Rifle company consisted.of patrolling the trails
and acting,as escorts to the trains of covered wagons:through.hostile
territory and giving armed protection in case of.Indian raids.
No reports were ever sent in to the Adjutant General's Office
regarding their activities, and the only official record available
concerning this company
was. their list of officers and organization date sent in with
a Bond of $2,500 as security for their rifles and accoutrements.
Many companies such as
the Mounted Rifles were organized and after their active service
was over were placed in reserve to be called upon by the local
Sheriff in case of need. This seems to have been the case of
the Santa Barbara Mounted Riflemen, for no further record of
the company was found. In the year 1856 the Santa Barbara Mounted
Riflemen was believed to have disbanded and their arms placed
in the hands of the Sheriff of Santa Barbara County.(1)
Footnotes
(1) Adjutant General
Report 1860, page 32
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