California Militia
and National Guard Unit Histories
Sierra Greys
(Sierra County Blues)
Official or Other Titles: Sierra
Greys, Sierra Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, California
Militia
Location: La
Porte, Sierra County
Mustered in: October
9, 1858
Mustered Out:
December 9, 1861
Papers on file at the California State
Archives:
a. Organization Papers none
b. Bonds none
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 8 documents (1859-1861)
d. Election Returns 1 document (1861)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 2 documents (1859-1860)
g. Oaths Qualifications none
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices none
j. Requisitions none
k. Resignations none
l. Target Practice
Commanding Officers
Creed Haymond, Captain; Commissioned October
9, 1858
Eli B. Evans, First Lieutenant; Commissioned October 9, 1858
W. S. Parvins, Captain; Elected July 24,
1861; Commissioned August 29,1861
N. B. Dover, First Lieutenant; Elected July 24, 1861; Commissioned
August 29,1861
Official History
La Porte, Sierra County, was named by Frank
Everts, a leading spirit of the town in honor of his old home
in Indiana. In 1866, the State Legislature changed the county
boundaries giving to Plumas County the section wherein lay La
Porte. (1) Civic minded residents believing that a season of peace
was the time to prepare for war, banded themselves together to
form a volunteer military organization so as to have protection
for the immediate vicinity, as the settlement was located in a
section of the country where hostile Indians often times besieged
the pioneers, increasing their troubles and 'hardships. At the
organization meeting of the new unit of militia, October 9, 1858,
the company was designated as the Sierra Greys to be a part of
the Sierra Battalion. The same officers, Captain Creed Haymond
and First Lieutenant Eli B. Evans who had been elected at the
organization meeting, were retained until the election of July
1861.
The town of La Porte was planning a Fourth
of July celebration and the committee in charge of the affair
had engaged Colonel E. D. Baker to deliver the oration of the
day for which he was paid $1,000. William S. Byrne was engaged
as the poet for the occasion. The military company not liking
this expensive arrangement also invited Moses Kirkpatrick and
Matthew Taylor, two of their militia friends, to be orator and
poet. As a result, there were two orations delivered and two
poems read. The "militia boys" made the most noise,
much to the disgust of the "nobs", as the committee
was called in patriotic fervor. (2)
It was not until the thirtieth of June
1859, before the new company was given arms, which were not in
good condition when turned over from the Nevada Rifles. Captain Haymond at the same
time was borrowing ten guns from Captain Ager of the National Guard of Downieville, in order that
both the Sierra Greys and the Gibsonville Blues could have enough equipment
for drilling routine.
,
An opportunity came for this company to give their services to
their country. The Indian depredations in Washoe necessitated
the calling out of troops to go to the aid of that district.
The Sierra Greys, sixty strong armed and equipped men, tendered
their services for the Washoe War. They were ready to march at
a moment's notice and to take their chances for pay from the
Federal Government. The company's offer was accepted and it served
as a part of the Sierra Battalion under command of Major Hungerford.
This battalion was subsequently a part of the Utah Regiment under
the command of Colonel John C. Hays until discharged, June 10,
1860 (3)
In the early part of the year of 1861,
California began preparations to tender her military forces for
services in the United States Army. On July twenty-fourth the
Sierra Greys as an infantry unit for the second time unanimously
resolved, "To tender the services of the company to the
Government to be used at any time and place they may be needed,"
and requested of Governor Downey that he give favorable consideration
to their company on the first requisition made by the Federal
Government for State troops. The company's offer was later accepted
and it went into the United States Army as a part of Company
F, First Regiment of Infantry, California Volunteers with Captain
Parvin as one of the two Captains of the new corps. There is
no mustering out date for the Sierra Greys other than a letter
from Adjutant-General Kibbe to the Captain, December 9, 1861,
requesting the return of the company's arms so that the Bond
could be canceled for the same. Captain Haymond replied to the
General that the arms had been sent to Downieville and from there
to the Washoe War. The Captain also stated that the guns had
been left at Downieville, and were not in good condition; that
they belonged to the Sierra Battalion and were in charge of Captain
Ager of the National Guard of that city.
Company F, First Regiment of Infantry,
California Volunteers, was formally assembled and organized at
Camp Downey, which was named in honor of the Governor of the
State. On January 1, 1862, Company F left Fort Yuma and after
long marches and resting points arrived at Fort Craig, New Mexico,
October 4, 1862, a total distance of 750 miles. On the eighteenth
of June the same year, Sergeant Wheeling, a former member of
the Sierra Greys, was massacred by Indians in the Apache Pass,
while en route to the Rio Grande, carrying express. The company
was sent from Fort Craig to Socorro County for Indian scouting
during the year of 1864, marching 600 miles. Company F, First
Regiment of Infantry was mustered out of the service of the United
States Army at Los Pinos, New Mexico, August 31, 1864, and those
members whose terms had not expired were consolidated into a
Battalion of seven companies and known as the First Veteran Infantry,
California Volunteers.
Footnotes
(1) History Plumas, Lassen and Sierra
Counties, California; Fariss and Smith, 1882, page 291.
(2) History Plumas, Lassen and Sierra
Counties, California.; Fariss and Smith, 1882, page 292,
calls the company the Sierra County Blues.
(3) Letter and telegram, State Archives.
This history was written
in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction
with the Office of the Adjutant General and the California State
Library