California State Militia and National Guard Unit Histories

Los Angeles Guard

 

 

Assigned to: 1st Brigade, California Militia (after 1866, National Guard of California)
Location: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County

Organized: July 23, 1853

Mustered into the National Guard: September 8, 1874
Mustered out: May 1, 1881

 

 

Papers on file at the California State Archives:

a. Organization Papers 1 document (1853)
b. Bonds 1 document (1853)
c. Correspondence (Unclassified letters) 51 documents (1854-1879)
d. Election Returns 8 documents (1876-1879)
e. Exempt Certificates, Applications for none
f. Muster Rolls, Monthly returns 28 documents (1874-1879)
g. Oaths Qualifications 138 documents (1874-1879)
h. Orders none
i. Receipts, invoices 8 documents (1853-1879)
j. Requisitions 8 documents (1874-1879)
k. Resignations 2 documents (1875-1876)
l. Target Practice Reports 4 documents (1876-1879)
m. Other Military Record, 1 document (1863)
Court Transcript, 1 document (1879) and Dishonorable Discharge, 1 document (1879)

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

John 0. Wheeler, Captain, Date of Rank: July 23, 1853; Commissioned: July 28, 1853

Myron Norton, First Lieutenant, Date of Rank: July 23, 1853; Commissioned: July 28, 1853

 

 

History

The Los Angeles Guard was. organized on July 23,1853, in Los Angeles. John 0. Wheeler was elected Captain and Myron Norton, First Lieutenant. In their. requisition for arms the company requested that seventy-five rifles and accouterments be sent to them immediately, as there were very few arms in the Los Angeles area except what ,was.held by bands of organized villains of the worst type. The members preferred rifles as part of the time they would be engaged in cavalry routine, especially when dealing with gangs of robbers or raiding bands of Indians.

 

The Los Angeles Guard received their arms and equipment on December ninth. It was regrettable that the minute books of the early volunteer militia companies were not preserved for no doubt they would furnish interesting history for the readers of today. But no records of the activities of this company could be found, although it was certain that the unit was actively engaged in stamping out lawlessness in that region

 

 

Extract from and link to the Official History of the Los Angeles Guard:

 

"On November 24, 1880 the Adjutant General ordered Major J.A. Dinsmore to hold an inspection of the Los Angeles Guard. Apparently, the Major found so much dissention and ill feeling in this unit that its continuance as a Volunteer Militia Company would be folly, so on May 1, 1881 the Los Angeles Guard was mustered out of service leaving Los Angeles without any military unit subject to the command of the National Guard, to protect its citizens against Indian depredations." Outline History of the California National Guard, Vol. 3, pp. 695-696.

 

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

 

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Updated 8 February 2016