California Column

The California Column was a force to lay back during the Civil War more than 900 miles. Their route ran from California through New Mexico territory to the Rio Grande and then through West Texas.

At the time this was the longest distance ever carried out by the military through desert terrain. The California Column was from April to August 1862 on the road and consisted of volunteers from the Northern States.

List

The California Column originally consisted of 10 companies of the First California Infantry, five companies of the First Regiment of California Volunteer Cavalry, of Company B, the Second Regiment of California Volunteer Cavalry, and a battery from the Third U.S. Artillery.

This command consisted of 1500 men. Later Lt came. Colonel George W. Bowie's Fifth California Infantry on what led to the band from 2350 consisted men.

Expedition

The goal of their commander Colonel James Henry Carleton ( was later appointed Brigadier General ) to drive the Confederate troops from New Mexico, which of these has been occupied for over a year, was.

The soldiers of the California Column started from Fort Yuma and marched along the Gila River. Like the Confederate Army of New Mexico (also known as Sibley Brigade ) they were traveling in smaller groups in the interval of a few days, so that the men and horses were not too exhausted.

They followed the route of the Butterfield Overland Mail. The postal stations had stored supplies and grains that spies from the northern states had stockpiled there before the invasion.

Fighting in Arizona

Confederate volunteers from Arizona destroyed along the route of the California Column whose stocks which weakened them and slowed.

The experiments of Colonel James Carleton to General ERS Canby, commander of the northern states of New Mexico to let messages get failed. In addition, a patrol at the White Mill was intercepted by Confederates.

The California Column and the Confederates met in two skirmishes, one was the battle at Stanwix Station, the other was the battle at Picacho Pass. Subsequently, the column was on the way to Tucson rapid progress so that they almost reached the rearguard of the Confederacy.

It was not until the end of June succeeded a scout named John W. Jones to leave the Apaches pursuing him behind and to convey the message that the General Canby California Column is on the way.

On the march to the Rio Grande fought 140 men of Company E of the First California Infantry and Company B of the Second Infantry California the famous leader of the Apaches, Cochise at Apache Pass. As the California Column reached the Rio Grande, the Confederates had already retired to Texas.

The services of the California Column lay next to the struggles against the Apaches and the Navajo, primarily in the occupation of settlements and forts in New Mexico territory and Franklin in Texas.