District of Oregon (military)
Encyclopedia
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
command department
Department (United States Army)
Department, is a term used, by the U.S. Army, mostly prior to World War I. In 1920, most of the departments were redesignated as corps areas. However, the Hawaiian, Panama Canal, and Philippine Departments retained their old names...
formed during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The district was part of the independent Department of the Pacific
Department of the Pacific
The Department of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:The Department of the Pacific was first organized on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, taking over from the previous Pacific Division. The department reported directly to...
reconstituted by consolidating the Departments of California
Department of California
The Department of California was one of two Army Departments created September 13, 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific and was composed of the territory of the United States lying west of the Rocky Mountains and south of Oregon and Washington territories, except the Rogue River...
and Oregon
Department of Oregon
The Department of Oregon was one of two Army Departments created September 13, 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific and was composed of the Territories of Washington and Oregon, except the Rogue River and Umpqua Districts, which were assigned to the Department of California. Its...
, which was created on January 15, 1861 when the Army was reorganized. The district was created the same day, and comprised the same territory as the former Department of Oregon
Department of Oregon
The Department of Oregon was one of two Army Departments created September 13, 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific and was composed of the Territories of Washington and Oregon, except the Rogue River and Umpqua Districts, which were assigned to the Department of California. Its...
, the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(except for the areas of the Rogue River
Rogue River (Oregon)
The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
and Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
in Southern Oregon) and Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
, with headquarters at Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
in Washington Territory. On March 3, 1865 the district included Idaho Territory
Idaho Territory
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
after it was formed from the eastern part of Washington Territory. On March 14, 1865, the District of Oregon was extended to include the entire state of Oregon.
District of Oregon commanders
- Colonel George WrightGeorge Wright (general)George Wright was an American soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, January 15, 1861 - September 13, 1861. - Colonel Benjamin L. Beall, September 13, 1861 - October 23, 1861.
- Lieutenant Colonel Albemarle Cady, October 23, 1861 - May 5, 1862
- Colonel Justus SteinbergerJustus SteinbergerJustus Steinberger, was Colonel of the 1st Regiment Washington Territory Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War. Born in Pennsylvania, before the Civil War he was employed as agent for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and the Adams Express Company in Portland, Oregon...
May 5, 1862 - July 7, 1862 - Brigadier General Benjamin AlvordBenjamin Alvord (mathematician)Benjamin Alvord was an American soldier, mathematician, and botanist.-Early life and career:Alvord was born in Rutland, Vermont, where he developed an interest in nature. He attended the United States Military Academy and displayed a talent in mathematics. He graduated in 1833. He was assigned to...
, July 7, 1862 - March 23, 1865 - Colonel Reuben F. MauryReuben F. MauryReuben F. Maury was a colonel of the 1st Oregon Cavalry during the American Civil War, and the last commander of the District of Oregon in 1865....
, March 23, 1865 - June 27, 1865
On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific
Military Division of the Pacific
The Military Division of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W...
was created under Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Department of the Pacific. It consisted of the Department of the Columbia
Department of the Columbia
The Department of the Columbia was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W...
replacing the District of Oregon and the Department of California
Department of California
The Department of California was one of two Army Departments created September 13, 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific and was composed of the territory of the United States lying west of the Rocky Mountains and south of Oregon and Washington territories, except the Rogue River...
. George Wright, now a U. S. Army Brigadier General, was assigned to command the new Department of the Columbia.
Posts in the District of Oregon
- Fort ColvilleFort ColvilleThe trade center Fort Colville was built by the Hudson's Bay Company at Kettle Falls on the Columbia River, a few miles west of the present site of Colville, Washington in 1825, to replace Spokane House as a regional trading center, as the latter was deemed to be too far from the Columbia River...
, Washington Territory, 1825–1870 - Fort SteilacoomFort SteilacoomFor the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom ParkFort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become Washington...
, Washington Territory, (1849–1868) - Fort DallesFort DallesFort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans...
, Oregon, 1850–1867 - Fort VancouverFort VancouverFort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
, Washington Territory 1853-1879 - Fort BellinghamFort BellinghamFort Bellingham was a U.S. Army fort built to prevent attacks by Indians from Canada and from Russian territory, on the bayside villages of Fairhaven, Sehome and Whatcom....
, Washington Territory (1855–1860) - Fort CascadesFort CascadesFort Cascades was a United States Army fort constructed in 1855 to protect the portage road around the final section of the Cascades Rapids, known as the "lower cascades." It was built on the Washington side of the Columbia River, between the present site of North Bonneville and the Bonneville...
, Washington Territory (1855–1861) - Fort YamhillFort YamhillFort Yamhill was an American military fortification in what became the state of Oregon. Built in 1856 in the Oregon Territory, it remained an active post until 1866. The Army outpost was used to provide a presence next to the Grand Ronde Agency Coastal Reservation...
, Oregon (1856–1866) - Fort TownsendFort Townsend State ParkFort Townsend State Park, formerly Old Fort Townsend State Park, in Jefferson County, Washington is a marine camping park in the Washington State Parks. It consists of of wooded land with of saltwater shoreline on Port Townsend Bay. Available activities include hiking, boating, fishing,...
, Washington Territory (1856–1861) - Fort Walla WallaFort Walla WallaFort Walla Walla is a fort located in Walla Walla, Washington. It was established in 1858. Today, the complex contains a park, a museum, and a hospital.Fort Walla Walla should be distinguished from Fort Nez Percés or Old Fort Walla Walla ....
, Washington Territory 1856-1911 - Fort HoskinsFort HoskinsFort Hoskins was one of three "forts" built by the U.S. Army to monitor the Coastal Indian Reservation in Oregon in the mid- 19th century. The Fort Hoskins Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- History :The post was begun in 1856 on the Luckiamute River under the...
, Oregon, 1857–1865 - Siletz Blockhouse, Oregon 1858-1866
- Camp PickettSan Juan Island National Historical ParkSan Juan Island National Historical Park, also known as American and English Camps, San Juan Island, is a U.S. National Historical Park owned and operated by the National Park Service on San Juan Island in the state of Washington. The park is made up of the sites of the British and U.S. Armies'...
, Washington Territory (1859–1863)- Post of San JuanSan Juan Island National Historical ParkSan Juan Island National Historical Park, also known as American and English Camps, San Juan Island, is a U.S. National Historical Park owned and operated by the National Park Service on San Juan Island in the state of Washington. The park is made up of the sites of the British and U.S. Armies'...
, Washington Territory (1863–1867)
- Post of San Juan
- Camp ChehalisCamp ChehalisCamp Chehalis 1860 - 1861, sometimes referred to as Fort Chehalis, was located at the mouth of the Chehalis River near Hoquiam and Grays Harbor, Washington Territory. It was established in 1860 by Captain Maurice Maloney and a garrison of three other officers and 52 enlisted men. Abandoned by the...
, Washington Territory (1860–1861) - Camp Baker, Oregon 1862-1865,
- Camp Barlow, Oregon, 1862
- Camp Clackamas, Oregon, 1862
- Post at Cape DisappointmentCape Disappointment State ParkCape Disappointment State Park, formerly known as Fort Canby State Park, is a park located southwest of Ilwaco, Washington. The park is located on the southern part of Long Beach Peninsula, which is fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park is one of several state parks and sites in Washington and...
, Washington Territory, 1862-1864- Fort Cape Disappointment, Washington Territory, 1864–1875
- Camp LapwaiCamp LapwaiCamp Lapwai was established by Company E, 1st Regiment Washington Territory Volunteer Infantry when after being mustered in at Alcatraz, they were ordered on October 19, 1862 to Camp Lapwai near the Nez Perce Agency...
, Idaho Territory, 1862- Fort LapwaiFort LapwaiFort Lapwai , a Federal fort now in the Nez Perce National Historical Park, was originally called Camp Lapwai until 1863. It was located on the left bank of the Lapwai River three miles above where it joined the Clearwater River...
, Idaho Territory, 1862–1884
- Fort Lapwai
- Fort Boise, Idaho Territory, 1863–1912
- Post at Grand Ronde Indian Agency or Fort Lafayette, Oregon 1863,
- Fort HallFort HallFort Hall, sitting athwart the end of the common stretch shared by the three far west emigrant trails was a 19th century outpost in the eastern Oregon Country, which eventually became part of the present-day United States, and is located in southeastern Idaho near Fort Hall, Idaho...
, Idaho Territory, 1863–1865 - Fort Klamath, Oregon, 1863–1890
- Fort at Point AdamsFort Stevens (Oregon)Fort Stevens was an American military installation that guarded the mouth of the Columbia River in the state of Oregon. Built near the end of the American Civil War, it was named for slain Civil War general and former Washington Territory governor, Isaac Stevens. The fort was an active military...
, Oregon 1863-? - Camp Alvord, Oregon 1864-1866
- Camp Dalgren, Oregon 1864
- Camp HendersonCamp HendersonCamp Henderson was a military outpost in the District of Oregon in 1864, built on Crooked Creek about five miles from where it joins the Owyhee River, 330 miles from Walla Walla. The camp was located at the foot of cliffs on the east side of the valley south of an historical marker located along...
, Oregon, 1864-1866 - Camp Lincoln, Oregon 1864
- Camp Maury, Oregon 1864
- Camp Russell, Oregon 1864-1865
- Camp WatsonCamp WatsonCamp Watson, was a military camp first established by Oregon Volunteers in 1864, near Mitchell, Oregon, on Rock Creek, on the headwaters of John Day River. It was palisaded and had several log buildings built by the Volunteers to protect the Dalles to Canyon City wagon route from Snake Indians at...
, Oregon 1864-1869 - Camp Colfax, Oregon, 1865, 1867
- Camp Currey, Oregon 1865-1866
- Camp Lander, Idaho Territory, 1865-1866
- Camp Logan, Oregon 1865-1868
- Camp Lyon, Idaho 1865-1869
- Camp PolkCamp Polk (Oregon)Camp Polk was a former army camp in the U.S. state of Oregon that was established in Deschutes County in 1865. It was a post of the District of Oregon. One of nine camps created during a time of conflict between settlers and Native Americans, it was located three miles northeast of the present-day...
, Oregon 1865-1866 - Camp Reed, Idaho Territory 1865-1866
- Camp on Silvies River, Oregon ?
- Camp Wright, Oregon 1865-1866
- Old Camp Warner, Oregon 1866-1867
- Camp WarnerCamp WarnerCamp Warner was a United States Army outpost in south-central Oregon, United States. Camp Warner was located at two different sites approximately apart. The Army called both sites Camp Warner. However, the first site became known as Old Camp Warner. It was used as winter quarters in 1866–1867 and...
, Oregon 1867-1874
See also
- Idaho in the American Civil WarIdaho in the American Civil WarThe history of Idaho in the American Civil War is atypical, as the territory was far from the battlefields.At the start of the Civil War, modern-day Idaho was part of the Washington Territory. On March 3, 1863, the Idaho Territory was formed, consisting of the entirety of modern day Idaho, Montana,...
- Montana in the American Civil WarMontana in the American Civil WarMontana played little direct role in the American Civil War. The closest the Confederate States Army ever came to Montana was New Mexico and eastern Kansas, each over a thousand miles away...
- Oregon in the American Civil WarOregon in the American Civil WarOregon in the American Civil War refers to the military involvement of Oregon in the American Civil War.At the outbreak of the war, regular U.S. Army troops in the District of Oregon were withdrawn from posts in Oregon and Washington Territory and sent east...
- Washington in the American Civil WarWashington in the American Civil WarThe history of Washington in the American Civil War is atypical, as the territory was the most remote from the battlefields of the American Civil War. Although the Indian Wars in Washington were recent, there were no Indian hosilities within the area of modern Washington state, unlike the rest of...
- Snake WarSnake WarThe Snake War was a war fought by the United States of America against the "Snake Indians", the settlers' term for Northern Paiute, Bannock and western Shoshone bands who lived along the Snake River. Fighting took place in the states of Oregon, Nevada, and California, and in Idaho Territory...