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The mountaineers continued operating against
Indians in 1864, Company B in a skirmish near Boynton's Prairie May 6, 1864. Company C, at the Thomas House, on the Trinity River, May 27, 1864, and in operations in the Trinity Valley September 1-December 3, 1864. The mountaineer companies held the fort
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On
December 25, 1863, a battle with the Indians took place near Fort Gaston. The Indians holed up in several log buildings, firing at companies B and C of the mountaineers from rifle ports. Attempting to drive them out the army attacked them with howitzers. At nightfall, with the buildings in ruins,
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In 1861, the district commander proposed to his superiors a gathering of all the local
Indians at Fort Gaston to stage a demonstration of drilling and firepower that would convince them to end hostilities. The idea failed when he said he required six companies of infantry for the demonstration. At
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Company I, 2nd
Regiment California Volunteer Infantry from April 20, 1862, joined the Fort Gaston garrison, also serving there until June 1863. Company I was in action, at the skirmish at Fort Gaston August 6, 1862 and the affair at Little River August 23, 1862.
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relieved 2nd
Regiment as garrison of Fort Gaston. Company D later reinforced them. These units were involved in various skirmishes during 1863, at Oak Camp June 6, Thomas' Ranch November 12, Trinity River November 13 and Willow Creek November 17.
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lands to exterminate them. He was able to turn them back that time but the Hupa worried about their safety and began gathering their own weapons while petitioning for a fort as well. Founded in
December 1859, and first manned by Captain
623:
The War of the
Rebellion: Volume 35, Part 1 - Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating To Operations On The Pacific Coast From July 1, 1862, To June 30, 1865. United States War Department, Washington: Government Printing Office.
362:, Fort Gaston from the beginning was to keep an eye on the Hupa who were suspected of aiding surrounding tribes in attacks on white settlers, ambushes of mail carriers and of stages in what was called the
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Company F, 2nd
Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was ordered to garrison Fort Gaston from September to November 1862. They were involved in a skirmish at Redwood September 8, 1862.
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Fort Gaston's commander protested the transfer of any more men because it might have dire consequences. he claimed the local settlers would abandon the valley despite building a
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Records of
California men in the war of the rebellion 1861 to 1867 By California. Adjutant General's Office, Sacramento: State Office, J. D. Young, Supt. State Printing. 1890.
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was sent to Fort Gaston
October, 1861, operating against Indians until ordered to San Francisco August 23, 1862. They were involved in a skirmish at Light Prairie, near
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325:(sometimes erroneously called Fort Gaston). That Camp Gaston was also named after 2nd Lt. William Gaston and was founded as an advance base in April 1859 near
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Renamed Camp Gaston in January 1866 it was again redesignated Fort Gaston in April 1867. It was finally abandoned in June 1892, and was turned over the
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In 1889, the United States Fish Commission built a salmon hatchery at Fort Gaston; the station was abandoned in 1898 due to its inaccessibility.
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was ordered to Fort Gaston December 1861, and served there until June 1863. Company K was in action, at Weaversville Crossing, on the
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was ordered to Fort Humboldt April 5, 1865 to replace the mountaineer garrison and served there until mustered out April 18, 1866.
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Company H, 2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry moved to Fort Gaston April 20, 1862 but returned to Fort Humboldt July 1862.
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ordered to Humboldt District December 26, 1863. Arrived there January 12, 1864 serving at Fort Gaston until March 6, 1864.
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Indians and to protect them from hostile white settlers. The post was named for 2nd Lieutenant William Gaston, of the
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Colonel Herbert M. Hart, USMC (retired), Historic California Posts: Fort Gaston(Camp Gaston) (Humboldt County) from
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agent overheard some men in a saloon talking about a large group of armed men that were moving downriver from
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The Civil War Archive: Union Regimental Histories, California, 1st Battalion Mountaineers
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The Civil War Archive: Union Regimental Histories, California, 1st Battalion Cavalry
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The Civil War Archive: Union Regimental Histories, California, 2nd Infantry Regiment
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The Civil War Archive: Union Regimental Histories, California, 3rd Infantry Regiment
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Neither wolf nor dog: American Indians, environment, and agrarian change
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Historic California Posts: Fort Gaston (Camp Gaston) (Humboldt County)
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Peace was finally signed with the Hupa Indians on August 12, 1864.
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The Civil War Archive: Union Regimental Histories, California
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the time regular troops were being pulled from the forts in
526:, published in 1965, The California State Military Museum
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Fort Gaston, from 1866 to 1867 officially designated as
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1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers
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1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers
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507:, Oxford University Press, New York, 1994, pg. 86-87
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407:, July 2, 1862 and near Oak Camp April 30, 1863.
634:The Hoopa Valley Tribal Museum Homepage; History
422:1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers
306:, who had been killed May 17, 1858, during the
255:1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers
8:
245:3rd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry
621:Scott, Robert Nicholson and Henry Martyn,
448:4th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry
401:2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry
390:3rd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry
250:2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry
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457:and became part of the Hupa reservation.
420:From June 1863, companies B and C of the
270:was founded on December 4, 1859, in the
585:Our Home Forever: A Hupa Tribal History
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681:History of Humboldt County, California
661:Former populated places in California
385:, if any more troops were withdrawn.
290:. It was located in what is now the
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666:California in the American Civil War
608:Calisphere University of California
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686:1859 establishments in California
587:, The Hupa Tribe, Hoopa CA, 1978.
358:and 56 men from a company of the
308:Spokane–Coeur d'Alene–Paloos War
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292:Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation
294:. Fort Gaston as part of the
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524:Pioneer Forts of the Far West
317:, is not to be confused with
114:Show map of the United States
480:Located in the Hoopa Valley.
298:was intended to control the
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455:Department of the Interior
296:Humboldt Military District
282:, on the west bank of the
646:Photograph of Fort Gaston
461:Fort Gaston fish hatchery
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676:American Civil War forts
360:4th US Infantry Regiment
347:Weaverville, California
374:to participate in the
327:Palo Verde, California
145:41.05028°N 123.67417°W
84:Show map of California
222:Garrison information
150:41.05028; -123.67417
671:Forts in California
583:Byron Nelson, Jr.,
503:Lewis, David Rich,
396:, August 21, 1862.
280:Northern California
174:54 acres (21.85 ha)
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188:United States Army
433:until June 1865.
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194:Site history
43:Hoopa Valley
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446:Company B,
436:Company A,
399:Company K,
341:In 1858, a
319:Camp Gaston
315:Camp Gaston
268:Fort Gaston
258:Company A,
243:Company D,
148: /
136:123°40′27″W
124:Coordinates
108:Fort Gaston
78:Fort Gaston
33:Camp Gaston
19:Fort Gaston
655:Categories
469:References
383:blockhouse
372:California
331:Mohave War
229:commanders
133:41°03′01″N
47:California
405:Mad River
376:Civil War
321:, on the
240:Occupants
232:Captain
49:in
337:History
272:redwood
204: (
394:Arcata
343:Yurok
278:, in
199:Built
184:Owner
41:Near
624:1897
351:Hupa
300:Hupa
227:Past
214:Fate
206:1859
202:1859
171:Area
165:Fort
161:Type
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