1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union)

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, California Infantry was organized at large August to October, 1861. Company "K" organized February 12, 1862. The regiment was attached to the Departments of the Pacific and New Mexico. It had duty in the Districts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah until October 1866. the regiment mustered out October 21, 1866.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Infantry, (accessed 8 June 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 1st California Infantry, (accessed 8 June 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,765 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘California in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * California in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for California, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Pettis, George Henry. Frontier service during the Rebellion, or, a History of Company K, First Infantry, California Volunteers. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993), and  and The California Column : its campaigns and services in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, during the Civil War, with sketches of Brigadier James H. Carleton, its commander, and other officers and soldiers. ( Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993),