At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

Oregon also raised the

1st Oregon Cavalry The First Regiment Oregon volunteer Cavalry was a volunteer regiment in United States service Union army that was formed in response to the American Civil War. With men recruited in Oregon and some recruited in surrounding states, the regimen ...

that was activated in 1862 and served until June 1865. During the Civil War, emigrants to the newfound gold fields in

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...

and Oregon continued to clash with the

Paiute Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three groups do not form a single set. The term "Pa ...

Shoshone The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ) are a Native American tribe with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshone: southern Idaho * Western Shoshone: Nevada, northern Utah * Goshute: western Utah, e ...

and

Bannock Bannock may mean: * Bannock (food), a kind of bread, cooked on a stone or griddle * Bannock (Indigenous American), various types of bread, usually prepared by pan-frying * Bannock people, a Native American people of what is now southeastern Oregon ...

tribes of Oregon, Idaho and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

until relations degenerated into the bloody 1864 - 1868

Snake War Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more jo ...

. The

1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 1st Oregon Infantry Regiment was an American Civil War era military regiment recruited in Oregon for the Union Army. The regiment was formed in November 1864. At full strength, it was composed of ten companies of foot soldiers. The regimen ...

was formed in 1864 and its last company was mustered out of service in July 1867. Both units were used to guard travel routes and Indian reservations, escort emigrant wagon trains, and protect settlers from Indian raiders. Several infantry detachments also accompanied survey parties and built roads in central and southern Oregon. Oregon's second United States Senator, Col.

Edward Dickinson Baker Edward Dickinson Baker (February 24, 1811October 21, 1861) was an American politician, lawyer, and US army officer. In his political career, Baker served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a U.S. Senator from Orego ...

was killed while leading Union troops at the

Battle of Ball's Bluff The Battle of Ball's Bluff was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861, in which Union Army forces under Major General George B. McClellan suffered a humiliating defeat. The operation wa ...

near Leesburg, Virginia on October 21, 1861. His death in battle occurred exactly one month after another Oregonian, Captain James W. Lingenfelter of Company B,

71st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment The 71st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (originally raised as the 1st California) was an infantry regiment of the Union Army that participated in the American Civil War. History The 71st Pennsylvania was organized in August 1861 by ...

, was killed while on the picket line. In civilian life, Captain Lingenfelter had been a practicing attorney in Jacksonville, Oregon. He had been visiting in the East when the war started and enlisted to serve with Colonel Baker.

Oregon regiments in the Civil War

Mountain Rangers Mountain Rangers was the nickname of an Oregon militia regiment formed during the American Civil War. A mounted unit, the Mountain Rangers were officially Company A, 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade, Oregon State Militia. During the Civil War the State ...

(Oregon Militia) * Washington Guards (Oregon Militia) * Fenian Guards (Oregon Militia) * Zouave Cadets (Oregon Militia) * Marion Rifles (Oregon Militia)

Civil War posts, Oregon

Fort Dalles Fort 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. Th ...

, Oregon, (1850–1867) *

Fort Yamhill Fort Yamhill was an American military fortification in 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 Reserv ...

, Oregon (1856–1866) * Fort Hoskins, Oregon, (1857–1865) * Siletz Blockhouse, Oregon (1858-1866) *

Camp Baker Fort Logan and Blockhouse is a site on the National Register of Historic Places located near White Sulphur Springs, Montana. It was added to the Register on October 6, 1970. The blockhouse is all that remains of the fort structures. It was resto ...

, Oregon (1862-1865), * Camp Barlow, Oregon, (1862) * Camp Clackamas, Oregon, (1862) * Post at Grand Ronde Indian Agency or ''Fort Lafayette'', Oregon 1863, *

Fort Klamath Fort Klamath was a military outpost near the western end of the Oregon Trail, between Crater Lake National Park and Upper Klamath Lake in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present commu ...

, Oregon, (1863–1890) * Fort at Point Adams, Oregon (1863-1865) * Fort Stevens, Oregon (1865-1947) * Camp Alvord, Oregon (1864-1866) * Camp Dalgren, Oregon (1864) *

Camp Henderson Camp 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 v ...

, Oregon, 1864-1866 * Camp Lincoln, Oregon 1864 * Camp Maury, Oregon 1864 * Camp Russell, Oregon 1864-1865 *

Camp Watson Camp Watson was a United States Army camp in central Oregon which operated from 1864 through 1869. History Camp Watson was established by Oregon Volunteers on July 10, 1864. The 1st Oregon Cavalry built several log buildings, but no surrounding ...

, Oregon 1864-1869 * Camp Colfax, Oregon, 1865, 1867 * Camp Currey, Oregon 1865-1866 * Camp Logan, Oregon (1865-1868) * Camp Lyon, Oregon (1865-1869) * Camp Polk, Oregon (1865-1866) * Camp on Silvies River, Oregon (1864?) * Camp Wright, Oregon (1865-1866) *

Old Camp Warner Camp 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 War ...

, Oregon (1866-1867) *

Camp Warner Camp 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 War ...

, Oregon (1867-1874)Carey, ''History of Oregon'', pg. 671. Located west of Warner Lakes.

Oregon regiments in the Civil War

Civil War posts, Oregon

See also

References

Further reading