page_title: Department of California
section_title: Commanders
hierarchical_section_title: Department of California / Commanders
caption_attribution_description: English: Distribution of U. S. Army troops 1 January 1861, at the eve of the American Civil War in the Military Departments of California and Oregon, roughly corresponding to the modern states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Based on table in Offical Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume L, Part I, pp. 428 - 429
context_page_description: 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 Umpqua Districts of southwestern Oregon Territory, which were assigned to the Department of California and excluding the Utah Territory east of the 117th meridian west and New Mexico Territory east of the 110th meridian west. Its creation was authorized by General Orders, No. 10, of the War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, September 13, 1858. Headquarters as before remained at San Francisco.
context_section_description: The Department of California was commanded first by Brevet Brigadier General Newman S. Clarke, Colonel U.S. 6th Infantry Regiment, until his death on October 17, 1860.  It was next commanded by Lt. Colonel Benjamin L. Beall, U.S. 1st Dragoon Regiment, who had assumed command, by seniority of rank, on the death of General Clarke, on October 17, 1860.  It was merged into the restored Department of the Pacific on January 15, 1861, as the District of California administering the same territories, under Brevet Brigadier General Albert Sidney Johnston from January 15, 1861.
caption: Garrisons of the Departments of California and Oregon 1 January 1861
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