Camp Babbitt

== Visalia Secessionist Disturbances ==

== Visalia Secessionist Disturbances ==

The post was first intended to maintain order in the area where strong pro Confederate sentiments were creating unrest. In an attempt to control subversion of the Union cause in the secessionist hotbed of [[Visalia, California|Visalia]], on the orders of General [[George Wright (general)|George Wright]], Captain [[Moses A. McLaughlin]] moved his company D and another in October 1862 over the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the [[Owens Valley]] in four and a half days to take command of Camp Babbitt.War of the Rebellion, April 21, 1862, pp.152-153, Report of Lt. Col. Geo. S. Evans to Lt. Col. R. c. Drum, Assistant Adjutant General, Order to Captain McLaughlin from 1st. Lt. Ben. C. Cutler, Acting Assistant Adjutant General, Dist. of So. Cal. Oct. 7, 1862.] There was one saloon in town that allowed soldiers from the fort in. On November 29 when soldiers were told by the barkeeper no [[Cigar|cigars]] on the cuff, shots rang out.{{Cite web |title=Historic California Posts: Camp Babbitt |url=https://www.militarymuseum.org/CpBabbitt.html |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=www.militarymuseum.org}} One soldier was killed and two secessionist wounded.[https://www.militarymuseum.org/ConfederateMinority.pdf The Confederate Minority in California, By Benjamin Franklin Gilber. p186] A group of armed secessionists started to patrol the streets before the camp's commanding officer said "he would not require his men to endure insults without retaliation." Suggesting if the didn't crowd dispersed he would "...turn his men loose on them," The secessionists went home. After the shooting, fist fights between the volunteers and secessionist became a common occurrence.SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN CIVIL WAR DAYS, By Percival J. Cooney, p.56

The post was first intended to maintain order in the area where strong pro Confederate sentiments were creating unrest. In an attempt to control subversion of the Union cause in the secessionist hotbed of [[Visalia, California|Visalia]], on the orders of General [[George Wright (general)|George Wright]], Captain [[Moses A. McLaughlin]] moved his company D and another in October 1862 over the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the [[Owens Valley]] in four and a half days to take command of Camp Babbitt.War of the Rebellion, April 21, 1862, pp.152-153, Report of Lt. Col. Geo. S. Evans to Lt. Col. R. c. Drum, Assistant Adjutant General, Order to Captain McLaughlin from 1st. Lt. Ben. C. Cutler, Acting Assistant Adjutant General, Dist. of So. Cal. Oct. 7, 1862.] There was one saloon in town that allowed soldiers from the fort in. On November 29 when soldiers were told by the barkeeper no [[Cigar|cigars]] on the cuff, shots rang out.{{Cite web |title=Historic California Posts: Camp Babbitt |url=https://www.militarymuseum.org/CpBabbitt.html |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=www.militarymuseum.org}} One soldier was killed and two secessionist wounded.[https://www.militarymuseum.org/ConfederateMinority.pdf The Confederate Minority in California, By Benjamin Franklin Gilber. p186] A group of armed secessionists started to patrol the streets before the camp's commanding officer said "he would not require his men to endure insults without retaliation." Suggesting if the didn't crowd dispersed he would "...turn his men loose on them,">[https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82015099/1862-12-13/ed-1/?sp=3&q=secessionist+killed&r=-0.219,0.082,0.877,0.369,0 The Shasta courier, December 13, 1862, p.3]> The secessionists went home. After the shooting, fist fights between the volunteers and secessionist became a common occurrence.SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN CIVIL WAR DAYS, By Percival J. Cooney, p.56

On December 12, three men from Visalia rode in front of a dress parade of the garrison and cheered for Jeff Davis, prompting McLaughlin to order their immediate arrest. On December 24, 1862, McLaughlin wrote for reinforcements, in the face of rising tensions between the Union and ''[[Secession in the United States|Secesh]]'' factions.On December 31, McLaughlin issued orders for the arrest of the owners and publishers of the "Expositor", the local secessionist newspaper. That same day he was instructed by headquarters by telegram to release all political prisoners after they had taken the oath of allegiance. Both owners eventually swore the oath, one after a time in the jail. However this did not stop them from continuing to publish their paper opposing the war and the Union cause.Aurora Hunt, The Army of the Pacific: Its Operations in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Plains Region, Mexico, Etc., 1860-1866, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2004, pp. 337-338 Three months later of the Newspaper pubublished an article calling the soldiers the "California [[Cossacks|Cossack]]," this angered the whole garrison. So on the night of March 5th, 1863 a mob of 70-80 soldiers and pro-union citizens wrecked the whole office.

On December 12, three men from Visalia rode in front of a dress parade of the garrison and cheered for Jeff Davis, prompting McLaughlin to order their immediate arrest. On December 24, 1862, McLaughlin wrote for reinforcements, in the face of rising tensions between the Union and ''[[Secession in the United States|Secesh]]'' factions.On December 31, McLaughlin issued orders for the arrest of the owners and publishers of the "Expositor", the local secessionist newspaper. That same day he was instructed by headquarters by telegram to release all political prisoners after they had taken the oath of allegiance. Both owners eventually swore the oath, one after a time in the jail. However this did not stop them from continuing to publish their paper opposing the war and the Union cause.Aurora Hunt, The Army of the Pacific: Its Operations in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Plains Region, Mexico, Etc., 1860-1866, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2004, pp. 337-338 Three months later of the Newspaper pubublished an article calling the soldiers the "California [[Cossacks|Cossack]]," this angered the whole garrison. So on the night of March 5th, 1863 a mob of 70-80 soldiers and pro-union citizens wrecked the whole office.