Department of the Pacific

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the United States Marine Corps' Department of the Pacific, refer to the article Department of the Pacific (USMC).

The Department of the Pacific was a major command (Department) of the United States Army during the 19th century. It was first organized on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, taking over from the previous Pacific Division. The department reported directly to the headquarters of the Army in Washington, D.C. It oversaw the military affairs in the country west of the Rocky Mountains, except for the Territory of Utah and the Territory of New Mexico.

On September 2, 1854, the headquarters was moved to Benicia Barracks, in Benicia, California. In January 1857, the headquarters again returned to San Francisco.

On January 14, 1858, the Territory of Utah was placed within the Department.

On September 13, 1858, the Department of the Pacific was disbanded, replaced by two new departments: the Department of California and the Department of Oregon. The Department of California included the territory west of the Rockies, the Umpqua and Rogue River districts in Oregon, Utah and New Mexico. The Department of Oregon included the Oregon and Washington Territories.

During the American Civil War the army again reorganized, and on January 15, 1861, the Department of the Pacific was reconstituted by consolidating the Departments of California and Oregon. The first commander of the new Department of the Pacific was Colonel (Brevet Brigadier General) Albert Sidney Johnston who was later to become a prominent General in the Confederate Army.

From 1863 to 1865 the department had five districts: California (headquarters co-located with Department of the Pacific), Humboldt (with headquarters at Fort Humboldt), Oregon (headquarters at Fort Vancouver), Southern California (headquarters at Drum Barracks), and Utah (headquarters at Fort Douglas).

In July 1865, the Department of the Pacific was reorganized into the Military Division of the Pacific with two subordinate departments: the Department of California and the Department of the Columbia. The first commander of the new Division of the Pacific was Gen. Henry Wager Halleck.