THE “CITY GUARD”
A HISTORY
OF
COMPANY “B”
First Regiment Infantry, N. G. C.

DURING THE SACRAMENTO CAMPAIGN

July 3 to 26, 1894

INCLUDING

A Brief History of the Company since its Organization
March 31, 1854, to July 3, 1894

FILMER-ROLLINS ELECTROTYPE CO.
Typographers, Electrotypers and Stereotypers
424 SANSOME ST., SAN FRANCISCO

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1895,
By Company B, “City Guard,” 1st Reg. N. G. C.,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

To the members of the “City Guard,” past, present, and to
come, this, our Company’s maiden effort, is
respectfully dedicated.

CONTENTS.

THE STRIKE IN CALIFORNIA.
PAGE
[CHAPTER I.]
The Cause,9
[CHAPTER II.]
The National Guard Called Out,15
[CHAPTER III.]
Fourth of July at Sacramento,29
[CHAPTER IV.]
Camp on the Capitol Grounds,42
[CHAPTER V.]
The Vigilantes at the Capitol Grounds,68
[CHAPTER VI.]
General Effects of the Strike,83
[CHAPTER VII.]
The Appearance of the Regulars and Its Effect Upon the Situation,93
[CHAPTER VIII.]
The First Regiment at Ninth and D Streets,128
[CHAPTER IX.]
The American River Bridge,156
[CHAPTER X.]
Off for Truckee.172
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COMPANY.
[CHAPTER I.]
“San Francisco City Guard,”219
[CHAPTER II.]
“Independent City Guard,”224
[CHAPTER III.]
“City Guard” from 1860 to 1870,229
[CHAPTER IV.]
From 1870 to 1880,237
[CHAPTER V.]
From 1880 to 1894,244
[CHAPTER VI.]
Forty-one Years’ Target Practice,252

PREFACE.

On September 1, 1894, shortly after the return of the company from its campaign at Sacramento, a committee of four was appointed, to be known as the history committee, to gather as much material concerning that campaign as possible, and to put it in a readable and concise form. The following were appointed: Lieutenant George Filmer, Corporal A. McCulloch, Privates W. J. Hayes and Wm. D. O’Brien.

The committee began its work enthusiastically and at once, as they believed that the most beneficial results could be attained by “striking while the iron is hot.” Their progress was necessarily slow; but when taken in connection with the circumstances, that the committee were engaged in earning their livelihood during the day, and thus limited in their work upon the history to their spare moments, and further, that they also took great care to prevent inaccuracies from creeping into their labors, the progress made, when viewed in this light, cannot be said to be unusually slow.

The idea of publishing a history was not an original idea, but rather it is the result of the gradual development of an incipient idea by a process of evolution containing three distinct steps. First it was only intended to have a short account written of the campaign and pasted in the company’s scrapbook; then, with this as a basis, the idea developed into the form of a printed pamphlet, and finally blossomed into the shape in which it now appears.

It was the intention of the committee to have the entire book set up by members of the company who were compositors by trade, and who had kindly volunteered their services. But, on account of the limited time that the volunteer compositors could bestow upon the work, it was found necessary, after about one-half the book had been thus set up, to give the work to an outside publishing house, in order to present to the company a complete history of the campaign before the memory of this memorable event would be beyond the “time of which the mind of man doth not run.” And even though the members of the company were unable, through no fault of their own, to set up the entire work, the committee desires to acknowledge its appreciation of the kindness and the valuable assistance given by these members, viz: George Claussenius, W. L. Overstreet, Wm. McKaig, J. Brien, and R. E. Wilson.

The committee further desires to thank Lieutenant Hosmer, Adjutant First Battalion, First Regiment Infantry, N. G. C., and Sergeant H. B. Sullivan, “of ours,” for the kind assistance they rendered the committee in making negatives of each tent crowd of the company.

It may be well here to mention the fact that at the request of the committee, Captain I. B. Cook consented to write the brief history of the Company. For this work and the thoroughness with which it is done, the committee extend to him its sincere thanks.

The committee do not pretend to uphold the book as a work of any great literary merit; and, while they do not propose to offer any excuses for the book, still they hope at least that it is free from any obvious signs of crudity or provincialism: it stands upon its own merits.

The work is largely of a personal nature, and, as such, has made the introduction of personalities unavoidable; but while this is so, the committee have tried to eliminate every thing of such a character which, in their judgment, would offend the most sensitive nature. In case, however, their judgment has erred at times, and things do appear which wound the feelings of some, the committee trust that the attempted witticism, for it is nothing more, will be received in the same spirit that it is offered, namely “peace, goodwill to all.”

In judging the results of their labor the committee beg that those judging will say, in the words of Miss Muloch:

“Not that they did ill or well,

But only that they did their best.”

B COMPANY IN HEAVY MARCHING ORDER, SACRAMENTO, JULY, 1894.

THE CAUSE (?)