Were There Californians at Gettysburg? Sort of...

     During a visit to the Gettysburg battlefield, being a SoCal boy, I found myself wondering if any Californians fought in this eastern theater battle.  I discovered the First California Regiment was at the “angle” during Pickett’s charge.  This was intriguing news.  Then I discovered the First California Regiment and others that comprised the California Brigade were paid for with California gold but were comprised primarily of men recruited in Philadelphia.  Okay, I was a bit disappointed, but wanted to learn more about the First California Regiment.
     I found numerous informative articles on the Internet, which motivated me to take a deeper dive.  If you want to take that dive, here are four of my key references books:

• ​Colonel Edward D. Baker: Lincoln’s Constant Ally, by Harry C. Blair and Rebecca Tarshis.  This is a relatively easy read, a 200-page introduction to Edward Baker.  Baker was one of Abraham Lincoln’s closest friends—so much so, that Lincoln named a child after him.  Baker was an astute lawyer and politician.  He was one of the first two U.S. Senators to represent Oregon.  He was credited with swinging California’s electoral votes to Lincoln in 1860.  He was responsible for organizing the California Regiment and sadly, he was tactically responsible for the embarrassing Union defeat at Ball’s Bluff in 1861—where Baker was killed.
• Autobiography of Isaac J. Wistar, by Isaac J. Wistar.  Wistar was Baker’s law partner in antebellum San Francisco.  Baker recruited Wistar to form the 1st California Regiment with men from Philadelphia.  Wistar briefly commanded the regiment before being promoted to general.  Wistar lived a full life—both in years and experiences.  In addition to attorney and army officer, he had stints as a mountain man, ranger, miner, railroad executive, and amateur scientist. 
• The Extraordinary Life of Charles Pomeroy Stone: Soldier, Surveyor, Pasha, Engineer, by Blaine Lamb.  Another easy read, just over 230 pages of substance.  General Stone was the Corps Commander that was strategically responsible for the defeat at Ball’s Bluff.  After the Union debacles at Bull Run and Ball’s Bluff, Congress demanded a scapegoat.  It couldn’t very well be Edward Baker—he was a member of Congress and a close friend of the President (not to mention that he died fighting for his country--RIP).  Instead, Congress went after Stone.  Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, had Stone arrested without nary a peep from the President or Commanding General George McClellan.  Stone was shipped off to prison in New York Harbor and eventually released—6 months later—without a single charge being filed.  He returned to the Army with a battered reputation.  Later he would serve as the senior military advisor to the khedive of Egypt and would build the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty.
• Duty Well Done:  The History of Edward Baker’s California Regiment, by Gary G. Lash.  This tome is not meant for the casual reader.  It is over 600 pages and weighs more than 6 pounds; however, Lash fills those pages with details and personal reflections of the “Californians” throughout the war.

​                          --Mig

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