He Defended California’s Homeland During the Civil War
Carte de visite by Bradley & Rulofson of San Francisco, Calif.. When I think about Home Guards and the Civil War, I think of the many local Southern forces who operated on the fringes of Union-controlled territory. I also think about Northern forces located in New England along the Canadian border, being vigilant for the possible Confederate incursion.
I don’t think about the California Home Guard, which is inscribed on this original portrait photograph of Capt. S.F. Barker. You can see the inscription in the upper left-hand corner.
If you search Civil War military service records for Captain Stephen F. Barker, you won’t find any paperwork for him. He did in fact serve during the late war years, but in a state-authorized militia company organized in San Francisco to protect California. The company never mustered into federal service, and therefore Barker and his companions have no official record in the National Archives.
Barker, like most residents of California, was not a native to the state. He was born in 1836 in Washington, Maine, a town on the border of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. In 1857, when he was 19 years old, he followed the path of many Americans searching for a new life and new opportunities in the West and moved to San Francisco. Though his exact motivations for the coast to coast move are unknown, he may have been inspired by stories of the Gold Rush he had heard during his boyhood and early teen years.
In San Francisco, Barker made a positive impression. According to one report, “He was a man of sterling character, had been very strong physically, and was strong also in the moral and spiritual sense. In the early history of San Francisco he was one of the stalwarts to fight for the city’s rights. He was not always on the popular side, but he endeavored to be always on the right side. He had to meet with keen opposition and sometimes persecution, but he could stand ‘four-square to all the winds that blew.’”
Barker’s service as an officer began in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 1864, when he mustered into the Templar Guard, an unattached volunteer company in California's Second Brigade.
You students of the Civil War and U.S. military history know that the militia system dates to the founding of our government. Militias partnered with and were regulated by state authorities. Following the end of the war, these militias evolved into today’s National Guard, which operates as a dual state and federal force.
Now, back to Barker. He is pictured here about this time with the the single bar denoting the rank of first lieutenant on his shoulder straps and the distinctive dark blue uniform with epaulettes and light blue trim on the collar, cuffs, and trim of his single-breasted frock coat. The nautical themed background may be a depiction of San Francisco Bay with tall ships and a fort.
In January 1865, the members of the company voted to change their name from the Templar Guard to the Sherman Guard, formally known as Company E of the 1st California Infantry. I was unable to find out why the men changed the name, but if I were to hazard a guess, it would be related to the success of Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s late 1864 math through Georgia—popularly known ad the March to the Sea, which ended with the capture of Savannah and set the stage of the Carolinas Campaign and surrender of Confederate Lt. Gen. Joe Johnston and his army.
A month after the name change, Barker advanced to captain and commander of the Sherman Guard. He and his command moved into a new armory in San Francisco in May 1866. The future looked bright. However, just a few months later, California reorganized its military system and established a limit of 80 companies. Some companies were disbanded, including the Sherman Guard.
Though the company was no more, and during its brief existence as a wartime fighting force saw no combat, its presence, and that of other companies, played an important role in protecting California and Californians.
You students of the Civil War also know that though California was not the scene of any major military events, state authorities approved and constructed forts and other defenses to guard against any attempts to destabilize the state.
There were very real threats that Capt. Barker and other defenders prepared to face. In Southern California, Confederate sympathizers agitated for disunion. Acts of sabotage by guerillas and other irregular forces threatened all-important mail routes and other public operations. In neighboring New Mexico Territory, Confederate military forces led by Gen. Henry H. Sibley invaded with a goal of claiming the Southwest for the Confederate States of America. Union victory in the 1862 Battle of Glorieta Pass stopped the Confederates, who would have likely invaded California.
In can fairly be stated that Capt. Barker and the Sherman Guard did their part to insure that California remained in the Union.
Following the dissolution of the Sherman Guard, Barker became involved in another company, the Sumner Guards, served a one-year term in the California legislature, and prospered in various business, including livery stables, freight transport, mining, and farming. He pioneered a voluntary fore department in San Francisco
Late in life, Barker settled in Oakland, became active as a deacon in the city’s First Congregational church, and passed away after a brief illness in 1915. He was 79 years old. He outlived two wives, Mary and Ellen, and four children survived him.
Obituaries honored him for his lifetime of achievements as a pioneer of San Francisco and his role as a defender of California.
I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.
He Defended California’s Homeland During the Civil War
Carte de visite by Bradley & Rulofson of San Francisco, Calif.. When I think about Home Guards and the Civil War, I think of the many local Southern forces who operated on the fringes of Union-controlled territory. I also think about Northern forces located in New England along the Canadian border, being vigilant for the possible Confederate incursion.
I don’t think about the California Home Guard, which is inscribed on this original portrait photograph of Capt. S.F. Barker. You can see the inscription in the upper left-hand corner.
If you search Civil War military service records for Captain Stephen F. Barker, you won’t find any paperwork for him. He did in fact serve during the late war years, but in a state-authorized militia company organized in San Francisco to protect California. The company never mustered into federal service, and therefore Barker and his companions have no official record in the National Archives.
Barker, like most residents of California, was not a native to the state. He was born in 1836 in Washington, Maine, a town on the border of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. In 1857, when he was 19 years old, he followed the path of many Americans searching for a new life and new opportunities in the West and moved to San Francisco. Though his exact motivations for the coast to coast move are unknown, he may have been inspired by stories of the Gold Rush he had heard during his boyhood and early teen years.
In San Francisco, Barker made a positive impression. According to one report, “He was a man of sterling character, had been very strong physically, and was strong also in the moral and spiritual sense. In the early history of San Francisco he was one of the stalwarts to fight for the city’s rights. He was not always on the popular side, but he endeavored to be always on the right side. He had to meet with keen opposition and sometimes persecution, but he could stand ‘four-square to all the winds that blew.’”
Barker’s service as an officer began in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 1864, when he mustered into the Templar Guard, an unattached volunteer company in California's Second Brigade.
You students of the Civil War and U.S. military history know that the militia system dates to the founding of our government. Militias partnered with and were regulated by state authorities. Following the end of the war, these militias evolved into today’s National Guard, which operates as a dual state and federal force.
Now, back to Barker. He is pictured here about this time with the the single bar denoting the rank of first lieutenant on his shoulder straps and the distinctive dark blue uniform with epaulettes and light blue trim on the collar, cuffs, and trim of his single-breasted frock coat. The nautical themed background may be a depiction of San Francisco Bay with tall ships and a fort.
In January 1865, the members of the company voted to change their name from the Templar Guard to the Sherman Guard, formally known as Company E of the 1st California Infantry. I was unable to find out why the men changed the name, but if I were to hazard a guess, it would be related to the success of Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s late 1864 math through Georgia—popularly known ad the March to the Sea, which ended with the capture of Savannah and set the stage of the Carolinas Campaign and surrender of Confederate Lt. Gen. Joe Johnston and his army.
A month after the name change, Barker advanced to captain and commander of the Sherman Guard. He and his command moved into a new armory in San Francisco in May 1866. The future looked bright. However, just a few months later, California reorganized its military system and established a limit of 80 companies. Some companies were disbanded, including the Sherman Guard.
Though the company was no more, and during its brief existence as a wartime fighting force saw no combat, its presence, and that of other companies, played an important role in protecting California and Californians.
You students of the Civil War also know that though California was not the scene of any major military events, state authorities approved and constructed forts and other defenses to guard against any attempts to destabilize the state.
There were very real threats that Capt. Barker and other defenders prepared to face. In Southern California, Confederate sympathizers agitated for disunion. Acts of sabotage by guerillas and other irregular forces threatened all-important mail routes and other public operations. In neighboring New Mexico Territory, Confederate military forces led by Gen. Henry H. Sibley invaded with a goal of claiming the Southwest for the Confederate States of America. Union victory in the 1862 Battle of Glorieta Pass stopped the Confederates, who would have likely invaded California.
In can fairly be stated that Capt. Barker and the Sherman Guard did their part to insure that California remained in the Union.
Following the dissolution of the Sherman Guard, Barker became involved in another company, the Sumner Guards, served a one-year term in the California legislature, and prospered in various business, including livery stables, freight transport, mining, and farming. He pioneered a voluntary fore department in San Francisco
Late in life, Barker settled in Oakland, became active as a deacon in the city’s First Congregational church, and passed away after a brief illness in 1915. He was 79 years old. He outlived two wives, Mary and Ellen, and four children survived him.
Obituaries honored him for his lifetime of achievements as a pioneer of San Francisco and his role as a defender of California.
I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.