BIG MEN SERVED IN GUARD

On September 24, 1864, Company A (Sacramento Light Artillery) of the Fourth Brigade of the National Guard of California, was organized in the city of Sacramento.

That is the organization afterwards known as Troop B of the Cavalry of the National Guard of California, which is now being reorganized. A glance at the muster roll of the old Sacramento Light Artillery shows many names very prominent in the history of Sacramento and in the history of the State

Original Muster Roll

The Captain of the company was Edgar MILLS, of the firm of D.O. Mills & Company. As members of the company were:

Paul MORRILL, one of the original owners of the Sacramento Union.

James McCLATCHY, founder and veteran editor of The Bee.

George ROWLAND, Postmaster of Sacramento.

W.H. BRAGG, of the firm of Waterhouse & Lester, and afterward a City Trustee.

George S. EVANS, who was Adjutant General of the State of California and afterward State Senator from San Joaquin County.

W.S. MESICK, a lawyer and large landowner.

Isaac LOHMAN, of the pioneer firm of Lindley, Lohman & Company.

M.M. ESTEEE, Republican candidate for Governor against James H. BUDD.

William LYON, the veteran produce merchant.

Robert HAMILTON, of the firm of Baker & Hamilton.

James CAROLAN, a Sacramento and subsequently a San Francisco merchant.

George W. CHESLEY, a wholesaler well known to all old Sacramentans.

James H. CARROLL, first President of the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Halsey G. SMITH, veteran flour dealer.

D.W. EARL, a very prominent old-time merchant.

N.L. DREW, pioneer lumberman.

Leading Clothier Was Member

R.T. BROWN, leading clothier of the early days, the site of whose place of business is now occupied by the California National Bank.

John McNEILL, of the Adams, McNeill Company, in whose honor the McNeill Club was named.

James McCLEERY, afterward member of the Board of Trustees.

Robert ROBINSON, afterward District Judge.

C.P. HUNTINGTON, the world-known railroad magnate.

Judge J.H. McKUNE, afterward Judge of the District Court and a lawyer known all over California.

Joseph T. GLOVER, of the firm of Newton, Booth and Company.

L.H. FOOTE, who wrote some very beautiful poetry descriptive of California scenery and events.

Samuel CROSS, Sacramento’s original searcher of records, from whose collection practically all records and deeds in Sacramento date.

Justin GATES, one of Sacramento’s earliest druggists, whose store for a great many years was on the southwest corner of Sixth and J streets.

Alex BADLAM, subsequently the well-known Assessor of San Francisco.

Grocer Served State

Theodore J. MILLIKEN, of the firm of Milliken Brothers, whose grocery and produce store was on the southeast corner of Third and K streets.

Richard DALE, the original music dealer of Sacramento.

Charles A. PEAKE, pioneer merchant.

Albert LEONARD, one of the directing spirits of the Sacramento Society of California Pioneers.

E.B. MOTT, hardware merchant.

Leland STANFORD, subsequently Governor of California and United States Senator and the original President of the Central Pacific Railroad.

William M. SIDDONS, known to everybody in this section of California.

Frederick GIBBS, afterward a prominent citizen and Supervisor in San Francisco.

S.E. MONTAGUE, of the Southern Pacific, after whom the town of Montague was named.

E.A. ROCKWELL, Assistant Editor of The Bee under James McClatchy.

One of the signers of the original muster roll of the Sacramento Light Artillery was Judge S.S. HOLL, believed to be the only living survivor of that famous company.

Capt. O.J. BODEN, the present Commander of Troop B. is now seeking for the organization recruits who will be worthy of filling the vacancies left by the passing of the pioneers. The muster roll has been an honored one and Captain Boden so wishes to keep it.

Placed Lives in Jeopardy

“When these men, whose names are on the original roll, joined the company, conditions were not such as they are now,” says Captain Boden. “In those days they were not only risking a little of their convenience, but from the day they first donned a uniform they realized they placed their lives in jeopardy. Those were stirring times. It was no pleasure to belong to a military company; it was a patriotic duty.

“Conditions have changed and now pleasure is combined with duty. Military strength is desired more to keep peace than it is to wage war. In our military organizations we strive to instill a deep spirit of patriotism, to train our young men until they are good soldiers. If there was any threatened invasion of this country we could enroll members by the hundreds, but there is no such danger. Now we induce them to join by three things: Appealing to their patriotism, explaining to them the benefits to be derived and offering them social and athletic pleasures.

Conveniences of Clubs

“We have good clubrooms where billiards, pool and other games are played; we have a reading room and a lounging room. There is a big gymnasium, handball courts, basketball courts and indoor baseball diamond, and there will be more such things if the members of Troop B want them. We will go into all branches of athletics and give the members of the Troop about everything they could get in any club if they so desire. The members of Troop B can make the organization just what they want it to be, and for that reason I want a good class of young men, and I am going to get them in Sacramento. The muster roll is now open for twenty names and I expect them soon to be enrolled.”

Transcribed by Betty Loose.