Defunct American military command
TheDepartment of the Columbia was a major command (Department) of theUnited States Army during the 19th century.
On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created underMajor GeneralHenry W. Halleck, replacing theDepartment of the Pacific, consisting of the Department of the Columbia (replacing theDistrict of Oregon) that now consisted of the state ofOregon and the territories ofWashington andIdaho and the expandedDepartment of California.
Within the Department was theDistrict of Boise, 1865-67 andDistrict of Owyhee, 1867-69 that were engaged in theSnake War.
The Military District of Alaska, subordinate to the Department of the Columbia, was formed in 1867 following the purchase of Alaska. On March 18, 1868, the Army established theDepartment of Alaska under the Division of the Pacific. The Department of Alaska was discontinued on July 1, 1870, andAlaska was absorbed again by the Department of the Columbia.
In June 1875, the part of the Territory of Idaho that lay east of the extension of the western boundary ofUtah, and includingFort Hall, was detached from the Department of Columbia and added to theDepartment of the Platte.
When the Military Division of the Pacific was discontinued on July 3, 1891. Each of its three subordinate departments including the Department of the Columbia, then reported directly to theWar Department.
Commanders of the Military Department of Columbia
[edit]- Brigadier GeneralGeorge Wright, July 27, 1865 – July 30, 1865
- ColonelGeorge Byron Currey, July 27, 1865 – November 20, 1865
- Lieutenant ColonelJohn M. Drake, November 20, 1865 – December 22, 1865
- Major GeneralFrederick Steele, December 21, 1865 – November 23, 1867
- Lieutenant ColonelGeorge Crook, November 23, 1867 – August 8, 1870
- Brigadier GeneralEdward Richard Sprigg Canby, August 8, 1870 – January 1873
- ColonelJefferson Columbus Davis, January 1873 – September 1874
- Brigadier GeneralOliver Otis Howard, September 1874 – January 1881
- Brigadier GeneralNelson A. Miles, January 1881 – July 1885
- Brigadier GeneralJohn Gibbon, July 1885 – April 1891
- Brigadier GeneralAugust Kautz, April 1891 – January 1892
Posts in the Military Department of Columbia
[edit]- Fort Colville, Washington Territory, 1859–1882
- Fort Steilacoom, Washington Territory, 1849–1868
- Fort Dalles, Oregon, 1850–1867
- Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, 1853–1879
- Fort Yamhill, Oregon, 1856–1866
- Fort Walla Walla, Washington Territory, 1856–1911
- Siletz Blockhouse, Oregon, 1858–1866[1]
- Post of San Juan, Washington Territory, 1863–1867
- Fort Cape Disappointment, Washington Territory, 1864–1875[2]
- Fort Lapwai, Idaho Territory, 1862–1884
- Fort Boise, Idaho Territory, 1863–1912
- Fort Klamath, Oregon, 1863–1890
- Fort at Point Adams, Oregon, 1863–1865[3]
- Camp Alvord, Oregon, 1864–1866[4]
- Camp Henderson, Oregon, 1864–1866[5]
- Camp Watson, Oregon, 1864–1869
- Camp Colfax, Oregon, 1865, 1867[6]
- Camp Currey, Oregon, 1865–1866[7]
- Camp Lander, Idaho Territory, 1865–1866[8]
- Camp Logan, Oregon, 1865–1868[9]
- Camp Lyon, Idaho, 1865–1869[10][11]
- Camp Polk, Oregon, 1865–1866[12]
- Camp Reed, Idaho Territory, 1865–1866[13]
- Camp on Silvies River, Oregon ?[14]
- Camp Wright, Oregon 1865–1866[15]
- Old Camp Warner, Oregon, 1866–1867[16]
- Camp Warner, Oregon, 1867–1874[17]
- ^A two-story blockhouse built to protect theSiletz Indian Agency. It was a subpost of Fort Hoskins. Originally calledYaquina Bay Blockhouse (1856–1858) located at the mouth of theYaquina River near South Beach. It was dismantled and floated upriver in 1858. Located atSiletz, Oregon.
- ^Post at Cape Disappointment 1862–63, was at the north mouth of the Columbia River, Washington Territory, later renamed Fort Cape Disappointment 1864 andFort Canby in 1875.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 672. Located on the south shore of the mouth of theColumbia River. Later named Fort Stevens.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. On Horse Creek in theAlvord Valley, east of theSteen Mountain Range
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. This camp, named for Oregon's representative in Congress at that time, was established early in 1864, near the mouth of Jordan Creek, 330 miles from Walla Walla, and was the center of operations in Southeastern Oregon for some time afterward.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. At the Willow Creek crossing of the Canyon City – Boise Road, south ofBaker City.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. On Silver Creek.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. On theSnake River, at the site ofOld Fort Hall in S. Idaho Territory.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671 East of Canyon City, on the road to Colfax.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671 In the Jordan Valley, east of theOwyhee River.
- ^IDAHO STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY REFERENCE SERIES, CAMP LYON, Number 357 July 16, 1965
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. On the Deschutes River near the mouth of Crooked River.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671,674. On the Snake River, nearSalmon Falls, in S. Idaho Territory.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 674. Located on the onSilvies River, north ofMalheur Lake.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. North of Harney Lake. A temporary state militia encampment on the Silvies River, possibly to the south ofBurns, Oregon. . Originally Adobe Camp (1865), a 25-yard square sod-walled post, was located here before being replaced after only two weeks.
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. Located east of Warner Lakes. A Federal camp originally located 20 miles east of Warner (Hart) Lake. It was moved in 1867
- ^Carey,History of Oregon, pg. 671. Located west of Warner Lakes.
