Skirmish at Grass Valley

Skirmish at Grass Valley
	Part of American Civil War
Date	April 19, 1865
Location	Grass Valley, California39°13′9″N 121°3′30″W / 39.21917°N 121.05833°W
Result	United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Secessionists
Commanders and leaders
	2nd Lt. M. E. Jimenez;
Units involved
1st California Cavalry Battalion	Local Secessionists
Strength
25	Unknown
Casualties and losses
2 Wounded	10 Captured
	2 prisoners later escaped from the Camp Low guard house;

On April 19, 1865, Secessionists skirmished with 25 troopers of the 1st California Cavalry Battalion in Grass Valley, California in the wake of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Background

On March 15 Brig. Gen. John S. Mason, the new commander of the District of Arizona, directed the 1st California Cavalry Battalion to move east to fight the Apaches. The battalion was getting ready for the thousand-mile march when the news came about President Lincoln's assassination. In California hundreds of southern sympathizers across the state celebrated the news of Lincoln's assassination in the streets. A man in Butte County made some disrespectful comments about Lincoln, bragging about what he would do to the soldiers who came after him. He was armed with a "large Colt revolver.^[1]" In the streets of Marysville, a man named L. W. Thomas, from Tennessee, walked about the town with a "silk Confederate flag" pinned to his chest.^[1] When news came in about the actions of the sympathizers, California volunteers stationed in nearby forts were sent out to keep the peace. One of the more violent incidents happened at Grass Valley between local Southern sympathizers and a detachment of Company A, 1st California Cavalry Battalion.

Skirmish

Company A's detachment consisted of 25 men commanded by Second Lieutenant M. E. Jimenez.^[2] When they arrived in Grass Valley a skirmish with a group of secessionist ensued. Two privates were severely wounded (Antonio Guilman and Juan Leon), while none of the Secessionists were killed or wounded.^[3] Jimenez and his soldiers arrested ten individuals ending the short skirmish.

Aftermath

Company A took the prisoners from Grass Valley to Camp Low. On June 3 the company was scheduled for departure to Arizona when "two secessionists arrested in the wake of President Lincoln's death escaped from the Camp Low guard house.^[2]" Five men from Company B under the command of Lieutenant John Lafferty were sent from Camp Low in pursuit of the escapees.^[4] After a week of searching, the Californios began their lengthy march to Arizona on 16 June.^[2]

The incident at Grass Valley was the last engagement the Cavalry Battalion fought against Southern sympathizers.