The 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers was a cavalry battalion in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Recruits were largely drawn from the Californio population (colloquially known as "Native Californians"), though its ranks included Yaqui and Mission Indians as well as immigrants from Mexico, Hispano America and Europe (particularly France). In addition to its ethnic makeup, the Battalion is also considered unusual for being one of the few lancer units in the United States Army. The Battalion spent its entire term of service in California and Arizona Territory.

Commanders

Company assignments

Service in Arizona

After a grueling march across the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, the Battalion arrived at their new duty station, Fort Mason, near the settlement of Calabazas on the border in August, 1865. They were joined there by Companies D, E, and G of the 7th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry. From there, the Battalion was to act against the Apaches as well as patrol the International Line against incursions by the forces of the Mexican Empire and its French allies. The neighboring Mexican State of Sonora had recently fallen to Imperial forces (as part of the French Intervention), forcing Governor Ignacio Pesqueira to flee northward and take up temporary residence at Calabazas. Service at Fort Mason was generally considered miserable. Because of its somewhat swampy location on the banks of the Santa Cruz River, the men suffered from an epidemic which at one point rendered over half of them too sick for duty and resulted in 8 deaths, including two of the Battalion's officers. The post suffered from supply problems as well. These conditions brought the construction of permanent buildings at the post to a halt, forcing the men to live in tents and temporary brush shelters during their service there and generally curtailing operations against the Apaches. These difficulties did not preclude all active service. From time to time the Battalion was able to organize patrols and scouts. Shortly after their arrival at Fort Mason, Captain Pico led a detachment across the border to Magdalena, Sonora in an unsuccessful effort to recapture deserters being held by Imperialist forces there. In November, 1865, in response to a cross-border incursion at the settlement of San Rafael by Col. Refugio Tánori and some 350 Opata militia loyal to the Imperialists, a force of Native Cavalrymen pursued the raiders as far south as Ímuris, Sonora. The Battalion also participated in a campaign against the Apaches from December 1865 to January 1866 which took them as far east as the Chiricahua Mountains and as far south as Fronteras, Sonora. The Battalion left Arizona in February, 1866 and was mustered out in California in March at Drum Barracks. Company C mustered out in April in San Francisco.

Casualties

The Battalion suffered 8 enlisted men who were wounded by gunfire and 2 officers and 9 enlisted men who died of disease. Most of the deaths from disease came from their time at Fort Mason.