March 23 1861 Saturday
California. A J King, Under Sheriff of Los Angeles County, and other influential men in El Monte formed a pro-secessionist militia known as the Monte Mounted Rifles. They aimed to assist Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston in pro-secessionist activity. King came to the attention of the Federal authorities when US army officers at San Pedro held up a shipment of arms sent by John G Downey, the Governor of California. This action prevented the arming of the militia and stopped a potential insurrection.
Virginia. USS Cumberland arrived at Hampton Roads from its station at Vera Cruz, New Mexico.
Texas. The state of Texas ratified the Confederate Constitution.
Texas. Fort Chadbourne was abandoned by US forces.
Union Organisation
USA. Brigadier-General Edwin Vose Sumner was appointed to command the Department of the Pacific, arriving on 25 April 1861. The incumbent Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston was suspected of considering defection to the Confederacy.
Sumner, Edwin Vose (Sr) / Massachusetts-New York / Born 30 January 1797 Boston, Massachusetts / Died Syracuse, New York 21 March 1863
2nd Lieutenant USA 2nd US Infantry 3 March 1819 / 1st Lieutenant USA 25 January 1823 / Captain USA 1st US Dragoons 4 March 1833 1st US Dragoons / Major USA 2nd US Dragoons 30 June 1846 / Lieutenant-Colonel USA 1st US Dragoons 13 July 1848 / Colonel USA 1st US Cavalry 3 March 1855 / Brigadier-General USA 16 March 1861 / Major-General USV 16 July 1862 to rank from 4 July 1862 adjusted to rank from 5 May 1862 / Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel USA 18 April 1847 Brevet Colonel USA 8 September 1847 Brevet Major-General USA 31 May 1862 / WIA Cerro Gordo 18 April 1847 WIA Glendale 30 June 1862
Department of the Pacific 23 March 1861-20 October 1861 / Sumner’s Division Army of the Potomac 25 November 1861-13 March 1862 / II Corps Potomac 3 March 1862-7 October 1862 / Right Grand Division Potomac 14 November 1862-5 February 1863
Commander in Chief: President Abraham Lincoln
Vice-President: Hannibal Hamlin
Secretary of War: Simon Cameron
Secretary of the Navy: Gideon Welles
African Squadron: William Inman
Brazil Squadron: Joshua Ratoon Sands
East Indian (Asiatic) Squadron: Cornelius Kinchiloe Stribling
European Squadron: vacant
Home Squadron: Garrett J Prendergast
Mediterranean Squadron: Charles H Bell
Pacific Squadron: John Berrien Montgomery
General–in-Chief: Winfield Scott
Department of the East: John Ellis Wool
Department of New Mexico: William Wing Loring
Department of the Pacific: Albert Sidney Johnston interim, Edwin Vose Sumner awaited
- District of Oregon: George Wright
Department of Texas: Carlos Adolphus Waite
Department of Utah: Philip St George Cooke
Department of the West: William Selby Harney
Confederate Organisation
Commander in Chief: President Jefferson Finis Davis
Vice-President: Alexander Hamilton Stephens
Secretary of War: Leroy Pope Walker
Secretary of the Navy: Stephen Russell Mallory
“Department of Louisiana”: David Emanuel Twiggs
- “Forces in New Orleans” “Army of Louisiana”: Braxton Bragg
Department of South Carolina: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
- “Forces in Charleston”: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Department of West Florida: Braxton Bragg
- “Forces in Pensacola”: Braxton Bragg
Union Generals
Major-General USA
Winfield Scott
Brigadier-General USA
John Ellis Wool
William Selby Harney
Edwin Vose Sumner
Brigadier-General USA (Staff)
Joseph Eggleston Johnston
Confederate Seniority
Major-General PACS
David Emanuel Twiggs
Brigadier-General ACSA
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Braxton Bragg
American Civil War High Command 