Fort Gaston (Hoopa Valley, California)
Hoopa Valley · California · Indian Wars
History & Significance
Fort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. Located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, Fort Gaston as part of the Humboldt Military District was intended to control the Hupa Indians and to protect them from hostile white settlers.
The post was named for 2nd Lieutenant William Gaston, of the First Dragoons, who had been killed May 17, 1858, during the Spokane–Coeur d'Alene–Paloos War. Founded in December 1859, and first manned by Captain Edmund Underwood and 56 men from a company of the 4th US Infantry Regiment, Fort Gaston from the beginning was to keep an eye on the Hupa who were suspected of aiding surrounding tribes in attacks on white settlers, ambushes of mail carriers and of stages in what was called the Bald Hills War.
During the American Civil War, Company D, 3rd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was sent to Fort Gaston October, 1861, operating against Indians until ordered to San Francisco August 23, 1862. From June 1863, companies B and C of the 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers relieved 2nd Regiment as garrison of Fort Gaston, with Company D later reinforcing them.
On December 25, 1863, a battle with the Indians took place near Fort Gaston; the Indians holed up in several log buildings, firing at companies B and C of the mountaineers from rifle ports, and attempting to drive them out the army attacked them with howitzers, but at nightfall, with the buildings in ruins, the Indians were able to escape in the darkness. General Order No. 14 abandoned Fort Gaston on June 29, 1892, and the military reservation was transferred to the Department of the Interior on February 11, 1892 who reserved it for the Indian Service.
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Gaston
- https://www.militarymuseum.org/FtGaston.html
- https://theclio.com/entry/20108
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Gaston
- https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/hupa