San Diego Barracks

San Diego Barracks (1850-1921) - First established in 1850 during the California Gold Rush as New San Diego by Captain Nathaniel Lyon, 2nd U.S. Infantry, as a quartermaster depot. Renamed San Diego Barracks by G.O. 2, 5 Apr 1879, Military Division of the Pacific, San Francisco. Abandoned in 1921. Also known as New San Diego Depot. History New San Diego Depot was constructed by Captain Nathaniel Lyon, 2nd U.S. Infantry, who was the quartermaster in charge of the erection of the first three depot buildings. Supplies for the depot were brought by ship from the east and from San Francisco where they were distributed by pack trains and wagon trains to remote locations like Fort Tejon, Fort Mojave, Fort Yuma and other locations in the new territory. New San Diego was inspected by Colonel Joseph K.F. Mansfield on 25-28 May 1854, he found the post occupied by three officers and a single sergeant on detached duty. He found that water had to be hauled from three miles away, wood was hauled from twenty miles away and the animals had to be sent sixty miles away to graze. The quartermaster employed some 23 civilians to work on the post and his department was found to be in good order. The subsistance department was found to be in good order despite receiving spoiled flour and pork from the east. The pay department was responsible for paying all the soldiers in Southern California and Fort Yuma. Pay was disbursed once every two months in California and only once every four months at Fort Yuma because of the distance and danger involved. Colonel Mansfield was not impressed with San Diego and found nothing to build it up and no back country of any value. The first U.S. troops stationed at New San Diego were from Battery D, 3rd U.S. Artillery, who arrived in 1855. San Diego Barracks operated as a subpost of Fort Rosecrans until abandoned December 15, 1921. The site was acquired by the City of San Diego in 1938. Current Status Destroyed by urban development, marker only at the corner of West Harbor Drive and California Street (Blocked). The site is now bounded by West Harbor Drive (S), G Street (N), Kettner Blvd. (E) and California Street (W) (pedestrian traffic only). Site is now covered by a large 30 floor residential highrise building called Park Place. Location: San Diego, San Diego County, California. Maps & Images Lat: 32.711267 Long: -117.169683 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: ' Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 88 Frazer, Robert W. (editor), Mansfield on the conditions of The Western Forts, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1963, ISBN 0-8061-1083-X, page 138-141 Links: North American Forts - San Diego Barracks San Diego History - San Diego Barracks California Military Museum - San Diego Barracks Visited: No