San Diego Barracks
San Diego Barracks (1850-1921) - First established in 1850 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.
San Diego Barracks History
Supplies were brought by ship from the east and from San Francisco to New San Diego depot where they were distributed by pack trains and wagon trains to Fort Tejon, Fort Mohave, 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. Col Mansfield was not impressed with San Diego and found nothing to build it up and no back country of any value.
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.
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Location: San Diego County, California. Maps & Images Lat: 32.711267 Long: -117.169683 |
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
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