Title
Letter from Brigadier General Benjamin Alvord to US Army Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas, July 24, 1862
Subject
United States Army
Description
Alvord advises, “… during the existence of the civil war there must necessarily be constant apprehension that at any moment we may be plunged into a [foreign] war. In that case this region is the most exposed and vulnerable, as it is the most remote of all our Territories.”
General Alvord, experienced with the military needs of the Pacific Northwest, urges the re-establishment of the Department of Oregon, an earlier Army organizational form that included Washington Territory and nearby parts of Oregon. His effort was unsuccessful.
In terms of communication, the telegraph would not reach Washington Territory until 1864.
General Alvord, experienced with the military needs of the Pacific Northwest, urges the re-establishment of the Department of Oregon, an earlier Army organizational form that included Washington Territory and nearby parts of Oregon. His effort was unsuccessful.
In terms of communication, the telegraph would not reach Washington Territory until 1864.
Abstract
General Alvord cites earlier forms of Army organization on the Pacific Coast. He notes the advantages of a Department of Oregon, to operate in parallel with a Department of California. He believes this would allow more flexibility, particularly in the face of increasing Indian hostilities and the possibility of a foreign war. Communication between San Francisco and Fort Vancouver is slow, and too great for proper oversight.
Creator
Alvord, Benjamin, 1813-1884
Source
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
Publisher
Fort Vancouver, WT
Date Issued
1862-07-24
Contributor
Vol. L (Part 2). Series I. Serial 106. Chapter LXII.
Medium
Digital file
Type
letter
Bibliographic Citation
Vol. L (Part 2). Series I. Serial 106. Chapter LXII.
Spatial Coverage
Washington Territory
Temporal Coverage
1850-1862
Provenance
eHistory. Ohio State University.
URL
http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/sources/records/list.cfm
Start Page
37
End Page
38