Stephen Girard Whipple

Stephen Girard Whipple (b. November 5, 1823 Williston, Vermont – October 21, 1895 Eureka, California),^[1] usually known as Stephen G. Whipple, was a 49er, newspaper editor, politician, and a Union officer commanding an all-volunteer "Battalion of Mountaineers" and the Humboldt Military District in the Bald Hills War against the Indians in northwest California, during the American Civil War. After the Civil War he was an officer in the U. S. Army serving in the Apache Wars and in the Nez Perce War and at various frontier posts.

Early Life in Northwest California

Stephen Girard Whipple, was born on November 15, 1823 in Williston, Vermont. He went to California during the 1849 Gold Rush and entered state politics. He served as a member of the California State Assembly for the 12th District in 1854-55 and 1857-58. He was involved in the California State Militia and was one of several influential men that wrote the Governor of California to establish a volunteer company called the Citizens of Crescent City in 1856 to defend Crescent City against attack by Indians of Klamath County.^[2][3] He was also editor of the Northern Californian, one of two newspapers on the Humboldt Bay. While Whipple was away on business, Bret Harte who worked for Whipple's paper, wrote against the killers of the Indian Island Massacre (in opposition to Whipple's views) and soon left the area due to the threats against his life.

Civil War the Bald Hills War

In the early part of the Civil War he wrote to the Department of the Pacific Commander advocating a more active prosecution of the war with the Indians in the Bald Hills War with men used to the hardships of war in the mountainous redwood forests. His idea was adopted and he was appointed as Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers a special light infantry Battalion. This unit was recruited primarily from Californians familiar with the area of the Humboldt Military District for the purpose of "capturing or killing" the Indians.

On July 13, 1863 Lt. Col. Whipple was appointed to command the Humboldt Military District, which he held until February, 1864, and began implementing his genocidal approach to the war. Whipple was also elected to serve again in the Assembly for the 27th District in 1863, and gave up his command from February 8, 1864 to June 1864, to attend the meeting of the State legislature, Colonel Henry M. Black taking his place. Whipple regained the command of the District again in June 1864 and held it until the District was absorbed by the Department of California on July 27, 1865.^[4] Aggressive patrolling and massacres of sleeping Indians by the Mountaineers and companies of other California Volunteer regiments in the District during all times of the year eventually drove the tribes to make peace in August 1864.^[4]

Career in the U.S. Army and later life

Following the Civil War he was chosen to become a Captain in the U. S. Army, most notably serving in Arizona under George Crook against the Apache, and taking part in the Nez Perce War.^[5] On July 1, 1877, Whipple led the attack on Chief Looking Glass's camp but failed to capture Looking Glass as ordered. He then took part in the fights at Cottonwood Ranch from July 3–5, and then fought in the Battle of the Clearwater.^[6] He retired from the army in 1884 after twenty-one years of service.^[7] He was a Member of the Freemasons and of the Grand Army of the Republic. He died in Eureka, California, on October 21, 1895. Whipple was initially buried in the G.A.R. section of the Myrtle Grove Cemetery in Eureka. After Stephen's death, his widowed wife Georgia moved to San Diego, where she filed for a Civil War widow's pension October 12, 1897, and received application No. 663,941 and certificate No. 512,495. She ordered a government military headstone sometime after July 11, 1899 (contract date), which was delivered to San Diego and installed over Whipple's re-interred remains in Mount Hope Cemetery; the second stone is over the original grave site in Eureka.^[1]

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