Camp Babbitt

Camp Babbitt. . , On October 6, 1862 Capt. Moses McLaughlin and Lt. Col. George S. Evans commanding 57 men of Company D, 2nd Cavalry, California Volunteers arrived in Visalia. They had come from Camp Independence, Owens Valley over the newly completed Coso Trail. On October 15, 1862 they moved to this site and began construction of Camp Babbitt, named for Col. E.B. Babbitt, Quartermaster General of the Dept. of the Pacific. On October 16, 1862 Capt. William Jones and Maj. John M. O'Neill arrived by way of Greenhorn with 6 wagons, 20 men of Company D and 67 men of Company I, thus began Camp Babbitt. This camp and others were ordered to be established from Washington Territory to the Mexican border to act as barriers for trouble from without and to make those rebels within the state hesitate to carry their plans too far. In October 1865 Camp Babbitt was relocated to a site N.E. of this about 1 1/2 miles (N.E. corner of Houston and Ben Maddox Way) as a permanent military post. Between October 1865 and September 1866 the Delta indicated "this is one of the most beautiful and important military posts in the state." Many different companies of the 2nd Cavalry moved in and out of here. The final blow came with an order for all companies of organized militia to be mustered out and turn over all equipment at Camp Babbitt to Capt. J.O. Doughty. The regulars were sent east of the Sierras to help with Indian trouble. In the September 19, 1866 Delta, Camp Babbitt was listed for auction, thus ended Camp Babbitt.