Treasures of the Valley

CV Pioneers Who Were Civil War Veterans

Once again, I turn to the stellar research done by local historian Jo Anne Sadler, who has written extensively about the 19th century pioneers of CV. She compiled histories of our pioneers who fought in the Civil War and from her work this is written. While there were many Civil War veterans living here in the early years, four stand out. They were all from the Union side.

Colonel Thomas Spencer Hall – Hall was a lawyer who originally came to northern California in 1852. He returned east and enlisted in 1861. He was a captain in the 92nd NY Infantry under General George McClellan. He participated in the 1862 Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), the siege of Yorktown, Virginia in the Peninsular Campaign, the Battle of Williamsburg, and the culmination of the Peninsular Campaign in the Battle of Fair Oaks outside of Richmond. During these battles, Hall rose to the rank of major, and was mustered out in 1863 as a colonel.

Hall bought property in La Cañada in 1873. He worked his ranch on the weekends while holding jobs and living in LA, finally moving to the ranch full time in 1889. Hall admired General McClellan and named his first son Thomas McClellan Hall. “T Mac,” as he was known locally, figures heavily in early valley history. The private 70-acre Hall Ranch still exists in Alta Canyada.

Private Frank Dunsmoor – This Minnesota resident volunteered in 1861 and was involved in the opening battle of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run. His regiment was heavily engaged and had the highest casualty rate. Dunsmoor was permanently wounded in the eye. He was discharged soon after. Dunsmoor returned to Minnesota, where he fought in a militia in the 1862 Sioux Uprising.

Newly married Frank Dunsmoor moved in 1874 to what is today Deukmejian Park where he raised bees for honey. The couple lived there less than 10 years, later moving to Glendale, then Antelope Valley. But his now misspelled name remains on Dunsmore Avenue, school, canyon, park and Dunsmuir Sediment Placement Site.

Brigadier General Adolphus Williams – Williams entered the war in 1861 as a major and moved up to colonel of the 20th Michigan in 1862. None of our four veterans suffered as much damage as Williams. His regiment was in the thick of battle throughout the war and had a very high casualty rate. Williams had typhoid fever and relapsed throughout the war years, was wounded at Fair Oaks, and went deaf in one ear at Yorktown. He was treated for dysentery 11 times. He was discharged in 1863, a physically ruined man.

In partnership with Jacob Lanterman, Williams bought the entire Crescenta-Cañada valley in 1875. Their first years here were fraught. They realized after purchase that their land included no water sources and they fell to fighting with each other over property boundaries. The war-damaged Williams didn’t last long. He died in 1879, presumably from tuberculosis.

Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Merrill – Merrill was part of a successful book publishing family in Indianapolis. In 1862 Merrill enlisted with the 70th Indiana as a captain, serving under future president Colonel Benjamin Harrison.

Merrill’s troops were for the first part of the war assigned to guard duty. But in 1864, Merrill took command of the regiment as a lieutenant colonel and joined General Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” In the next year they fought 15 battles, including the burning of Atlanta. He seemed disgusted with war. In letters home he described pillaging southern farms. He wrote to his wife, “My God, what a terrible thing war is.”

After the war he returned to the family’s publishing business. Through his connection with Benjamin Harrison, he was appointed consul general to India in the early 1890s. He and his family retired to La Crescenta thanks to family connections with Benjamin Briggs. They ran the La Crescenta General Store and Post Office.

These four CV pioneers were scarred in body and soul by the Civil War. The peaceful Crescenta Valley offered a chance to start over and to heal their wounds, both physical and mental.