The Civil War in New Mexico
John Taylor - January 29, 2019 - New Mexico History Museum
Why Invade New Mexico, of all Places
- Formation of a Western Confederacy
- All-weather route to the West Coast
- Access to mineral wealth in Colorado and New Mexico
- Access to military stores in western forts
- Impress Europeans with major strategic victory
- Capitalize on commercial ties to Missouri and Texas
- Gain Southern recruits from sympathetic populations
Preliminary Maneuvers
- 3/61 - Tucson/Mesilla conventions
- 7/61 - Lynde surrenders to Baylor
- 1/62 - Sibley arrives
- 2/2/62 - Sibley heads north
February 21, 1862 Aftermath
Union Casualties at Valverde
- 11 Killed
- 160 Wounded
- 204 Missing
Confederate Casualties at Valverde
- 72 Killed
- 187 Wounded
- 9 Missing
The Confederates Move North
- Socorro - 2/25
- Los Lunas - 3/1
- Albuquerque - 3/2
- Cubero - 3/3
The Coloradans Move South
- mid-Feb - MG David Hunter orders the First Regiment to "send all available forces you can possibly spare" to reinforce Canby
- Feb.22 - Seven companies head south from Camp Weld
- Mar. 3 - Three companies under Tappan leave Fort Wise
- Mar. 4-5 - Word of Valverde reaches Tappan at Bent's Fort and Slough at Dry Creek
- Mar. 7 - Ten companies unite near present-day Trinidad
- Mar. 9 - Jumbled message reaches Slough at Raton Pass suggesting that the Texansare menacing Fort Union, Slough accelerates the pace
- Mar. 11 - Coloradans reach Fort Union
- Mar. 22 - Slough "pulls rank" on Paul and marches south with most of the Fort Union garrison
- Mar. 25 - Chivington and his men camp at Kozlowski's Ranch
Apache Canyon (3/26): Union - 420 men, led by John Chivington; Confederates - 280 men, + 2 cannons, led by William Pyron
Pigeon's Ranch (3/28): Union - 920 men anbd 6 cannon, led by John Slough; Confederates: 600 men and 3 cannon, led by William Scurry
Results:
Casualties- Union: 172 (54 killed, 97 wounded, 21 captured); Confederates: 213 (47 killed, 64 wounded, 102 captured.
For Comparison- Valverde: Union total 475, Confederate total 213
Conclusion- Confederate tactical victory but strategic defeat.
Timeline:
- 4/7/62 Confederate vanguard leaves Santa Fe
- 4/8/62 Skirmish at Albuquerque
- 4/12/62 Confederates evacuate Albuquerque
- 4/15/62 Battle of Peralta
- 4/15/62 Skirmish at Picacho Peak (westernmost battle of the Civil War)
- 4/18/62 Sibley begins 109-mile avoidance march around Fort Craig
- 6/1/62 Sibley leaves El Paso
- 7/4/62 Carleton's California Column reaches Rio Grande
- 7/8/62 Last of the Confederate forces evacuate Mesilla
A Bottom Line
- Sibley's vision, if it existed at all, was seriously flawed
- Canby's withdrawal at Valverde was the critical strategic decision of the campaign
- Glorieta Pass was a bloody and unfortunate postscript with little or no hope of strategic success from the
- outset
Greatest impacts of Civil War in New Mexico:
- Indian suppression
- Support for Army (food, timber, etc.)
- Resurgence of sheep and cattle husbandry
Longer Impact:
Settlement of territory by "outsiders" who materially changed the culture and initiated a period of significant political violence