New Mexico campaign facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Mexico campaign |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 Depiction of the Battle of Glorieta Pass during the campaign, dubbed the "Gettysburg of the West" |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Edward Canby Isaac Lynde |
Henry Hopkins Sibley Thomas Green |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 5,142 | 2,515 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~166 killed, ~246 wounded, ~222 missing or captured |
~400 killed or wounded, ~500 missing/captured |
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The New Mexico campaign was a military operation during the American Civil War. It took place from February to April 1862. Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley led an invasion into the northern New Mexico Territory. His goal was to take control of the Southwest. This included the valuable gold fields of Colorado and the important ports of California.
Many historians believe this campaign was the most ambitious attempt by the Confederates to control the American West. It was also a major event in the New Mexico Territory in the American Civil War.
Confederate soldiers marched north along the Rio Grande from Fort Bliss in Texas. They won the Battle of Valverde but could not capture Fort Craig. They also failed to make the main Union Army in the area surrender. The Confederates then continued north towards Santa Fe and Fort Union. This left the Union forces behind them.
At Glorieta Pass, the Confederates beat another Union force. However, they had to retreat because their supply wagons were destroyed. This meant they lost most of their food and ammunition.
If the Confederates had won this campaign, the Union would have lost a lot of gold and silver. These metals were important for funding the war. Also, the Union navy would have had to blockade hundreds of miles of Pacific coastline. A Confederate victory would also have kept Union troops busy in the West. These troops later fought Native American tribes on the plains and in the Rockies.
Contents
Who Fought: Union and Confederate Armies
Union Forces: Protecting the Territory
The Union forces in the Department of New Mexico were led by Colonel Edward Canby. His main base was at Fort Craig. At this fort, he commanded several groups of soldiers. These included New Mexico volunteer infantry, a company from Colorado, and two artillery units. He also had soldiers from the U.S. Infantry and Cavalry regiments, plus New Mexico militia.
At Fort Union, Colonel Gabriel René Paul was in charge. His forces included the 1st Colorado Infantry and other Colorado soldiers. There were also U.S. Infantry and Cavalry troops, New Mexico infantry, and two artillery batteries.
Confederate Forces: Sibley's Army
The Confederate Army of New Mexico was led by Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley. His army included several Texas Mounted Rifles units. These units sometimes had mountain howitzers, which are small cannons. He also had mounted volunteers from Confederate Arizona.
When Sibley arrived in New Mexico in January, he organized his cannons into a special group. This group was led by Captain Trevanion Teel, who was promoted to major. More Texas soldiers arrived later and guarded Fort Thorn near Mesilla.
Confederate Plans for the West
For many years, people in southern New Mexico Territory felt ignored by the government in Santa Fe. When the regular army left at the start of the war, they felt abandoned. In March 1861, meetings in Mesilla and Tucson voted to join the Confederacy. They also formed local groups to protect themselves.
In July 1861, Lieutenant Colonel John R. Baylor led Texas soldiers into southern New Mexico. He entered Mesilla and pushed back Union soldiers from Fort Fillmore in the First Battle of Mesilla. After his victory, Baylor created the Confederate Territory of Arizona south of the 34th parallel.
The 1862 campaign was part of a bigger plan by General Sibley. He presented this plan to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Sibley wanted to invade along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. He aimed to capture the Colorado Territory, which was rich in gold. He also wanted to take Fort Laramie, an important U.S. Army base on the Oregon Trail. After that, he planned to turn west to attack the mineral-rich Nevada and California.
Sibley planned to carry very few supplies. He intended to live off the land and capture supplies from Union forts and depots along the Santa Fe Trail. Once these areas were secure, Sibley also hoped to take northern Mexican states like Chihuahua, Sonora, and Lower California. He thought he could either buy them or invade them.
The March Towards Santa Fe
Sibley's Advance North
On December 20, 1861, General Sibley announced that the Confederacy was taking control of New Mexico. He told citizens to stop supporting the Union and join the Confederacy. He warned that those who helped the enemy would face consequences.
In February 1862, Sibley moved his army north from Fort Thorn. They followed the Rio Grande valley towards Santa Fe, the capital, and the Union supply stores at Fort Union. Along the way, Sibley sent 54 men to occupy Tucson. The Confederates marched along the west side of the river, passing Fort Craig. This fort had 3,800 Union soldiers under Colonel Canby. Sibley knew he couldn't leave such a large Union force behind him. He tried to get the Union soldiers to come out and fight on his terms.
On February 19, Sibley camped near Fort Craig, hoping to cut off the Union's communication lines. The next day, Union forces came out but were hit hard by Confederate artillery and had to retreat. On February 21, the Confederates marched to Valverde Ford, about 6 miles (10 km) north of the fort. They tried to get around the Union forces. Canby attacked, but his soldiers were pushed back by the Confederates. Colonel Thomas Green took command after Sibley became unwell. Canby's forces went back to Fort Craig but refused to surrender.
Sibley only had enough food for three days. He couldn't try to surround the fort or retreat back to Mesilla. Instead, he decided to leave the fort and slowly continue north towards Santa Fe. He hoped to find supplies there and cut off Fort Craig's supply lines. Many horses were lost at Valverde, so some Texas soldiers had to walk. The remaining horses were weak, and the soldiers had to carry the wounded. All this made the army move very slowly. Meanwhile, Canby tried to trap Sibley's army between his own force and Fort Union. He sent most of his mounted soldiers north to bother Sibley's army. They were told to "obstruct his movements" and "cut off his supplies" by taking away food and cattle.
The Confederate forces reached Albuquerque on March 2 and Santa Fe on March 13. But because they moved so slowly, they couldn't capture most of the Union supplies in these cities. Their slow advance also allowed Union reinforcements from Colorado to reach Fort Union. These troops were led by Colonel John P. Slough. Slough took command of the fort because he had been a colonel longer than Paul. Canby had told Paul not to leave Fort Union until he gave specific orders. After learning Slough was in command, Canby told him to "advise me of your plans" and to "harass the enemy." Slough took this as permission to advance, which he did with 1,342 men.
The Union and Confederate armies met at the Battle of Glorieta Pass on March 28. The Confederates managed to push the Union forces through the pass. However, they had to retreat after their wagon train was destroyed. This train carried almost all their supplies and ammunition. Sibley pulled his army back to Albuquerque to wait for more soldiers from Texas. Slough, receiving orders from Canby to return to Fort Union, also retreated. He feared being punished if he disobeyed. Once at the fort, he resigned and went back to Colorado. Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Tappan took command of the regiment, and Paul was again in charge of the fort.
Sibley's Retreat from New Mexico
Canby first ordered the Union forces to go back to Fort Union. But after learning how weak the Confederates were, he ordered Union forces to gather near Albuquerque. Sibley had limited supplies and ammunition and was outnumbered. He decided to retreat to Texas, leaving Albuquerque on April 12 after a small fight a few days earlier. On April 14, Canby met the Confederates at Peralta. The armies fought until 2:00 p.m. when a sandstorm allowed the Confederates to escape to the west side of the river.
Union forces blocked the Confederates from retreating down the east side of the river. Sibley's army had to retreat down the west side or through the western mountains. They desperately searched for food and water. Hundreds of Confederates fell behind during this difficult retreat. As they marched, the desperate Confederate soldiers looted and took food from New Mexican citizens. This caused the citizens to fight back along the Rio Grande. After reaching Mesilla, the retreat continued to Franklin and then to San Antonio.
A small group of Confederate soldiers stayed behind at Fort Thorn. This group was led by Colonel William Steele.
The Union California Column was approaching from the west. General Edward Canby's army was coming from the north. Local fighters in the Mesilla area rose up against the Confederates who were taking their supplies. The Second Battle of Mesilla was a small fight in the desert near Mesilla on July 1, 1862. It was between Confederate Arizona rebels and New Mexican militia who supported the Union. The Union won this fight. With more Union forces closing in, the rebels left Mesilla and retreated into Texas in early July.
What Happened After the Campaign
After the Confederates retreated, Union soldiers from the California Column took over several forts in western Texas. Colonel James Henry Carleton led these troops. Canby was promoted to brigadier general and moved to the eastern part of the war. Carleton took his place as commander and was also promoted to brigadier general.
The best New Mexico volunteers formed the 1st New Mexico Cavalry. Kit Carson was in command. This regiment spent the rest of the war fighting Native American tribes in the territory.
Even though the Confederates still thought Arizona was part of the Confederacy, they never invaded again. Sibley's brigade was often called the "Arizona Brigade." They continued to serve in Texas and Louisiana for the rest of the war. Sibley himself was later demoted in 1863 to directing supply trains.
Battlefields You Can Visit Today
About 678 acres (2.7 km²) of the Glorieta Pass Battlefield are now protected within the Pecos National Historical Park. The National Park Service allows visitors to see the Civil War sites with a permit or on guided tours. There are many signs and exhibits around the park and along nearby roads like Interstate 25. This highway runs next to the Santa Fe National Historic Trail through Glorieta Pass.
The Valverde battlefield has a historical marker along a nearby highway. This area is part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, which is now a National Historic Trail.
The Battle of Peralta has a state historical marker at the north end of the village. This area is now surrounded by buildings from Albuquerque.
The Battle of Albuquerque is remembered on the city's Old Town Plaza. There are plaques and cannons there.
The First and Second Battle of Mesilla have an interpretive sign on the Plaza in historic Mesilla. Mesilla was the capital of the Confederate Arizona territory during the Civil War. It is now part of Las Cruces in southern New Mexico.
Campaign's Lasting Impact
- The town of Albuquerque, Texas, got its name from soldiers who returned home to the area after the New Mexico campaign.
