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Eleven
states seceded from the Union in 1861 and formed the Confederate
States of America. The Confederacy was desperately short of raw
materials for war production. Those materials had to be imported
from abroad and often paid for in gold. Gold and seaports became
very important to the South.
California
and the Western part of North America held both seaports and gold,
and the South wanted them.
In
the summer of 1861, the 2nd Texas Regiment, Mounted Rifles, led
by Lt. Col. John Baylor seized control of the Mesilla Valley (near
present day Las Cruces) and declared New Mexico a Confederate territory. |
In the winter of 1861 a Confederate brigade invaded New Mexico with the
hope of fulfilling the South's ambitions in the west.
The brigade was commanded by General Henry H. Sibley, formerly of the
United States Army. It was comprised of three regiments of cavalry - the
4th, 5th, and 7th Texas Mounted Volunteers - and independent battery of
artillery, totaling almost 3000 men and at least 18 cannons.
Opposing the Sibley Brigade were a few companies
of the 5th and 7th US Infantry, a few companies of the 2nd Cavalry, a
battalion of the 3rd Cavalry, a few batteries of artillery, one company
of Colorado Volunteers, several regiments of New Mexico Volunteers, and
some untrained militia. The overall commander of the U.S. forces was Col.
Edward Canby.
The first battle of the campaign was south of Socorro, near Ft. Craig,
at Val Verde ford. The Texans drove the Federal forces from the field
and captured a battery of cannons in the savage encounter that saw the
only documented use of lancers in the War Between the States.
Canby retreated into Ft. Craig though, and Sibley
could not get him out.
The
enlisted quarters in 1867 |
The
Texans lost many supply wagons to a surprise cavalry charge by the
New Mexico Volunteers. Short on supplies, Sibley chose to bypass Ft.
Craig and continue north toward Albuquerque.
Albuquerque was occupied on March 2, 1862 and
Santa Fe five days later. The Confederates were critically short of
food and other supplies, and needed the Federal stores at Ft. Union
on the Santa Fe Trail north of Las Vegas. At Ft. Union there were
about 1300 Federal troops, including several companies of Regulars
and New Mexico Volunteers, but mainly the newly organized 1st Colorado
Volunteers, known as "Pike's Peakers". The 1st Colorado had arrived
at Ft. Union after a Herculean effort, including a march through a
blizzard. The fort and its troops were commanded by Col. John Slough.
Slough's orders from Canby were to protect Ft. Union at all costs,
but not to start a major battle. Slough thought the best place from
which to defend Ft. Union was on the road to Santa Fe, so he started
down the road toward Glorieta Pass. |
Fort
Craig just before the war.
|
General
Henry H. Sibley
|
General
Chivinton |
Caretakers
at the site have reported seeing a figure in Civil war dress lurking around
their trailer. Voices are often heard coming from the ruins and believing
that someone is in the fort, the caretakers investigate to discover that
no one is there.
The
caretakers at the fort rotate from site to site and not all of the caretakers
who have stayed at the fort have had experiences.
This ghost hunt was a recon of sorts.
We all stayed in a group and walked counterclockwise around the trail
that winds around the ruins.
Photographs
Click
on the thumbnails to view the larger image
Filed
for further reference. Second ghost hunt of this area has been scheduled.
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