On October 23, 1861 General Sibley lead the 1st Texas Cavalry Brigade out of San Antonio for the Confederate Territory of Arizona. Officially Sibley's mission was to occupy those parts of the Federal Department of New Mexico north of the 34th parallel. Unofficially he was to add Colorado, California and parts of old Mexico to the Confederacy.

After a hard march across the west Texas plain Sibley's troops, now the Army of New Mexico, assembled at Ft. Thorn on the Rio Grande. The leadership and supply problems which dogged the campaign kept the Texans at Ft. Thorn until February 7 when Sibley led his reinforced command north towards Ft. Craig.

Believing Ft. Craig to be too strongly held to be taken by assault, the Texans left the river and passed east of the fort. Sibley's plan was to force a battle by cutting the Federal supply line to Albuquerque. The Brigade returned to the Rio Grande at Valverde on February 21 when the tired, thirsty Texans found Federal troops between them and the water.

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The Battle of Valverde, which lasted about eight hours and included the last charge of lance in North America, was being won by the Federals when a false move allowed the capture of Cpt. Morae's Battery. Canby's position quickly deteriorated. He withdrew his troops to the west bank of the Rio Grande and retired on Ft. Craig leaving the field to Sibley.

Victorious but low on supplies the Confederates moved North taking Albuquerque on March 2 and Santa Fe on March 10. From Santa Fe elements of the Brigade pressed east along the Santa Fe trail. At Glorietta Pass, half way between Santa Fe and Ft. Union, the Texans ran into fresh Federal troops reinforced by the 1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers.

The first battle, the Apache Canyon fight on March 26, ended in a draw with both sides calling up reinforcements. In some ways the second battle, the Pigeon Ranch fight on March 28, mirrored Valverde. This time the Texans held the advantage when a party of Colorado volunteers arrived in their rear and destroyed their supply train. Without resources the Texans could only retire and fell back on Santa Fe.

The arrival of Slough's 1st Colorado Volunteers at Ft. Union on March 10 changed the balance of power in New Mexico. Federal troops now outnumbered the Texans, if they could unite.

Canby left Ft. Craig on April 1 moving up the Rio Grande. Aware of the threat this column posed to his supply depot Sibley ordered Santa Fe abandoned and fell back on Albuquerque. From Ft. Union Slough's troops, in columns commanded by Paul and Chivington, cautiously followed the Texans. Canby's men won the race to Albuquerque arriving outside the city on April 8. On April 9, after a half hearted artillery duel with Sibley's garrison, Canby side stepped south of the city and joined with the Ft. Union columns, now commanded by Paul, at Tijeras on April 13.

Low on supplies and facing a Federal force stronger than his own Sibley ordered a 'retrograde movement'. The Texans would abandon New Mexico and retire on Mesilla.

On April 12 Sibley's column comprising Scurry's 4th Texas, Sutton's Battalion of the 7th Texas and Teel's Battery left Albuquerque, forded the Rio Grande, and proceeded down the west bank. The next day Green's column comprising his own 5th Texas, Pyron's Battalion of the 2nd Texas and Sayer's Battery left the city. Green was to follow Sibley but found yesterdays traffic had churned up quicksand making Sibley's ford unusable. A change of plans, Green was now to proceed down the east bank of the river, find a ford, and rejoin the Army at Los Lunas.

Late on April 14 the head of Green's column reached Peralta. While the troops camped efforts were made to bring in a wagon train ( 1 ) strung out for several miles along the road north of the town. Little was accomplished. The wagons were stuck deep in soft sand and the teamsters had turned their exhausted animals out to graze. Undismayed, the officers enjoyed themselves by throwing a fandango on the ranch of New Mexico's Governor, Henry Connelly,doing some $30,000 worth of damage. No one gave much thought to Canby.

Before dawn on April 14 the combined Federal column left Tijeras. The troops marched thirty-six miles camping after dark within a mile of Governor Connelly's ranch. The Union camp was "saluted with the 'sound of revelry by night' The violin was in full blast, accompanied by other and more noisy instruments". Chivington suggested a night attack but his offer was turned down by Canby.

The next morning all hope of surprise was lost when Canby's buglers woke everyone with a thrilling reveille, and his gunners began firing 24-lb shells into Green's camp. The Texan's band replied with 'Dixie' and Sayers' battery unlimbered to return fire.

While the infantry formed for battle, companies F and H of the 1st Colorado moved to intercept the wagons and their escort now 'coming down from Albuquerque'. After a skirmish, the Texans 'dropped their arms and hoisted a dirty handkerchief on a ramrod ... Doubtless they could have held out longer, but two companies of infantry were in sight, coming on double-quick and arrived just in time to witness the surrender.' The howitzer was turned over to Claflin and added to his battery.

Canby formed his line of battle with the 1st Colorado on the right, Bell's battery on the Peralto-Albuquerque road and Robert's regulars on the left. Green formed somewhat north of the town. Pyron's Battalion on the left, its flank on the Rio Grande, his own 5th Texas covering the center and right and Sayers' battery on the road facing the Federals.

After a mounted probe of the Texan's position by Graydon's spy company, Canby organized an attack on Pyron's position attempting to push between Peralta and the Rio Grande and separating Green's column from the rest of the Brigade. The columns of the 1st Colorado, supported by a battery of artillery and Cpt. Morris with three companies of the 3rd US Cavalry, were spotted by a Texan lookout in the Church tower and Green moved a section of 6-lb guns commanded by Lt. Fulcrod to Pyron's support. From the Church tower the lookout saw 'cannon balls rolling along like marbles ... without the least respect for persons.' With the Coloradans advanced stalled, Green fell back on Peralta, allowing the Federals to occupy Connelly's vandalized ranch, and shifted resources, including Fulcrod's guns, to his right where Roberts regulars were moving through a strip of woods to the north and west of the town.

By 11:00 am the Federal artillery had brought down the Church tower and the Texans had crossed the river in strength.(2) Scurry's 4th Texas on the left and the 7th Texas, now commanded by Maj. Hoffmann, on the right. Sibley attempted to cross but turned back 'amid a shower of balls'.

BG Sibley may not have been the only Texan to stay on the west bank. Hollister reports 'Two hundred and fifty positively refused to take part in yesterday's encounter and openly threatened Scurry's life, should he persist in taking them into action'. To be fair Noel presents the crossing in a different light 'they came at double-quick from the river, the gallant Scurry at their head ... They crossed without a murmur, cold and freezing as it was, and with merriment and gaiety came, regardless of the weather, the like of which is but seldom seen in the "Lone Star State".'

Artillery Duel

The battle now degenerated into an artillery fight. The Texans held a strong central position 'the strongest (except Ft. Union) in New Mexico' and Canby saw no reason to incur the casualties an assault would entail. The infantry skirmished, or slept, and the cavalry 'was here, there and everywhere; now preparing to charge, now on foot advancing as skirmishers; always about to do something but never doing it.'

By the afternoon the Texans were 'in the center of a circle upon the arc of which we were moving' Hollister thought 'tine Texans had us at a disadvantage and they knew it. They woul not resign until forced to, and we moved again, either towards town, in line of battle, further to the right by column'.

Hollister's officers agreed with him, and in the early afternoon Paul prepared a second attempt on the Texan left. Two columns of the 1st Colorado formed under Chivington and Wynkoop. Wynkoop's troops, supported by some cavalry on his right, were to attack while Chivington's troops stood in reserve. 'This plan of attack had been inaugurated, when Canby came to the front and quashed it'.

At 2:00 pm the battle ended in a sandstorm and by 8:00 pm, with the storm still blowing, the Texans began to recross the Rio Grande. By 4:00 am on April 16 they arrived at Los Lun 'wet and sleepy.' This was the last battle the Sibley Brigade was to fight in New Mexico.

For an engagement which lasted six hours there were remarkably few casualties. Fewer then twenty for the Union and, including the wagon fight plus the sick left in Peralta, perhaps forty Texans killed, wounded or captured. It was the 'most harmless battle on record.'

After Peralta, the Texans continued their retreat. On the night of April 17, again in sandstorm, the Army left the Rio Grande, burned the last of its baggage, and began to pass west of Ft. Craig, through the Magdalena Mountains. The Texans entered the mountains army and emerged on April 24 starving and thirsty retaining only their arms and artillery The Valverde guns were saved by the 4th Texas when Scurry assigned a company to pull each gun after the draught animals died. It in not clear how Teel managed to save his guns, but he did, and returned his battery to Mesilla.

The Texan's ordeal was not yet complete. After a period of rest and reorganization Sibley began to move his brigade back to San Antonio leaving the Territory of Arizona to Steel's battalion and Teel's battery. In some ways the march home was as difficult as the retreat through the mountains. The head of the column arrived in San Antonio on July 18 and troops continued to straggle in for the next few months.

On July 4 Carlton's Californians reoccupied Ft. Thorn and on July 12 Steel began withdrawing his troops to Texas.

Notes

(1) The wagons were accompanied by several prominent Confederate sympathizers leaving New Mexico with their families. Escort was provides by Lt. Darby's A/5th Texas, some 35 men, with a brass howitzer.

(2) Green's reinforcements began arriving by 9:00 am but were delayed when Sibley saw a cloud of dust to the south and sent troops back to reinforce the garrison at Los Lunas. The new troops turned out to be Texans and Sibley marched his men back to the Peralta ford.

Order of Battle

Eastern column: COL Green
Texas Mounted Volunteers: Col. Green. 600 (4)
Cos: A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,K.
Bn 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles: Maj. Pyron. 300
Cos: B,D,E, Arizona Rangers, Brigands.
San Elizario Spy Company: Cpt. Coopwood 50
Sayers' Battery: Lt. Sayers. 80

Total 1030
Grand Total 2160 (5)

Notes

The Department of New Mexico: Col. Canby Commanding
Ft. Craig column: Col. Canby. regulars - 860
1st US Cavalry: Cpt. Lord.
Cos: D.G.
3rd US Cavalry: MAJ Dunce.
Cos: C,D,G,K.
5th US Infantry:
Cos: B,D,F,I,K.
7th US Infantry:
Cos: C,F,H.
10th US Infantry:
Cos: A,F,H.
Bell's Battery: LT Bell.
Co A, 2nd Colorado Volunteers: CPT Dodd. 60
Craydon's Spy Company: CPT Graydon. 46
Total 966 Ft. Union column: COL. Slough/CL)1 Paul regulars - 340 (7)
1st US Cavalry:
Cos: D,G.
3rd US Cavalry:
Cos: E,K.
5th US Infantry:
Cos: A,G.
Ritter's Battery: CPT Ritter
Claflin's Battery: LT Claflin
1st Colorado Volunteers: COL Chivington 800 (8)
Cos: A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,K.
Co B. 2nd Colorado Volunteers: CPT Ford. 60
Total 1200 Grand Total 2166

Notes

(7) Paul, a long service regular officer but a Colonel in the New Mexico volunteers commanded at Ft. Union until the arrival of the 1st Colorado, when he found, much to his disgust, he was junior to Slough, a political appointee. Paul resumed command after Slougb's resignation in April.

(8) Slough commanded the 1st Colorado from it's formation through April 9 when he resigned his commission to protest his treatment by Canby following the battle of Glorietta. Chivington was promoted to Colonel commanding on April 14. By resigning Slough lost the B,igadier's commission Lincoln was prepared to offer him as a reward for his victory. Had Slough not resigned he would have outranked Canby and Peralta would have been a very different fight.

The Artillery

Before leaving Albuquerque, Teel supervised the burial of the eight mountain howitzers, now without ammunition, in a corral north of the city plaza. In 1892, Teel visited Albuquerque and supervised the recovery of these guns. All eight were found and were divided evenly between New Mexico and Colorado. Two are now the property of the Albuquerque Museum, two are unaccounted for, and four may still be in Denver.

At Peralta the Texans lost one 12-lb howitzer, possibly the mountain gun and retired with the live remanding Valverde guns and the four guns of Teel's battery. While in Mesilla BG Sibley named the 'Valverde Battery', a unit which continued to served with the brigade. At the end of the war the guns, or their successors, were dumped into the Red River.

The Texans never admitted the loss of a gun at Peralta. The five guns of the Valverde Battery were attributed to a gun left in El Paso with a damaged axle. This explanation is unconvincing. I have visited the Magdalen Mountains and cannot believe troops after manhandling trophy guns through this terrain would abandon one of their prizes on the road home. The El Paso gun was probably one of the four 12-lb mountain howitzers surrendered by Maj. Lynde at Ft. Fillmore.

It appears Canby had eleven guns at Ft. Craig eight of which were committed at Valverde, Lt. Hall's two 24-lb howitzers and Morae's battery. The column which left Ft. Craig on April 1 included one battery of four guns commanded by LT Bell, two 24-lb howitzers and 2 6-lb guns(?). Col. Carson was left in command of the fort with the remaining gun. Ft. Union boasted two batteries. Ritter's, two 12-lb howitzers and two 6-lb guns, and Clafin's, four 12-lb mountain howitzers. The Union guns were manned by men detailed from the infantry and cavalry.

Peralta

Reinforcements

The Federals

Substantial aid came from the west. The 'California Column' was made up of five companies of the 1st California Cavalry, Company B of the 2nd California Cavalry, ten companies of the 1st California Infantry, five companies of the 5th California Infantry, and A Battery of the 3rd US Artillery. some 2,350 men under the command of COL Carlton. These troops began leaving California in late February 1862 and arrived in New Mexico in time to participate in the last stages of the campaign. In 1866 Californians returning home cut their names into the rock face of El Morro National Monument. Their signatures, and those of many other early visitors to the South West, are legible today.

Colorado could, if necessary, have filled out and sent the 2nd Colorado Volunteer Infantry.

New Mexico raised five regiments of volunteers and two of militia. Peak strength appears to have been reached at Valverde, ten companies for the 1st and 2nd New Mexico, eight for the 3rd New Mexico and 4(?) companies for the 4th and 5th New Mexico combined. All together some 1800 volunteers and 500 militia.

The Texans

Sources