That's Far Enough!

Only Fort Union in the northeastern New Mexico territory stood between the Confederacy and their conquest of the West during the Civil War.  Colonel Edward Canby, the Union commander of the fort, sent troops to reoccupy Fort Craig which the government had abandoned.  Fort Craig was on the Rio Grande and also along the Confederate line of advance west.

Some 3000 troops under Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley defeated Union troops outside the fort and Union survivors fled to Fort Craig.  Sibley decided not to risk attacking Fort Craig because he saw it was well manned with cannons - many were just painted logs. Instead he pressed further west, leaving the Union troops to rebuild and regroup.  Sibley managed to occupy Albuquerque and Santa Fe before things began to change.

Fort Union was the key to Colorado and the Southwest.  In May 1861, William Gilpin, the first territorial governor of Colorado, began to organize a pro-Union regiment of volunteers called "Pike Peakers".  On the Confederate side were the "bummers", young secessionist minded men under the orders of a disreputable saloon keeper and gambler, one Charley Harrison.  The hostilities began in a bawdy house and ended in Harrison's saloon. 

With the "bummers" disposed of, the Pike Peakers, now 1300 strong, joined Colonel Canby's men from Fort Union and Fort Craig to meet General Sibley's men.  They clashed in March at Apache Canyon and Glorieta Pass around Fort Union. 

It was a Union Major and Methodist clergy, John Chivington, who led a raid on the South's supplies, destroying 73 wagons and bayoneting the entire herd of horses and mules.  Sibley, who had no supplies and no animals, began a retreat back into Texas.  The Confederate threat in the West was over, and a new threat was arising.

Next time - Southwest Indian Wars
_________________________________
Today in Pioneer History: "On November 13, 1850, Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Scotland. Stevenson authored Treasure Island and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  

Apache!

Fort Craig, where Captain Walker's party camped, was the last military post on the river below Albuquerque. After a  gift of a whiskey party, Walker was ready to get serious.  They were entering dangerous Indian territory, so from now on campfires in the middle of the camp with the men's beds in a circle around it was the rule.  Saddles nearby to provide cover and horses would graze beyond the men and on the perimeter armed guards would patrol in shifts throughout the night.

Three days out from Fort Craig it happened.  Around midnight a group of Apache slipped through the guards, attempted to stampede the livestock - but it failed. The Apache escaped unseen but Walker gave the guards a piece of his mind and went back to bed.  In the morning light, smoke signals on the hills were visible and Walker explained to his greenhorn men that they were telegraph signals.

Next time....Bullies of the Southwest

------------------------------------------

This Day in History...On January 5, 1846, the U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution calling for an end to British-American sharing of the Oregon Territory,  boldly reversing its long-standing policy of "free and open" occupation.