Page images
PDF
EPUB

CANBY PREPARES TO HOLD NEW MEXICO.

21

mentous struggle on the Potomac and the Missouri, denied him even an answer to his frequent and importunate requisitions and representations. An urgent appeal, however, to the Governor of the adjacent Territory of Colorado, had procured him thence a regiment of volunteers, who, though falling far enough short of the efficiency of trained soldiers, were worth five to ten times their number of his New Mexican levies. Making the best use possible of his scanty or indifferent materials, he was probably about half ready to take the field when apprised that the Texans were upon him.

replaced by appointees of President | ton, where the absorption of all enerLincoln. Her Delegate in Congress, gies in the more immediate and moMiguel A. Otero, had issued" and circulated an address to her people, intended to disaffect them toward the Union, and incite them to favor the Rebellion; but her Democratic Governor, Abraham Rencher, though a North Carolinian, upon receiving news of Lynde's surrender, issued a proclamation calling out the entire militia force of the Territory, to act as a home guard; which call, though it added inconsiderably to the effective force of her defenders, was calculated to exert a wholesome influence upon public opinion, and keep restless spirits out of mischief. Col. E. R. S. Canby, who had succeeded to the command of the Department, was a loyal and capable soldier, and was surrounded, for the most part, by good and true men. When the new Governor, Henry Connolly, met" the Territorial Legislature, a very wholesome and earnest loyalty was found well-nigh universal, so that the Governor's cautious recommendation that the act for the protection of slave property be modified, as needlessly severe and rigorous, was promptly responded to by an almost unanimous repeal of the entire act, leaving the statute-book of New Mexico clean of all complicity with the chattelizing of man.

Gen. H. F. Sibley had encountered similar difficulties, save in the qualities of his men, in organizing and arming, in north-western Texas, the "Sibley Brigade," designed for the conquest of New Mexico. His funds were scanty, and the credit of his Government quite as low as that depended on by Canby; but the settled, productive districts of Texas were not very remote nor inaccessible, while Canby's soldiers were for weeks on short allowance, simply because provisions for their comfortable subsistence were not to be had in New Mexico, nor nearer than Missouri, then a revolutionary volcano, where Meantime, Col. Canby was quietly production had nearly ceased. Two proceeding with the organization of insignificant collisions had taken his militia and other forces for the place near Fort Craig." In the inevitable contest, crippled through- earlier, a company of New Mexican out by the want of money, munitions, volunteers, Capt. Mink, were routed and supplies of all kinds. Even di- and pursued by a party of Texans, rections and orders, so plentifully be- who, in their turn, were beaten and stowed on most subordinates, were chased away, with considerable loss, not vouchsafed him from Washing- by about 100 regulars from the fort.

10 Feb. 15, 1861.

11 Dec. 2, 1861.

12 In October, 1861.

The surviving Texans escaped to Mesilla; and Canby occupied the frontier posts so far down as Fort Staunton, leaving Fort Fillmore still in the hands of the Texans.

the night, by their breaking away, in the frenzy of their thirst, from the weary and sleepy guards appointed to herd them. He was thus compelled to abandon a part of his wagons and baggage next morning, as he started for the river, the smallness of his force not permitting him to divide it in the presence of a capable and vigilant enemy.

Gen. Sibley, who had hoped to advance in the Autumn of 1861, was still at Fort Bliss, within the limits of Texas, on the 1st of January, 1862; but moved forward, a few days thereafter, with 2,300 men, many of When his advance, 250 strong, them trained to efficiency in the Mexi- under Maj. Pyron, reached, at VALcan War and in successive expeditions VERDE, a point, at 8 A. M., where the against Apaches and other savages, river bottom was accessible, fully wherein they had made the name of seven miles from the fort, they found "Texan Rangers" a sound of terror themselves confronted by a portion of to their foes. For Canby's regulars our regular cavalry, Lt. Col. Roand American volunteers, they had berts, with two most efficient battesome little respect--for his five or ries, Capt. McRae and Lt. Hall, six thousand New Mexicans, none at supported by a large force of regular all. Advancing confidently, but and volunteer infantry. Our batslowly, by way of Fort Thorn, he teries opening upon him, Pyron, found" Canby in force at Fort Craig, greatly outnumbered, recoiled, with which he confronted about the mid- some loss, and our troops exultingly dle of February. A careful recon- crossed the river to the east bank, noissance convinced him that it was where a thick wood covered a conmadness, with his light field-guns, to centration of the enemy's entire force. undertake a siege; while his offer of The day wore on, with more noise battle in the open plain, just outside than execution, until nearly 2 P. M., the range of the guns of the fort, when Sibley, who had risen from a was wisely declined. He would not sick bed that morning, was compelled retreat, and could not afford to re- to dismount and quit the field, turnmain, consuming his scanty supplies; ing over the command-in-chief to while to pass the fort without a con- Col. Thomas Green, of the 5th test, leaving a superior force unde- Texas, whose regiment had meanmoralized in his rear, was an experi- time been ordered to the front. The ment full of hazard; he therefore battle was continued, mainly with resolved to force a battle, and, with artillery, wherein the Federal supethat view, forded the Rio Grande to riority, both in guns and in service, its east bank, passed the fort at a was decided, so that the Texans were distance of a mile and a half, and losing the most men in spite of their encamped nearly opposite, in a posi- comparatively sheltered position. To tion of much strength, but entirely protract the fight in this manner was destitute of water, losing 100 of the to expose his men to constant decimules of his baggage-train during mation without a chance of success.

13 3 Feb. 19, 1862.

OUR DEFEAT AT VALVERDE.

23

Canby, who had reached the field at | arms, and the charging shout of the victors, sufficed to complete the disaster. No part of our army seems to have stopped to breathe until safe" under the walls of the fort. Six excellent guns, with their entire equipage, and many small-arms, were among the trophies secured by the victors. The losses of men were about equal-60 killed and 140 wounded on either side. But among, the Confederate dead or severely wounded in the decisive charge, were Lt.-Col. Sutton, Maj. Lockridge, Capts. Lang and Heurel, and several lieutenants.

Col. W. L. Robards

and Maj. Raguet were also wound

1 P. M., considered the day his own, and was about to order a general advance, when he found himself anticipated by Green, at whose command his men, armed mainly with revolvers,, burst from the wooded cover and leaped over the line of low sand-hills behind which they had lain, and made a desperate rush upon McRae's battery confronting them. Volley after volley of grape and canister was poured through their ranks, cutting them down by scores, but not for an instant checking their advance. They were 1,000 when they started; a few minutes later, they were but 900; but the battery was taken; while Mc-ed, though not mortally. The celerRae, choosing death rather than flight, Lieut. Michler, and most of their men, lay dead beside their guns. Our supporting infantry, twice or thrice the Texans in number, and in- | cluding more than man for man of regulars, shamefully withstood every entreaty to charge. They lay groveling in the sand in the rear of the battery, until the Texans came so near as to make their revolvers dangerous, when the whole herd ran madly down to and across the river, save those who were overtaken by a cowardly death on the way. The Colorado volunteers vied with the regulars in this infamous flight.

Simultaneously with this charge in front, Maj. Raguet, commanding the Texas left, charged our right at the head of his cavalry; but the disparity of numbers was so great that he was easily repulsed. The defeat of our center, however, soon altered the situation; our admirable guns being quickly turned upon this portion of the field, along with those of the Texans, when a few volleys of small

ity of the flight precluded the taking of more than half-a-dozen prisoners, among them Capt. Rossel, of the regulars, captured while crossing the river.

Fort Craig was still invulnerable; though a flag of truce, dispatched by Canby as he reached its gates, was fondly mistaken for a time by the Texans as bearing a proposition to surrender. It covered an invitation to a truce for the burial of the dead and proper care of the wounded, to which two days were given by both armies; when a Rebel council of war decided that an assault was not justifiable, but that they might now safely leave Canby to his meditations, and push on up the river into the heart of the Territory. They did so, as they anticipated, without further opposition from the force they had so signally beaten. Leaving their wounded at Socorro, 30 miles on the way, they advanced to Albuquerque, 50 miles further, which fell without resistance, and where their scanty stock of provisions was considerably replenished.

At Cubero, 60 miles westward, they | came within range, tearing through obtained more provisions and some their ranks, but not stopping their ammunition, Still advancing on advance. A short but desperate Santa Fé, the Confederates encoun- hand-to-hand conflict ensued, our intered," at Cañon Glorietta, or Apache fantry interposing to protect their Pass, 15 miles from Santa Fé, near guns, which were saved and brought Fort Union, a new Federal force of off, with most of our wagons. But 1,300, composed partly of regulars, our infantry soon gave way, and the but mainly of green Colorado volun- Texan victory was complete. Their teers, the whole commanded by Col. loss was reported by Scurry as 36 John P. Slough. The Rebel force killed and 60 wounded; but among actually present, under Col. W. R. the former were Majors Shropshire Scurry," was decidedly inferior in and Raguet, Capt. Buckholt, and numbers," but in nothing else. The Lt. Mills. During the fight, which narrowness of the cañon precluded lasted from noon until about 4 P. M., all flanking, enabling the Rebels to Maj. Chivington, of Colorado, with span it with a line of infantry, which four companies, gained the rear of instantly charged, with the Texan the Rebel position, and destroyed a yell, revolver and knife in either hand. part of their train, also a cannon, Our forces scarcely waited to be in which he spiked; when, learning that danger before breaking and flying in Slough was defeated, he decamped. the wildest confusion. In a few mo- Our total loss was reported at 23 ments, not a man of them remained killed and 50 wounded; while in a in sight of the Rebels. skirmish with Pyron's cavalry, the morning before, Slough took 57 prisoners, with a loss of only 15.

Scurry halted, re-formed his men, brought up his guns, and fired a few shots to ascertain the position (if position they still had) of his adversaries, and then ordered Maj. Shropshire, with his right, and Maj. Raguet, with his left, to charge with cavalry and develop the new Federal line, while he would lead forward the center at the first sound of their guns. Delay ensuing, he moved to the right to ascertain its cause, and found that Shropshire had been killed. Immediately taking command of that wing, he advanced and attacked-the left opening fire, and the center advancing, as he did so. Three batteries of guns each opened a deadly fire of grape, canister, and shell, as they

8

14 March 24.

15

Sibley entered Santa Fé in triumph soon afterward, meeting no further resistance. He collected there all that remained of his little army, and confiscated to its use whatever of provisions and clothing, of wagons and animals, he could lay hands on. But he found the population, with few exceptions, indifferent or hostile, the resources of food and forage extremely limited, and his hold upon the country bounded by the range of his guns. Never had heroic valor been persistently evinced to less purpose. Before he had rested a month, he found himself compelled to evacuate his hard-won conquest, and retreat

16 Col. Scurry, in his official report, deRepresentative from Texas in the XXXIII clares that he had but 600 men present fit for duty.

Congress.

THE TEXANS ABANDON NEW MEXICO.

25

by forced marches to Albuquerque, that "sufficient funds in Confederate his depot, which Canby, advancing paper was provided them to meet from Fort Craig, was seriously threat- every want, if it be negotiated;" ening. He reached it in time to save and honors the brothers Raphael his supplies, but only to realize more and Manuel Armijo-wealthy native completely the impossibility of attach- merchants-who, on his arrival at ing New Mexico to the Confederacy, Albuquerque, had boldly avowed or even of remaining in it. He evac- their sympathy with the Confederate uated it on the 12th of April, moving cause, and placed stores containing down both banks of the river to Los $200,000 worth of goods at his disLunal, thence to Peralto on the east posal. He states that, when he evacside, where he found Canby looking uated Albuquerque, they abandoned for him. Some fighting at long range luxurious homes to identify their ensued, with no serious results; but future fortunes with those of the Sibley, largely outnumbered, crossed Southern Confederacy, and considthe river during the night, and pur-erately adds, "I trust they will not sued his retreat down the west bank be forgotten in the final settlement." next morning, Canby moving almost parallel with him on the east. The two armies encamped at evening in plain sight of each other.

Sibley, in his weakened condition, evidently did not like this proximity. "In order," as he says in his report, "to avoid the contingency of another general action in our then crippled condition," he set his forces silently in motion soon after nightfall, not down the river, but over the trackless mountains, through a desolate, waterless waste, abandoning most of his wagons, but packing seven days' provisions on mules, and thus giving his adversary the slip. Dragging his cannon by hand up and down the sides of most rugged mountains, he was ten days in making his way to a point on the river below, where supplies had been ordered to meet him, leaving his sick and wounded in hospitals at Santa Fé, Albuquerque, and Socorro, to fare as they might. He naïvely reports

In closing, Gen. Sibley expresses the unflattering conviction that, "except for its political geographical position, the Territory of New Mexico is not worth a quarter of the blood expended in its conquest;" and intimates that his soldiers would decidedly object to returning to that inhospitable, undesirable country. These and kindred considerations had induced his return to Fort Bliss, Texas, and now impelled him to meditate a movement without orders still further down the country.

Col. Canby wisely declined to run a race of starvation across those desolate mountains, in the rear of the flying foe, but returned to Santa Fé, whence his order, of even date" with Sibley's official report, claims that the latter had been "compelled to abandon a country he had entered to conquer and occupy, leaving behind him, in dead and wounded, and in sick and prisoners, onehalf of his original force."

' May 4, 1862.

« PreviousContinue »