Moments of Enchantment; 78; Confederate Invasion of New Mexico at Fort Union

Moments of Enchantment brought to you by the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs and 770 K-O-B Radio. Amid clouds of dust and waving flags, the Civil War intruded upon the New Mexico Territory in 1862. 3,000 Texas Confederate cavalrymen crossed into New Mexico at El Paso that year and wrote to an ill-fated invasion of the Territory, more in a moment. The invasion of New Mexico began when some 3,000 Confederate cavalrymen marched up the Rio Grande Valley to attack Fort Union, a major supply depot for Union forces located on the Santa Fe Trail. The army, led by General Henry Sibley, had first defeated Union forces at Fort Craig near Sacoro. After this success, the Confederates continued north, capturing Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The victorious Grey Codes left Santa Fe in March 1862, advancing over the Santa Fe Trail toward Fort Union.

But before they made it to the supply depot, the rebels were soundly defeated by Union troops in two furious battles, one at Apache Canyon and another at Glorietta Pass. Shattered, the Confederate forces retreated, but the pursuing Union army caught up with them at Peralta, a village just south of Albuquerque, on April 15, the two armies once again met in battle. When Confederate wagons loaded with troops were attacked by the Union soldiers, skirmishing in Canaanfar between the two armies continued until after nightfall. There were six Confederates killed, three wounded, and the rest of the enemy, their wagons and a cannon were captured. The losses on both sides were minor, the Union troops are generally given credit for winning the battle. Early the next morning, the captured Confederates, escaped by crossing the Rio Grande at Los Lunas and headed south back to Texas. It was in the Battle of Peralta that the Confederates fired their last shot in their elfated attempt to take over the New Mexico territory. To learn more about the Civil War in New Mexico, visit the Museum of New Mexico's History Library in Santa Fe.

Moments of Enchantment brought to you by the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs. Moments of Enchantment, I'm David Griffin.