What happened to the New Mexico Territory after the Civil War?
Confederate power in the New Mexico Territory was effectively broken when the campaign culminated in the Union victory at the Battle of Glorieta Pass in 1862. However, the territorial government continued to operate out of Texas, and Confederate troops marched under the Arizona flag until the end of the war.
What were the rumors of the Civil War in New Mexico?
As it became clear in the spring of 1861 that a war between the Union and the seceded states (soon to be known as the Confederate States of America) had begun, there were numerous rumors in New Mexico that Confederate Texans (Texas seceded in February 1861) were coming to capture the territory and Fort Union.
When did New Mexico become part of the Confederate States?
On December 20, 1861, now in command of the Army of New Mexico, issued a proclamation taking possession of New Mexico in the name of the Confederate States.
How many troops from New Mexico Territory served in the Union?
Additionally, over 7,000 troops from the New Mexico Territory served the Union. The New Mexico Territory was organized as a U.S. territory in 1850, and for many years its precise boundaries and internal administration remained undefined. In 1853, the territory was expanded south of the Gila River in the Gadsden Purchase.
What role did New Mexico play in the Civil War?
The New Mexico Volunteers provided over 8,000 Union soldiers — more than any other Western state — led by Lt. Col Manuel Chavez for this tremendous effort of sacrifice and bloodshed in order to end slavery in America and to help in the formation of a more “perfect Union.”
Why did the Confederates want New Mexico?
In 1861, the Confederacy claimed the southern half of the vast New Mexico Territory as its own Arizona Territory and waged the ambitious New Mexico Campaign in an attempt to control the American Southwest and open up access to Union-held California.
Did civil war take place in New Mexico?
It was an important campaign in the war's Trans-Mississippi Theater, and one of the major events in the history of the New Mexico Territory in the American Civil War....New Mexico campaign.DateFebruary – April 1862ResultUnion victory Confederate retreat from New Mexico Territory Confederate loss of Confederate Arizona1 more row
Which states were union in civil war?
The Union included the states of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, California, Nevada, and Oregon. Abraham Lincoln was their President.
Why did New Mexico establish its own army?
Now the goal was to capture the remaining U.S. held forts in Confederate Arizona and to invade New Mexico Territory. The army also hoped to capture the mines of Colorado and California, to secure gold and silver supplies to finance the Confederate war effort.
Who owned New Mexico before us?
SpainThe area that is New Mexico was claimed by Spain in the 16th century, became part of Mexico in 1821, and was ceded to the United States in 1848 (through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo).
Did Arizona join the Confederacy?
The Confederacy declared Arizona a territory on 1 August 1861 at the start of the war. Arizona supplied 3 Confederate military units. The Arizona Territory sided with the Confederacy, while the New Mexico Territory sided with the Union.
How many New Mexicans fought in the Civil War?
"Their Courage is Unquestionable" By the end of the Civil War, some 4,000 troops had served the U.S. Army as New Mexico Volunteers.
What does Santa Fe stand for?
The name “Santa Fe” means 'Holy Faith' in Spanish, and the city's full name as founded remains La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís ('The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi').
Why was it difficult for New Mexico to become a state?
A Long & Difficult Road to Statehood New Mexico's 66-year, long and difficult road to become a part of the Union faced a variety of roadblocks in addition to being seen as outsiders. New Mexicans themselves were not all convinced that statehood was the best path forward plus partisan politics was also partly to blame.
What wars did New Mexico fight in?
The Mexican–American War, American Civil War, and Plains Indian Wars all directly affected the region during westward expansion.
Which state lost the most soldiers in the Civil War?
New YorkOf the Union states, New York has the highest number of military deaths of approximately 39,000, followed by Ohio and Illinois with about 31,000 each. California and Colorado had the lowest number of deaths of any state, given their location to the war's battles.
Why did Kentucky not join the Confederacy?
At the individual level, Kentucky Unionists, largely those who supported Bell and Douglas in the 1860 election, favored neutrality because they disapproved of both southern secession and northern coercion of southern states.
Was Florida a Confederate state?
After Florida officially joined the Confederacy on February 28, 1861, and the Confederate Army was created on March 6, the Confederate War Department required Florida to contribute men. Five-thousand Floridians filled the Confederate ranks by the end of 1861, leaving the state virtually defenseless.
Why were the Buffalo Soldiers called that?
American Plains Indians who fought against these soldiers referred to the black cavalry troops as "buffalo soldiers" because of their dark, curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat and because of their fierce nature of fighting. The nickname soon became synonymous with all African-American regiments formed in 1866.
Did the US occupy Mexico City?
The United States Army occupied Mexico City from September 14 1847, to June 12 1848. The occupation began with three days of intense and bloody street fighting between Mexicans and U.S. troops.
Why did the Confederates want the Southwest?
The Southwest was a gateway to both ocean ports and gold mines and its exploitation could swing the balance of victory or defeat. The Confederacy's eastern ports were under blockade and it saw an opportunity in the West: it shared a border with New Mexico territory, which was part of the Union.
What were Mexican citizens who lived in New Mexico called?
Mexican citizens who lived in New Mexico were called hispanos. In 1821, the territory now known as New Mexico became part of the country of Mexico.
Is Santa Fe the oldest city in the US?
Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in United States and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi. While Santa Fe was inhabited on a very small scale in 1607, it was truly settled by the conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta in 1609-1610.
What was New Mexico called before 1912?
At the conclusion of the Mexican–American War in 1848, the U.S. annexed New Mexico as part of the larger New Mexico Territory....New Mexico.New Mexico Nuevo México (Spanish) Yootó Hahoodzo (Navajo)Before statehoodNuevo México (1598–1848) New Mexico Territory (1850–1912)54 more rows
What side was New Mexico on in the Civil War?
UnionThe southern part of the New Mexico Territory, which was the Gadsen Purchase, sided with the Confederacy, while the northern section was Union. New Mexico supplied 26 Union military units. The Wikipedia article, New Mexico in the American Civil War, has more information about New Mexico's activities during the war.
Why was the South interested in the western territories?
The South was a huge chuck of land. It would be difficult for northern invaders to occupy and end the rebellion in such a large territory. Additionally, Southerners were highly motivated. They were, after all, fighting to protect their homes and way of life.
Why did the Confederates want the Southwest?
The Southwest was a gateway to both ocean ports and gold mines and its exploitation could swing the balance of victory or defeat. The Confederacy's eastern ports were under blockade and it saw an opportunity in the West: it shared a border with New Mexico territory, which was part of the Union.
What wars did New Mexico fight in?
The Mexican–American War, American Civil War, and Plains Indian Wars all directly affected the region during westward expansion.
What was the role of New Mexico in the Civil War?
states of New Mexico and Arizona as well as the southern part of present-day Nevada, played a small but significant role in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War . Despite its remoteness from the major battlefields of the east and its existence on the still sparsely populated and largely undeveloped American frontier, both Confederate and Union governments claimed ownership over the territory, and several important battles and military operations took place in the region.
How many troops were in the New Mexico Territory during the Civil War?
Additionally, over 7,000 troops from the New Mexico Territory served the Union.
Why did the Union leave Arizona?
Federal troops left Arizona early in 1861 to reinforce operations in the east , the territory had been left open to Apache attack. Most notably, Mangas Coloradas and Cochise led a series of raids on white civilians that left dozens dead and spread fear and terror across the territory. The Apache appeared to show equal hostility to both Union and Confederate forces, and both armies attempted to control them; the resulting engagements are often considered part of both the Civil War and the American Indian Wars. The remaining Union troops in the New Mexico Territory were concentrated in forts along and near the Rio Grande; the commander of the Union Department of New Mexico, Colonel Edward R.S. Canby, started raising regiments of New Mexico volunteers and militia to replace the regular army units which had been ordered east.
What was the first proposal for the New Mexico Territory?
The first proposal dates to a conference held in Tucson that convened on August 29, 1856. The conference issued a petition requesting organization of the territory and signed by 256 people to the U.S. Congress, and elected Nathan P. Cooke as the territorial delegate to Congress. In January 1857, a bill for the organization of the territory was introduced into the United States House of Representatives, but the proposal was defeated on the grounds that the population of the proposed territory was yet too small. Later, a similar proposal was defeated in the Senate. The proposal for creation of the territory was controversial in part because of the perception that the New Mexico Territory was under the influence of southern sympathizers who sought to expand slavery into the Southwest.
What territory did the Confederacy claim?
In 1861, the Confederacy claimed the southern half of the vast New Mexico Territory as its own Arizona Territory and waged the ambitious New Mexico Campaign in an attempt to control the American Southwest and open up access to Union-held California.
Why was the New Mexico Territory controversial?
The proposal for creation of the territory was controversial in part because of the perception that the New Mexico Territory was under the influence of southern sympathizers who sought to expand slavery into the Southwest.
Which state was recently annexed from Mexico?
Politics. Main article: Confederate Arizona. Having been only recently annexed from Mexico following the Mexican–American War, the majority of New Mexico's population was apathetic to the ongoing secession crisis in the United States.
When did the Confederate advance into New Mexico?
Confederate Invasion of New Mexico, 1862 Map illustrating the Confederate advance into New Mexico in 1861 and 1862, including major battles.
What was the purpose of the Civil War in New Mexico?
At first, the strong military presence was to secure New Mexico as U.S. territory. Between 1848 and 1853 troops remained to guarantee the promise made in Article XI of the Treaty ...
Why did Colonel Canby say that Nuevomexicanos did not join the Union?
Similarly, Colonel Canby declared that nuevomexicanos not join Union ranks because they carried “no affections for institutions of the United States.” 6 Yet, following the shock of Baylor’s victory in Mesilla, pragmatism pushed Canby to encourage nuevomexicanos to join his forces.
Why did Sibley convince Jefferson Davis to join the New Mexico campaign?
The Confederacy desperately hoped for a transcontinental rail connection to the Pacific to counter the rail supremacy of the North.
Who was the commander of the Confederate troops at Fort Sumter?
Fewer than 2,000 men, under the command of Colonel Edward Richard Sprigg Canby, remained to defend New Mexico in the name of the Union.
What were the forts in Mexico?
These included Fort Union on the lands of the Llaneros band of the Jicarilla Apache people, Fort Conrad to the south of Socorro, Fort Fillmore near Mesilla, Fort Stanton among the Mescaleros, and Fort Defiance in ...
Why did New Mexico join the army?
The primary reason New Mexicans joined the army was for the pay ($13.00 per month) and a bounty of $100 for those who signed up for three years. One immediate problem in New Mexico, peculiar to society there, was how to deal with peons who enlisted in the volunteers.
Why were troops needed in New Mexico?
While volunteer troops were being raised to protect New Mexico Territory from Indians and Confederates, the need for such protection was made clear by the theft of the army's beef cattle herd being pastured near Galisteo on June 4, 1861. Lieutenant Claflin and 25 mounted troops were sent from Fort Union to attempt to recover the lost stock, believed to have been run off by Indians. Claflin investigated and concluded that the cattle were stolen by a band of thieves headed by a Mr. Taylor from the Galisteo area, who took the cattle and blamed the Indians, causing trouble for everyone. Claflin was convinced that reports of "Indian depredations" had been "proved to be totally false." As far as he was concerned, "the Indians who infest the valleys of the Gallinas & Pecos are white men and Mexicans." [ 29] Regardless of who the perpetrators were, the need for military protection was evident and more troops were required to protect government property and settlers. At least one company of dragoons, detached from the garrison at Fort Union, was kept posted at Hatch's Ranch to protect that area and scout south and east for Indians and Texans who might threaten the settlements. The troops at Hatch's Ranch were directed, if "threatened by a superior force" to retreat to Fort Union rather than fight. [ 30 ]
What did Lynde do to the Texas troops?
Baylor led approximately 500 Texans into New Mexico Territory on July 3, 1861, bypassed Fort Fillmore, and occupied the nearby town of Mesilla. Major Lynde, convinced that Fort Fillmore was indefensible against artillery because of its location, decided to destroy what supplies his troops could not carry away and abandon the post. On July 27, 1861, Lynde led his troops from Fort Fillmore and headed north to Fort Stanton. It was reported that the soldiers had filled their canteens with whiskey instead of water, and as they marched across the desert they became intoxicated and suffered greatly from want of water. As Lynde's troops approached San Augustin Springs, Baylor's Texas force arrived on the scene. Lynde surrendered his entire command (seven companies of Seventh Infantry and two companies of the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen) plus Captain Alfred Gibbs and 70 troopers who were escorting a beef herd to Fort Fillmore and had met up with Lynde just prior to Baylor's approach. [ 45] These troops were paroled, which meant they could return to their homes but could not participate in military operations, and moved to a camp near Fort Union to await transportation to the States.
What was the primary task for the troops at Fort Union?
Except for the parolees, who would soon depart for the States, [ 104] the primary task for the troops at Fort Union continued to be the construction of quarters and storehouses at the fieldwork. The prolonged engagement in labor on the new fort reduced the time available for military training.
How many companies were in Fort Union?
Although not all were present at the post for duty, the aggregate garrison of Fort Union at the end of August was 1,325, representing a total of 19 companies (11 of which were New Mexico Volunteers). [ 82] Upon receipt of Chapman's report on the new facility, Colonel Canby immediately sent words of thanks and praise for all who labored on the fieldwork. [ 83]
What did Lieutenant Dubois say about the Union?
At Fort Union, Second Lieutenant DuBois (a native of New York and solidly committed to the Union "whether wrong or right") recorded in his diary that "the soldiers are loyal. Most of the officers going south themselves." He observed that even the officers "going south," with the exception of Longstreet, "urge their soldiers to remain true." As for himself, DuBois wrote, "I became involved in several bitter political discussions here & threatened if an effort was made to seduce my regiment from its allegiance I would assume command myself & fight it out." There was pressure placed on all officers to join the southern cause. DuBois noted that "high positions were offered me" to join the "southern army." He "declined, although it is hard to fight as a 2d Lieutenant when I might have a much higher rank." The pressure continued on officers, and DuBois wrote a few days later that "tremendous efforts are being made to coax them South." He remained steadfast for the Union and departed from Fort Union on his long-awaited leave of absence on March 17, 1861. [ 8]
What was the main concern of the Confederate troops at Fort Union?
For the troops at Fort Union and in the rest of the department, the primary concern, until Confederate troops invaded southern New Mexico in the summer of 1861, remained the protection of transportation routes and settlements from Indian raids.
Who led the New Mexico campaign?
Sibley’s New Mexico Campaign (February-March 1862) Led by Confederate Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley, southern troops invaded northern New Mexico Territory beginning in February 1862 in an attempt to gain control of the Southwest, as well as the goldfields of Colorado and the ports of California. One of the most ambitious Confederate ...
When did the Confederate forces withdraw from Mesilla?
The rebels officially withdrew from Mesilla a few days later on June 7th. It was the last engagement between Union and Confederate forces in the Confederate Arizona Territory.
What did Lynde order to do when the Confederates refused to surrender?
Lynde then ordered his cavalry and three companies of the Regiment of Mounted Rifles, to charge the Confederate forces.
What was the significance of the Battle of Mesilla?
The Battle of Mesilla led to the official establishment of a Confederate Arizona Territory, which would consist of the southern portion of the New Mexico Territory and Arizona, and paved the way for the Confederate New Mexico Campaign the following year.
What battles did Sibley fight in New Mexico?
Sibley’s New Mexico Campaign. Battle of Valverde. Battle of Glorieta Pass. Prior to the Civil War, residents in the southern part of New Mexico Territory had long complained that the territorial government in Santa Fe was too far away to properly address their concerns. Their sense of abandonment was further confirmed at the beginning ...
When was the first battle of Mesilla?
First Battle of Mesilla. On July 24, 1861, 250 troops of the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles crossed the Rio Grande into Mesilla, arriving to the cheers of the population. A company of Arizona Confederates quickly joined Baylor there.
What was the name of the battle that helped push the Confederacy out of New Mexico?
The Union victory helped push the Confederacy out of New Mexico for good, later earning Glorieta a nickname: the “ Gettysburg of the West.”. Today, the battlefield is part of Pecos National Historical Park, and a marker of Mexican Americans’ contributions to the U.S. military.
How many Mexican Americans joined the Confederate army?
Thompson, a history professor at Texas A&M International University, estimates that a few thousand Mexican Americans joined the Confederate troops and over 10,000 joined the Union Army and Militia. Though there was some overlap, most Mexican Americans who joined the Union lived in the U.S.
Why did Tejanos join the Union?
In Texas, tejanos who resented white Texans for taking away their land may have joined the Union in retaliation, Hernandez suggests. “Others simply wanted to remain in the area and it was easier if they supported the Union, to stay and protect their communities as opposed to being sent to other parts of the South,” she writes.
What divided the Mexican Americans of Texas?
In contrast, “the Civil War deeply divided the Mexican Americans of Texas,” Thompson writes for the Texas State Historical Association. Tejanos who joined the state’s Confederate militia units “frequently did so out of a fear of being sent out of the state and away from their families. Some were able to avoid conscription by claiming ...
Where did Mexican Americans fight in the Confederacy?
Mexican Americans who joined the Confederacy fought as far away as Virginia and Pennsylvania. But Mexican American soldiers in the Union fought closer to home, and helped secure key victories in the southwest.
Why was the desertion rate high in the Mexican American Civil War?
The desertion rate among Mexican American Civil War soldiers was high, mostly because of the prejudice they experienced from white soldiers on both sides, according to the National Park Service.
What battle did Mexican soldiers fight at?
Mexican-American soldiers fighting off a Union General at the Battle of Valverde in 1862.
Overview
History
The first known inhabitants of New Mexico were members of the Clovis culture of Paleo-Indians. Footprints discovered in 2017 suggest that humans may have been present in the region as long ago as 21,000–23,000 BC. Later inhabitants include American Indians of the Mogollon and Ancestral Pueblo cultures.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado assembled an enormous expedition at Compo…
Etymology
New Mexico received its name long before the present-day nation of Mexico won independence from Spain and adopted that name in 1821. The name "Mexico" derives from Nahuatl and originally referred to the heartland of the Mexica, the rulers of the Aztec Empire, in the Valley of Mexico.
Following their conquest of the Aztecs in the early 16th century, the Spanish began exploring what is now the western United States, using "Mexico" in 1563 to name the region of New Mexico (Sp…
Geography
With a total area of 121,590 square miles (314,900 km ), New Mexico is the fifth-largest state, after Alaska, Texas, California, and Montana. Its eastern border lies along 103°W longitude with the state of Oklahoma, and 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometres) west of 103°W longitude with Texas (due to a 19th-century surveying error). On the southern border, Texas makes up the eastern two-thirds, while the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora make up the western third, with Chihuahua making up ab…
Demographics
The 2020 census recorded a population of 2,117,522, an increase of 2.8% from 2,059,179 in the 2010 census. This was the lowest rate of growth in the western U.S. after Wyoming, and among the slowest nationwide. By comparison, between 2000 and 2010, New Mexico's population increased by 11.7% from 1,819,046 – among the fastest growth rates in the country. A report commissioned by the New Mexico Legislature attributed the slow growth to a negative net migra…
Economy
Oil and gas production, tourism, and federal government spending are important drivers of the state economy. The state government has an elaborate system of tax credits and technical assistance to promote job growth and business investment, especially in new technologies.
As of 2021, New Mexico's gross domestic product was over $95 billion, compared to roughly $80 billion in 2010. State GDP peaked in 2019 at nearly $99 billion but declined in the face of the COV…
Transportation
New Mexico has long been an important corridor for trade and migration. The builders of the ruins at Chaco Canyon also created a radiating network of roads from the mysterious settlement. Chaco Canyon's trade function shifted to Casas Grandes in the present-day Mexican state of Chihuahua; however, north–south trade continued. The pre-Columbian trade with Mesoamerican cultures included northbound exotic birds, seashells and copper. Turquoise, pottery, and salt were some …
Government and politics
The Constitution of New Mexico was adopted by referendum in 1911 and establishes a republican form of government based on popular sovereignty and separation of powers. It includes a bill of rights with greater protections and freedoms in some areas than its federal counterpart; for example, victims of certain crimes have specific rights, such as to privacy, dignity, and timely adjudication of their case. Major state issues may be decided by popular votes, and the constitu…
Overview
The New Mexico Territory, which included the areas which became the modern U.S. states of New Mexico and Arizona as well as the southern part of present-day Nevada, played a small but significant role in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. Despite its remoteness from the major battlefields of the east and its existence on the still sparsely populated and largely undeveloped American …
Prelude to war
The New Mexico Territory was organized as a U.S. territory in 1850, and for many years its precise boundaries and internal administration remained undefined. In 1853, the territory was expanded south of the Gila River in the Gadsden Purchase. Proposals for a division of the territory and the organization of a separate Territory of Arizona were advanced as early as 1856. The first proposals for a separate Arizona Territory were not based on the modern east–west division but rather a n…
Politics
Having been only recently annexed from Mexico following the Mexican–American War, the majority of New Mexico's population was apathetic to the ongoing secession crisis in the United States. Aside from their distinct ethnicity and cultural identity, which was primarily Hispanic, the prior experiences of the territory's inhabitants had generated considerable alienation from and even ani…
Military actions
A significant Confederate offensive to seize the New Mexico Territory in more than just name resulted in the New Mexico Campaign, which was fought from February to April 1862. The Confederate Army of New Mexico, marching west from Texas, briefly occupied the southern New Mexico Territory, arriving in February 1862, and tried to push north to Colorado in an effort to capture its valuable mineral resources. Union troops re-captured the territory in early 1862, forcin…
Aftermath
Peralta, New Mexico, razed in the Battle of Peralta by weapons fire, was rebuilt and is inhabited today. The territorial legislature arranged for a monument commemorating the Union war dead and condemning the Confederacy to be erected in the Santa Fe Plaza.
See also
• New Mexico Campaign
• Department of New Mexico
• List of New Mexico Territory Civil War units
External links
• s:Arizona Territory Ordinance of Secession (March 16, 1861)
• National Park Service map of Civil War sites in New Mexico
• Sibley Expedition