DK - The American Civil War

Military rations
Soldiers in the southwest would have
received the standard rations issued
by both sides, including sugar,
tobacco, coffee, and a sewing kit
called a housewife (or “hussif”).

found itself behind the Confederates,

surprising their almost undefended

supply train. The Southern wagons

and supplies were destroyed, and

their horses and mules driven off.

California retaliates

Unable to sustain an advance without

supplies, Sibley pulled back first to

Albuquerque and then began a grueling

retreat to Texas in mid-April. By then

another Union force was in play. Colonel

James H. Carleton’s California volunteers

were marching eastward to intervene in

the fighting in Arizona and New Mexico.

In March 1862, the Californians met

the Confederates at Stanwix Station—a

skirmish that impelled the much weaker

Confederates to fall back to Tucson. The

Californians then won a clash at Picacho

Pass before driving the Rebels

out of Tucson in May. They

withdrew into Texas, and

Carleton, now brigadier

general, was put in charge

of the Department of New

Mexico. The Confederate

Arizona Territory ceased to

exist in all but name.

THE FAR WEST

AFTER

Many Native American tribes took

advantage of the war to try to reassert

their freedom. In the southwest, the

Apache Wars flared up once again.

RESILIENT WARRIORS

In New Mexico Union general James H. Carleton

found Native Americans tougher opponents than

the Confederates. At the Battle of Adobe Wells

in 1864, a Union force led by Colonel Kit Carson

narrowly avoided defeat at the hands of the

Plains Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche tribes. The

legendary Apache leader Geronimo managed

to maintain resistance until 1886, when he and a

small group of followers finally surrendered.

INCORPORATING THE WEST

Much of the West came under firm Union

control in the latter half of the war. Nevada

became a state in October 1864. Later arrivals

were Colorado in 1876, Utah in 1896, and

Arizona and New Mexico in 1912.

moved up reinforcements and were

ready to fight on March 28. Both

moved to attack because each assumed

the other would stand on the defensive.

Despite suffering as many casualties as

their enemies, the Confederates

held the field after a fierce

engagement. But a Union

detachment dispatched to

carry out a flanking attack

APACHE LEADER GERONIMO

(THIRD FROM RIGHT)

Water can

Sugar bag

de Cristo Mountains. On March 26,
forward units of Northern soldiers
pushing south from Fort Union met
the foremost contingent of Confederate
cavalry advancing north from Santa
Fe. After an initial skirmish, both sides

Oil lamp

Soldier’s

“housewife”

or sewing kit

Tobacco twist

Coffee sack