150 years ago Feb 21st - Civil War Valverde battle in NM

A Civil War battle was fought 150 years ago today (February 21, 1862) in the Rio Grande valley halfway between Albuquerque and El Paso near Fort Craig. It is called the Battle of Valverde, so named for the village and river ford by that name. It was one of the biggest battles of the Civil War fought in the west. Confederate Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley intended to invade New Mexico, defeat the Union forces, capture Santa Fe and then go west to conquer California thereby adding it to the Confederacy. His forces gathered in El Paso. Fort Craig, 140 miles north of El Paso was his first objective. The Federal army at Ft. Craig was under the command of Colonel Edward Canby. January 3, 1862, Sibley left El Paso with three regiments and one partial regiment of mounted Texans comprising 2,510 officers and men. Canby waited at Ft. Craig with 3,800 men, mostly infantry. Only 1,200 of Canby's men were seasoned soldiers. The remainder consisted of 2,000 New Mexican volunteers, 100 Colorado volunteers, and 500 militia. Kit Carson commanded the First Regiment of New Mexican volunteers almost entirely Hispanics. Sibley arrived fifteen miles south of Fort Craig February 13. Deciding Ft. Craig was too strong to be taken, Sibley deployed his men outside the fort hoping to lure the Federals into the open, but Canby, not trusting his volunteer troops, refused to attack. Sibley ordered the army to cross the Rio Grande and move up the eastern side of the river near the village ofValverde, six miles north of Fort Craig. February 21, Read the entire battle description

150 years ago Feb 21st - Civil War Valverde battle in NM