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Battle of Dragoon Springs

First Battle of Dragoon Springs
Part of the Apache Wars, American Civil War
DragoonMountains.JPG
Dragoon Mountains
Date May 5, 1862
Location Dragoon Mountains, New Mexico Territory (USA), Arizona Territory (CSA);
now in Cochise County, Arizona
Result Apache victory
Belligerents
Confederate States of America Confederate States Apache
Commanders and leaders
Confederate States of America Sergeant Sam Ford  † Cochise
Francisco
Strength
unknown ~100 warriors
Casualties and losses
4 killed unknown

Coordinates: 31°59′51″N 110°01′21″W / 31.997613°N 110.022508°W / 31.997613; -110.022508

The First Battle of Dragoon Springs was a minor skirmish between a small troop of Confederate dragoons of Governor John R. Baylor's Arizona Rangers, and a band of Apache warriors during the American Civil War. It was fought on May 5, 1862, near the present-day town of Benson, Arizona, in Confederate Arizona.

Creation of a separate Arizona Territory distinct from the New Mexico Territory in the late 1850s was thwarted over disagreement in Congress on the new territory's boundary: Northern representatives argued for a north-south division along the present Arizona-New Mexico boundary, whereas Southern representatives pushed for an east-west division along the 34th parallel. With the coming of the Civil War, the new Confederate government was free to establish the boundary as it saw fit.

Shortly after the arrival of Confederate forces from Texas, secessionists met at Mesilla to adopt an Ordinance of Secession, on March 16, 1861. This aim became a reality following the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Mesilla on July 25, 1861. On August 1, 1861, Lt. Col. John R. Baylor, commanding the victorious Confederate troops at Mesilla, issued a proclamation declaring the creation of a provisional Confederate Territory of Arizona, to include all of the former United States Territory of New Mexico south of the 34th parallel north. Baylor named himself governor and set up a territorial government that would continue in operation until the Confederates were forced out of New Mexico in July 1862.


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