Battle of Val Verde

Battle of Valverde

Date	February 20–21, 1862
Location	Valverde, New Mexico Territory (USA) Arizona Territory (CSA) Present Day: New Mexico
Result	Confederate States victory

Belligerents

United States

Confederate States

Commanders and leaders

Edward Canby

Henry Hopkins Sibley

Thomas Green

Strength

3,000

2,590

Casualties and losses

68 killed
160 wounded
204 captured or missing (mostly deserters)
6 artillery pieces captured
Total:432

36 killed
150 wounded
one missing
Total:187

The Battle of Valverde, or the Battle of Valverde Ford from February 20 to February 21, 1862, was fought near the town of Valverde at a ford of Valverde Creek in Confederate Arizona, in what is today the state of New Mexico. It was a major Confederate success in the New Mexico Campaign of the American Civil War. The belligerents were Confederate cavalry from Texas and several companies of Arizona militia versus U.S. Army regulars and Union volunteers from northern New Mexico and the Colorado Territory.

Confederate Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley envisioned that he would invade New Mexico with his army, defeat Union forces, capture the capital city of Santa Fe and then march westward to conquer California and add it to the territory of the Confederacy. Sibley's first step was to gather an army in El Paso, Texas and lead it north along the Rio Grande with the objective of capturing Fort Craig and the supplies in the fort and defeating the Federal army under Colonel Edward Canby. On Jan 3, 1862, Sibley left El Paso with three regiments and one partial regiment of mounted Texans comprising 2,510 officers and men. Fort Craig, 140 miles (225 km) north of El Paso, was the major obstacle in his path. Canby awaited him there with 3,800 men of whom most were 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.

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