March 28, 1862: The Battle of Glorieta Pass ends in a Union victory

At the beginning of the Civil War, the New Mexico territory became key to the Confederates' strategy in controlling the southwestern United States. The Confederate forces in the area were controlled by Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley. The Union forces were under the command of Colonel Edward Canby. Sibley tried to capture key forts in order to break the Union's stranglehold on the area, but werse unsuccessful. He then decided to try and take the Glorieta Pass. The capturing of the Pass would allow Confederate forces to gain greater access into the territory. He sent units under the command of William Scurry and Major Charles L. Pyron to take the Pass. Union troops led by General John Slough, and Major John Chivington were dispatch to meet the Confederates. The three day clash to come would prove to a decisive battle, earning the moniker, the "Gettysburg of the West."

On the morning of March 26, 1862, Union forces were camped in a part of the Pass called Apache Canyon. Chivington ordered his troops to march to the other side to engage to the Confederates. His forces and the Confederates engaged with each other in the afternoon until the Confederates were successful pushed back. The following day, March 27, both forces licked their wounds until the fighting recommenced then next day. The next day Scurry decided to seize the Pass, however, when he arrived Union troops were waiting for him. The Confederates tried to push the Union out of the Pass but they were unsuccessful and were forced to withdraw. 

The Battle of Glorieta Pass ended in a Union victory. In the immediate aftermath of the battle, the Confederates withdrew from the New Mexico territory. After the actual Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, the Confederacy largely gave up their efforts to conquer the American Southwest.

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