The Battle of Glorieta Pass halted the Confederate attempt to seize the western United States, ending the New Mexico campaign permanently.
Key Facts
- Dates
- March 26–28, 1862
- Location
- Glorieta Pass, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico Territory
- Campaign
- New Mexico campaign, American Civil War
- Turning point
- Confederate supply train destroyed, forcing full withdrawal
- Union control restored
- June 1862
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Confederate forces sought to seize the western United States by breaking Union control along the Rocky Mountain base, aiming to control strategically valuable mines, railroads, and cities. This New Mexico campaign represented the South's only serious effort to conquer and occupy Union territory in the West.
Fighting began with a skirmish on March 26, 1862, between advance elements of each army, followed by the main engagement on March 28. Although Confederate troops pushed Union forces back through the pass, Union soldiers destroyed the Confederate supply train and killed or drove off most of the enemy's horses and mules, rendering the Confederate position untenable.
With their supplies destroyed and livestock lost, Confederate forces were compelled to withdraw entirely from the New Mexico Territory. The Union retook full control by June 1862, and the Confederacy never again attempted an invasion of the region, making Glorieta Pass the decisive climax of the New Mexico campaign.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent