New Mexico Campaign

The New Mexico Campaign was a military operation of the American Civil War in February-March 1862 in which the Confederate Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley invaded the northern New Mexico Territory in an attempt to gain control of the southwest, including the gold fields of Colorado and the ports of California. The victorious Union forces were led by Colonel Edward Canby, whose command included Major John Chivington of the 1st Colorado Volunteers, later notorious during the Colorado War for his role in the Sand Creek Massacre. The campaign is regarded by historians as the most ambitious attempt by the Confederates to establish control of the West, and to open an additional theater in the war.

Related Topics:
American Civil War - 1862 - Henry Hopkins Sibley - New Mexico Territory - Colorado - California - Union - Edward Canby - John Chivington - Colorado War - Sand Creek Massacre

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