The Confederate Retreat Originally published in El Defensor Chieftain Volunteers. Leaving Denver, the Coloradans newspaper, Saturday, March 3, 2012. marched over 400 miles through deep snows and Copyright: © 2012 by Paul Harden. Article may be cited with proper frigid cold weather to offer aid to New Mexico. The credit to author. Article is not to be reproduced in whole or placed on two armies arrived in Glorietta Pass at the same the internet without author’s permission. time. The battle was on. Both armies called for reinforcements; the main Battle of Glorieta was fought on March 28 By Paul Harden with the Confederate army seemingly gaining the For El Defensor Chieftain upper hand. A detachment of Coloradans, led by
[email protected] Maj. John Chivington, was sent to attack from the rear. Enroute, his men discovered, and destroyed, the entire Confederate supply train near the This year marks the 150th anniversary of the entrance to Apache Canyon, and ran off their Civil War in New Mexico. Last month's article horses. discussed the campaign, the Battle at Valverde, The Texan Retreat and the Confederate occupation of Socorro. The loss of the supply wagons and most of their Following the Battle at Glorieta Pass, the horses decimated the Confederate Army, bringing Confederate's forced return to Texas, on foot, the New Mexico campaign to an abrupt end. With became one of the longest retreats in U.S. no food for his army, Sibley's Brigade had no Military history. choice except to begin a long and arduous 800- mile retreat back to Texas.