This peaceful valley, which had scarcely before echoed to the report of
the sportsman’s fowling piece, was now to resound to the thunders of
artillery and become the scene of bloody conflict. The west bank of the
river where we first took position, was an open, level plain. The Texans
had advanced their battery and support into a clump of trees about three
hundred yards from the bank of the river and almost in the shadow of the
mountain. They were in position when McRae arrived. McRae unlimbered on
the very brink of the river, and this fierce artillery duel commenced.
It did not last more than thirty minutes.
Though McRae’s loss was heavy, his victory was complete. Teel’s battery
was rendered useless for that day. When the artillery fight was nearly
over Roberts sent me across the river with an order to Capt. David H.
Brotherton to charge the enemy’s battery with his two companies of
infantry, and to bring Major Duncan’s cavalry to his support. Brotherton
prepared to obey promptly, but as Duncan refused to obey the order I
took the responsibility of recalling Brotherton and was commended for so
doing. The enemy had now advanced toward the river in force, and Roberts
ordered Selden with his infantry to cross the river, advance into the
wood and attack with the bayonet if necessary. The men received the
order with a shout and plunged into the river, which was cold and
reached up to their armpits. Right gallantly did they obey the order,
but they encountered double their number, strongly posted, and were
compelled to retire, which they did in good order. Meantime our two
Colorado companies had done good service on our left. They were dressed
in gray like our militia, and the Texans, mistaking them for Mexicans,
charged them recklessly. The Colorado men reserved their fire for close
quarters, and emptied many saddles at the first fire. The remainder
retired in disorder.
The New Mexican volunteers were keeping the enemy from the water and
skirmishing briskly at times. There was now, at 2 o’clock p. m., a lull
in the fighting. Some of us had lunch and talked of the prospects. So
far all was favorable to us except the repulse of Selden.
We had kept them from the water, McRae had beaten their battery, and the
Coloradans had gained an advantage. We were well posted and provided;
their animals and men were weary and without water—they could not
retreat; they must surrender or starve or fight quickly and desperately.
During this lull Roberts crossed our battery to the east bank and placed
Selden in support of it.
At 3 o’clock that afternoon General Canby appeared on the field and was
received with cheers by the troops. After a brief consultation with
Roberts he advanced our battery about five hundred yards, withdrew
Selden from its support, leaving only two companies to protect it, and
opened fire. Carson’s Mexican regiment had been moved to our right and
advanced, and with one company of regulars repulsed a charge of Texas
cavalry with some loss. I observed Carson closely. He walked up and down
his line, quietly encouraging his men with such words as “Firme,
muchachos, firme” (steady, boys, be firm).
The Texans now rapidly concentrated all their available force at the
foot of the hills in front of our battery for one last desperate charge.
On they came, on foot, a mass of wild men, without order and apparently
without command, with rifles, shotguns, pistols and all kinds of arms,
and yelling like demons. Colonel Roberts saw the danger and ordered me
to bring all the strength possible to charge their flank as they neared
the battery. I found Major Duncan with his cavalry in an advantageous
position, and gave him the order, but again he failed to obey. Turning
to Captain Wingate, with his two companies of infantry, he responded
promptly and was immediately on the jump. But he was soon mortally
wounded, and Stone, his second officer, being killed, the movement was
checked.
I returned to the battery. The small support was giving away; Canby,
whose horse had been shot, was on foot. He had taken a musket from a
retreating soldier and was urging the men to re-form and charge. It was
too late. The battery worked on to the last moment. Captain McRae and
his first lieutenant, Michler, were killed at their guns. Bell, the
second lieutenant, was wounded. Of the ninety-three men belonging to the
battery less than forty escaped. The contest was now ended, but
notwithstanding this disaster, we retired to the post “with the
regularity of a dress parade.”
Considering the numbers actually engaged, Valverde was one of the best
fought and one of the most sanguinary conflicts of the war, the
mortality on either side being near one hundred. Five officers of the
regular army, McRae, Michler, Wingate, Stone and Bascom, were killed in
that fight. I admired General Canby (since treacherously murdered by the
Modocs) alike for his courage as for his amiable character, but I
believe that if Colonel Roberts had been left to carry out his plans
that day Valverde would have been a Union victory and the campaign
closed. General Sibley, although present, did not seem to develop during
the day. The fighting was done mostly by Green, Scurry, Lockridge and
Pryon. The day after the battle a flag of truce was borne into the post
by Colonel Scurry, Major Ochiltre and another. Scurry being an
acquaintance inquired for me, and I was present at the interview. They
demanded a surrender of the post, which Canby of course refused. Some
time was spent in refreshment and conversation, and they retired.
To condense and conclude this story, the Texans reconsidered their
threat of taking Fort Craig and took up their march for Santa Fe. We
followed, leaving a sufficient garrison in the post, but it was not
Canby’s intention to bring on a decisive engagement. He had other plans.
The Texans took possession of Santa Fe, the capital of the Territory,
without opposition; but their good fortune allured them too far. They
determined to attempt the capture of the Government supply depot, Fort
Union, east of Santa Fe. Colonel Scurry commanded this expedition. At
Pidgon’s ranch (Glorietta) they met Colonel Slough’s command of Colorado
volunteers, and the regulars from Fort Union under Colonel Paul, who had
united. Another battle took place almost as desperate and fatal as
Valverde. In numbers they were about equal, but the result was favorable
to the Federals, chiefly because during the day a detachment was sent to
the Texan’s rear, which under the direction and lead of Colonel Collins,
a brave citizen, utterly destroyed their supply train. They slept hungry
that night and then retreated in haste to Santa Fe. Meantime Canby had
from Albuquerque opened communication with Paul and Slough, and a
junction was effected at Tejaras, thirty miles east of Albuquerque.
Sibley had now commenced his retreat to Texas. Our combined forces under
Canby by a silent forced march overtook them at 2 o’clock one morning at
Peralto, the home of the loyal Governor Connolly. We camped within two
miles of Peralto without being discovered. We could hear the sounds of
revelry at the governor’s house, then Sibley’s headquarters. A brief
consultation was held. Roberts proposed to “go in at daybreak and wake
them up with the bayonet,” and, of course, the whole command would have
voted to do so but Canby’s policy was to drive them out of the county
without further loss of life—to “win a victory without losing men,” he
said, and perhaps he was wise.
We skirmished all that day, with advantages in our favor, but neither
commander seemed disposed to bring on a general engagement, and that
night Sibley, with the full knowledge of Canby, continued his retreat
down the Rio Grande, a portion of our troops following them as far as El
Paso.
Of the thirty-five hundred Texans who entered New Mexico only about
eleven hundred returned to Texas. The others were dead, wounded, sick,
prisoners or deserters. Many were buried on the west side of El Paso
street, near where the Opera House now stands.
This was a disastrous expedition. They were brave men, but their
management, discipline and at times their food, was not good, and the
mortality from disease was great.
I accompanied Colonel Roberts to Santa Fe, where he detailed me as post
quartermaster, but learning that, while I was a prisoner at Fort Bliss
President Lincoln had appointed me collector of customs at El Paso, and
not intending to follow the profession of arms, I resigned and returning
to the home from which I had been driven, took possession of that
office.
------------------------------------------------------------------------