Download Battle of Picacho Pass - Arizona Civil War Council

Battle of Picacho Pass
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Battle of Picacho Pass
Coordinates: 32°37′52″N 111°24′56″W [1]
Battle of Picacho Pass
Part of the American Civil War
Picacho Peak
Date
April 15, 1862
Location Picacho Peak, New Mexico Territory (USA), Arizona Territory
(CSA)
Modern Day: Picacho Peak,
Pinal County, Arizona
Result
Confederate victory, Union cavalry retreats
Belligerents
United States
Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
James Barrett †
Henry Holmes (POW)
Strength
13 cavalry
10 cavalry
Casualties and losses
3 killed, 3 wounded
3 captured, 2 wounded (disputed)
Battle of Picacho Pass
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Picacho Pass Skirmish Site--Overland Mail Co. Stage Station at Picacho Pass
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Battle of Picacho Pass Monument
Nearest city
Picacho, Arizona
Area
774 acres (313 ha)
Built
1858
Governing body
State
NRHP Reference #
02001384
Added to NRHP
November 22, 2002
The Battle of Picacho Pass or the Battle of Picacho Peak was an
engagement of the American Civil War on April 15, 1862. The
action occurred all around Picacho Peak, 50 miles (80 km)
northwest of Tucson, Arizona. It was fought between a Union
cavalry patrol from California and a party of Confederate pickets
from Tucson, and marks the westernmost battle of the American
Civil War.
Background
After a Confederate force of about 120 cavalrymen arrived at
Tucson from Texas on February 28, 1862, they proclaimed Tucson
the capital of the western district of the Confederate Arizona
Territory, which comprised what is now southern Arizona and
southern New Mexico. Mesilla, near Las Cruces, was declared the
territorial capital and seat of the eastern district of the territory.
The property of Tucson Unionists was confiscated and they were
jailed or driven out of town. Confederates hoped a flood of
sympathizers in southern California would join them and give the
Side view of the monument
Confederacy an outlet on the Pacific Ocean, but this never
happened. California Unionists were anxious to prevent this, and
6,000 Union volunteers from California, known as the California Column and led by Colonel James Henry
Battle of Picacho Pass
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Carleton, moved east to Fort Yuma, California, and by
May 1862 had driven the small Confederate force back
into Texas.
Like most of the Civil War era engagements in Arizona
(Dragoon Springs, Stanwix Station, and Apache Pass)
Picacho Pass occurred near remount stations along the
former Butterfield Overland Stagecoach route, which
opened in 1859 and ceased operations when the war
began. This skirmish occurred about one mile
northwest of Pichaco Pass Station.
2007 re-enactment of the Picacho Pass battle
Battle
Twelve Union cavalry troopers and one scout (reported to be mountain man Pauline Weaver but in reality Tucson
resident John W. Jones), commanded by Lieutenant James Barrett of the 1st California Cavalry, were conducting a
sweep of the Picacho Peak area, looking for Confederates reported to be nearby. The Arizona Confederates were
commanded by Sergeant Henry Holmes. Barrett was under orders not to engage them, but to wait for the main
column to come up. However, "Lt. Barrett acting alone rather than in concert, surprised the Rebels and should have
captured them without firing a shot, if the thing had been conducted properly." Instead, in mid-afternoon the
lieutenant "led his men into the thicket single file without dismounting them. The first fire from the enemy emptied
four saddles, when the enemy retired farther into the dense thicket and had time to reload ... Barrett followed them,
calling on his men to follow him." Three of the Confederates surrendered. Barrett secured one of the prisoners and
had just remounted his horse when a bullet struck him in the neck, killing him instantly. Fierce and confused fighting
continued among the mesquite and arroyos for 90 minutes, with two more Union fatalities and three troopers
wounded. Exhausted and leaderless, the Californians broke off the fight and the Arizona Rangers, minus three who
surrendered, mounted and carried warning of the approaching Union army to Tucson. Barrett's disobedience of
orders had cost him his life and lost any chance of a Union surprise attack on Tucson.
The Union troops retreated to the Pima Indian Villages and hastily built Fort Barrett (named for the fallen officer) at
White's Mill, waiting to gather resources to continue the advance. However, with no Confederate reinforcements
available, Captain Sherod Hunter and his men withdrew as soon as the Column again advanced. The Union troops
entered Tucson without any opposition.
The bodies of the two Union enlisted men killed at Picacho {George Johnson [2] and William S Leonard [3]} were
later removed to the National Cemetery at the Presidio of San Francisco in San Francisco, California. However,
Lieutenant Barrett's grave, near the present railroad tracks, remains undisturbed and unmarked. Union reports
claimed that two Confederates were wounded in the fight, but Captain Hunter in his official report mentioned no
Confederate casualties other than the three men captured.
Aftermath
Before this engagement a Confederate cavalry patrol had advanced as far west as Stanwix Station, where it was
burning the hay stored there when it was attacked by a patrol of the California Column. The Confederates had been
burning hay stored at the stage stations in order to delay the Union advance from California. About the same time as
the skirmish at Picacho Peak, a larger force of Confederates was thwarted in its attempt to advance northward from
Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the Battle of Glorieta Pass. By July the Confederates had retreated to Texas, though
Battle of Picacho Pass
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pro-Confederate militia units operated in some areas until mid-1863. The following year, the Union organized its
own territory of Arizona, dividing New Mexico along the state's current north-south border, extending control
southwards from the provisional capital of Prescott. The encounter at Picacho Pass may have been only a minor
event in the Civil War, but it can be considered the high-water mark of the Confederate West.
Re-enactment
Every March, Picacho Peak State Park hosts a re-enactment of the Civil War battles of Arizona and New Mexico,
including the battle of Picacho Pass. The re-enactments now have grown so large that many more participants tend to
be involved than took part in the actual engagements, and include infantry units and artillery as well as cavalry.
Gallery of Monuments and Markers
Picacho monuments and markers
Battle of Picacho Marker Battle of Picacho Pass
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Picacho Battle Field Marker Battle of Picacho Monument References
Notes
[1] http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Battle_of_Picacho_Pass& params=32_37_52_N_111_24_56_W_
[2] http:/ / www. findagrave. com/ cgi-bin/ fg. cgi?page=gr& GSln=Johnson& GSfn=George& GSbyrel=all& GSdy=1862& GSdyrel=in&
GSst=6& GScntry=4& GSob=n& GRid=3531348& df=all&
[3] http:/ / www. findagrave. com/ cgi-bin/ fg. cgi?page=gr& GSln=Leonard& GSiman=1& GScid=8344& GRid=3533354&
Bibliography
• "The Battle of Picacho Pass: Visiting the Battlefield and Historic Site" (http://www.wtj.com/articles/picacho/
). The War Times Journal. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
• Masich, Andrew E., The Civil War in Arizona; the Story of the California Volunteers, 1861-65; University of
Oklahoma Press (Norman, 2006).
Article Sources and Contributors
Article Sources and Contributors
Battle of Picacho Pass Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=618703254 Contributors: $1LENCE D00600D, 24 biggest fan, 4meter4, Aemasich, Aj4444, Asiaticus, Az81964444,
Backspace, Bender235, Beyond My Ken, Blizzard1, BlueMoonlet, Brian0918, Chris the speller, Cuchullain, Davejohnsan, David Gerard, DeepFork, DynamoDegsy, ERcheck, Evrik,
FreedomRydr, Fycafterpro, Gb6491, GeeJo, Halmueller, Hlj, Hmains, J04n, Jllm06, JustAGal, Jwillbur, Kirill Lokshin, Laser brain, Lexicon, Lord Hamm, Lynntoniolondon, MK2, Marine 69-71,
Mfreisinger, Milesnfowler, Moe Epsilon, Mogism, Mojoworker, Niteowlneils, Philly jawn, Plastikspork, Plazak, ProudIrishAspie, Pyrogkn, Reliableforever, Rhinestone K, Ronhjones, SDC, Scott
Mingus, Shereth, Shs1954, Smallbones, Spitfire, Starwars1977, TJ13090, Tassedethe, The Mad Historian, TheParanoidOne, ThinkEnemies, Wild Wolf, Winn3317, WolfmanSF, Xcali, 74
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
File:Picacho Peak.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Picacho_Peak.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: John Hunnicutt II
File:US flag 34 stars.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:US_flag_34_stars.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Abjiklam, Cycn, Homo lupus, Jacobolus, SiBr4,
Wikiborg, Zscout370, 3 anonymous edits
File:CSA FLAG 28.11.1861-1.5.1863.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CSA_FLAG_28.11.1861-1.5.1863.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Abjiklam,
Alkari, Anime Addict AA, Cycn, Elmor, Fry1989, Homo lupus, Illegitimate Barrister, Inductiveload, Masturbius, Mattes, 2 anonymous edits
File:Picacho-Battle of Picacho Monument.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Picacho-Battle_of_Picacho_Monument.jpg License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Tony the Marine (talk)
File:PICACHO PASS SKIRMISH SITE.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:PICACHO_PASS_SKIRMISH_SITE.jpg License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:KLOTZ
Image:Picacho Battle.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Picacho_Battle.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Contributors: Joekoz451. Original uploader
was Joekoz451 at en.wikipedia
File:Picacho-Battle_of_Picacho_Marker.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Picacho-Battle_of_Picacho_Marker.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike
3.0 Contributors: Tony the Marine (talk)
File:Picacho-Battle_of_Picacho_Marker2.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Picacho-Battle_of_Picacho_Marker2.jpg License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Tony the Marine (talk)
License
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