The Battle of Valverde: A Strategic Victory for the Union Army

In 1861 the United States Army in New Mexico was demoralized. The troops had not been paid in over a year, lacked provisions and ordnance, and their officers were deserting them for positions in the rebel army. Four of the five cavalry commanders resigned their US commissions and took up arms against their former comrades. Additionally, Apache, Kiowa, and Navajo tribes continued to menace the soldiers and the civilian population. Such were the conditions that Colonel Edward R. S. Canby found upon assuming command of the Department of New Mexico. Despite these seemingly insurmountable odds, Colonel Canby implemented a strategy which resulted in the Confederates eventual defeat in New Mexico.