USA > Colorado > History of the State of Colorado, Vol. I > Part 24
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ing to the right, and Companies A and E under Captains Wynkoop and Anthony to the left, directing them to ascend the mountain side until they were above the elevation of the enemy's artillery, and thus flank him, at the same time directing Captain Howland, he being the ranking cavalry officer, to closely observe the enemy and when he retreated, with- out further orders to charge with the cavalry. This disposition of the troops proved wise and successful. The Texans soon broke battery and retreated down the cañon a mile or more, but from some cause Capt. Howland failed to charge as ordered, which enabled the Confederates to take up a new and strong position where they formed battery, threw their supports well up the sides of the mountain, and again opened fire.
Chivington dismounted Captains Howland and Lord with their regulars, leaving their horses in charge of every fourth man, and ordered them to join Captain Downing on the left, taking orders from him. Our skirmishers advanced, and flanking the enemy's supports, drove them pell mell down the mountain side, when Captain Samuel Cook, with Company F, First Colorado, being signaled by the major, made as gallant and successful a charge through the cañon, through the ranks of the Confederates and back, and through again and back, as was ever per- formed. Meanwhile, our infantry advanced rapidly, and when the enemy commenced his retreat a second time, they were well ahead of him on the mountain sides and poured a galling fire into him, which thoroughly demoralized and broke him up, compelling the entire body to seek shel- ter among the rocks down the cañon and in some cabins that stood by the wayside.
After an hour spent in collecting the prisoners, caring for the wounded, both Federal and Confederate, the latter having lost in killed, wounded and prisoners, a number equal to our force in the field, the first baptism by fire of our volunteers terminated. The victory was decided and complete. Night intervening, and there being no water in the canoñ, the little command fell back to Pigeon's Ranch, whence a courier was dispatched to Colonel Slough, advising him of the engagement and its result, and requesting him to bring forward the main command as
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rapidly as possible, as the enemy with all his forces had moved from Santa Fé toward Fort Union.
After interring the dead and making a comfortable hospital for the wounded, on the afternoon of the 27th Chivington fell back to the Pecos river at Cosloskie's Ranch and encamped. On receiving news from Apache Cañon, Col. Slough put his forces in motion and at II P. M. of the 27th joined Chivington at Cosloskie's. At daybreak on the 28th the "Assembly" was sounded, and the entire force resumed its march. Five miles out from their encampment Major Chivington in command of a detachment composed of companies A, B, H and E of the First Colo- rado, and Captain Ford's company unattached, with Captain Lewis' com- pany of the Fifth Infantry was ordered to take the Gallisteo road, and by a detour through the mountains to gain the enemy's rear, if possible at the west end of Apache Canon, while Slough advanced slowly with the main body and gained his front about the same time, thus devising an attack in front and rear. About ten o'clock while making his way through the scrub pine and cedar brush in the mountains, Major Chiving- ton and his command heard cannonading to the right, and were thereby apprised that Colonel Slough and his men had met the enemy. About twelve o'clock he arrived with his men on the summit of the mountain which overlooked the enemy's supply wagons, which had been left in the charge of a strong guard with one piece of artillery mounted on an eleva- tion commanding the camp and mouth of the cañon. With great diffi- culty Chivington's force descended the precipitous mountain, charged, took and spiked the gun, ran together the enemy's supply wagons of commissary, quartermaster and ordnance stores, set them on fire, blew and burned them up, bayoneted his mules in corral, took the guard pris- oners and reascended the mountain, where about dark he was met by Lieutenant Cobb, Aid de Camp on Col. Slough's staff, with the infor- mation that Slough and his men had been defeated and had fallen back to Cosloskie's with directions to join him there. Upon the supposition that this information was correct, Chivington under the guidance of a French Catholic priest, in the intensest darkness, with great difficulty
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made his way with his command through the mountains without road or trail, and joined Colonel Slough about midnight.
Meanwhile, after Chivington and · his detachment had left in the morning, Colonel Slough with the main body proceeded up the cañon, and arriving at Pigeon's Ranch, gave orders for the troops to stack arms in the road and supply their canteens with water, as that would be the last opportunity before reaching the further end of Apache Cañon. While thus supplying themselves with water and visiting the wounded in the hospital at Pigeon's Ranch, being entirely off their guard, they were suddenly startled by a courier from the advance guard dashing at full speed down the road and informing them that the enemy was close at hand. Orders were immediately given to fall in and take arms, but before the order could be obeyed the enemy had formed battery and commenced shelling them. They formed as quickly as possible, the Colonel ordering Captain Downing with Company D First Col- orado Volunteers to advance on the left, and Capt. Kerber with Com- pany I, First Colorado, to advance on the right. In the meantime Ritter and Claflin opened a return fire on the enemy with their batter- ies. Captain Downing advanced and fought desperately, meeting a largely superior force in point of numbers, until he was almost over- powered and surrounded ; when happily Captain Wilder of Company G First Colorado, with a detachment of his company, came to his re- lief, and extricated him and that part of his company not slaughtered. While on the opposite side, the right, Company I had advanced into an open space, feeling the enemy, and ambitious of capturing his battery, when they were surprised by a detachment which was con- cealed in an arroya, and which, when Kerber and his men were within forty feet of it, opened a galling fire upon them. Kerber lost heavily (Lieutenant Baker being wounded) and fell back. In the meantime the enemy masked and made five successive charges on our batteries, determined to capture them as they had captured Canby's at Valverde. At one time they were within forty yards of Slough's batteries, their slouch hats drawn down over their faces, and rushing on with deafening
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yells. It seemed inevitable that they would make their capture, when Captain Claflin gave the order to "cease firing," and Captain Samuel Robbins with his Company K First Colorado arose from the ground like ghosts, delivered a galling fire, charged bayonets, and on the double quick put the rebels to flight.
During the whole of this time the cavalry under Captain Howland were held in reserve, never moving except to fall back and keep out of danger, with the exception of Captain Samuel Cook's men who dis- mounted and fought as infantry. From the opening of the battle to its close the odds were against Colonel Slough and his force ; the enemy being greatly superior in numbers with a better armament of artillery and equally well armed otherwise. But every inch of ground was stub- bornly contested. In no instance did Slough's forces fall back until they were in danger of being flanked and surrounded, and for nine hours without rest or refreshment, the battle raged incessantly. At one time Claflin gave orders to double shot his guns, they being nothing but little brass howitzers, and then stood and counted, "One, two, three, four" until one of his gun carriages capsized and fell down into the gulch ; from which place Captain Samuel Robbins and his company K extricated it and thus saved it from falling into the enemy's hands.
Being compelled to give ground all through the day, Colonel Slough, between five and six o'clock in the afternoon, issued orders to retreat. About the same time Gen. Sibley received information from the rear of the destruction of his supply trains, and ordered a flag of truce to be sent to Colonel Slough, which did not reach him, however, until he had arrived at Cosloskie's. A truce was entered into until nine o'clock the next morning, which was afterward extended to twenty- four hours, and under which Sibley with his demoralized forces fell back to Santa Fé, laying that town under tribute to supply his forces.
The 29th was spent in burying our dead as well as those of the Confederates, which they left on the field, and in caring for the wounded. Orders were received from Gen. Canby directing Colonel Slough to fall back on Ft. Union, which so incensed the Colonel that while
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he obeyed, he forwarded his resignation and soon afterward left the command.
April 5th Col. Paul, now the senior officer, and consequently in command of the troops in Northern New Mexico, issued an order for all available troops at Fort Union to prepare themselves with all speed, and at dark that day the men received orders to march and moved out of the post.
Some surprise was manifested at this order. It seemed like the army in Flanders that marched up the hill and then marched down again. But Major Chivington briefly addressed the First Colorados, stating that Canby had left Fort Craig on the Ist instant, and they were ordered out to divert the enemy's attention, or to assist in driving him out of the country. After which short explanation all murmuring ceased and the men marched out with alacrity, anxious to finish the task they had so gloriously commenced on the 26th ultimo. They marched to Loma and went into camp. Early on the following morning they broke camp and pursued the march, during which nothing worthy of note occurred until the 13th when a junction was made with Gen. Canby and his forces at Carnuel Pass, where Colonel Slough's resignation was accepted. On petition of all the commissioned officers of the First Colorado Volunteers, presented by Lieut .- Col. S. F. Tappan to Gen. Canby, Major Chivington was promoted to the Colonelcy in his stead.
The men had never liked Slough, and in one of their battles it was asserted that some of them had tried to shoot him. He had little con- trol over them, since they had neither confidence in nor respect for him. On the other hand Chivington was their idol. With him and for him they would have fought anything he commanded them to do. They could easily have annihilated Sibley's forces after the battle of Pigeon's Ranch, but for some cause, never explained, they were not permitted to.
Early on the morning of April 14th, Gen. Canby with his entire force, including the First Colorado, took up the line of march down the Rio Grande in pursuit of the fleeing Texan forces. At about midnight the command arrived at or near Peralta where the enemy was encamped,
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and were directed to rest on their arms until daylight. Here one of the most singular and inexplicable incidents of the campaign occurred. It was ascertained by spies sent in advance by Col. Chivington that there was no commissioned officer on duty in the enemy's camp. They were holding high carnival at the residence of Gov. Conley, where they were drinking and dancing in seeming forgetfulness of the defeats they had recently met with. Chivington went in person to Gen. Canby and requested the privilege of surprising and capturing their camp that night. Canby, always cautious, and now fearful of disaster, declined to accede to the request, but Chivington was persistent and urged his plea, offering with his own regiment to make the capture. Canby said he would consider the matter, and if he could overcome his doubts as to the propriety of a night attack he would send for Chivington and let him make the attempt. But the next knowledge Chivington had of Canby's whereabouts or intentions was at daylight the next morning when he, with his servant, was seen kindling a fire to make his morning coffee, and almost simultaneous with the flash of the match to light the fire was the flash of the rebel guns, and the first shot took the head off one of Canby's mules in very close proximity to the General himself.
Soon after a part of the rebel command that had encamped about two miles above on the bank of the river, with one piece of artillery was discovered making an attempt to join their main force. A detachment of the First Colorado Volunteers was instantly dispatched, and captured the entire rebel detachment with its baggage, ammunition and gun.
At about nine o'clock Col. Paul in command of the regular cavalry and of the First Colorado Volunteers was directed to clear the woods of rebels, but to be sure not to bring on a general engagement. For five hours, in a broiling sun, he, with his men, drawn up in line of battle, stood receiving the fire of the rebel batteries under the cover of adobe walls, and of heavy cottonwood timber ;- indeed, the entire day was spent in standing up to be shot at by the rebels without the privilege of returning the fire except as our artillery occasionally answered them from the place which Gen. Canby had occupied in the morning. Our
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loss was comparatively light, and it is not known that the rebels sus- tained any loss in killed or wounded.
That night, under cover of darkness, Sibley and his command crossed the Rio Grande and pursued their way down the river on the opposite side. And thus for several consecutive days were the Union and Con- federate forces on opposite sides of the river almost constantly in sight of each other ; the rebels making all haste to escape from the country, and the Union forces endeavoring to get sufficiently in advance of them to cross the Rio Grande and cut them off, which they were never enabled to do. Frequently the forces would stop and exchange a few shots from their artillery, and then resume their march, until the night of the 17th when the enemy, in the midst of one of the severest wind and sand storms ever known in that section of the country, burned all his wagons excepting two ambulances, packed his scanty supplies upon his transpor- tation mules, and left the river, taking to the mountains to avoid being captured. Next morning left Gen. Canby free to cross the river with his command and proceed leisurely on his way to Fort Craig, where he arrived on the 22d.
Here for the ensuing six weeks the First Colorado Volunteers had the severest test to which they were ever put. The command of Gen. Canby had traveled faster than its supplies, and from necessity they were put on quarter rations. Day after day supplies were expected and looked for; and the reader may imagine the astonishment of those need- ing supplies when the first train of twenty wagons, of six mules each. arrived and they found it was loaded with nothing but whisky and vin- egar ; not a pound nor an ounce of anything else. Six ounces of flour per day, and the poorest, old, unshorn sheep for rations, was what they subsisted upon. Tobacco ran out ; the men and officers grew cross and morose, and mutiny was threatened.
Having issued an order putting Colonel Chivington in command of the district of Southern New Mexico, Gen. Canby with his staff and all the regular troops in the department took their leave for Santa Fé head- quarters of the department. On the 4th of July Colonel Howe, Third
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United States Cavalry, arrived at Fort Craig and relieved Colonel Chiv- ington of the command of the district of Southern New Mexico.
He then proceeded to Santa Fé and procured an order from Gen. Canby for the First Regiment of Colorado Volunteers, relieving it from duty in the Southern District of New Mexico and ordering it to Fort Union, and also obtained leave of absence for the purpose of proceeding to Washington to get his regiment transferred to the Army of the Poto- mac and to have it changed from the infantry to the cavalry arm of the service. He failed to obtain the transfer to the Army of the Potomac, but by dint of great perseverance he did obtain an order of transfer to the cavalry arm, and for the relief of his regiment from further service in the department of New Mexico ; also for its return to Colorado for service there, where it arrived in detachments about the first of Jan- uary, 1863, and was mounted, and continued in the service in Colorado and the adjacent territories during the remainder of the war. The horses and horse equipments and change of arms, etc., were received and the regiment was mounted soon after its arrival in the territory of Colorado, and was then distributed at the various posts in that terri- tory, and at several camps established to render it more effective in holding in check the Indians who had become hostile. And it may be observed here, that the Indian outbreak from New Ulm, Minnesota, to the Arkansas River, was as veritable a part of the Rebellion as the revolt of the whites in any part of the Southern states.
Soon after the resignation of his commission as Colonel of the First Regiment, Slough proceeded to Washington, and in April was appointed a Brigadier General and made Military Governor of the dis- trict of Alexandria.
Though wholly unskilled in the science of war, with but little knowledge of drill and discipline, Major Chivington, of herculean frame and gigantic stature, possessed the courage and exhibited the discreet boldness, dash and brilliancy in action which distinguished the more illustrious of our volunteer officers during the war. His first encounter with the Texans at Apache Cañon was sudden, and more or less of a
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surprise. The occasion demanded not only instantaneous action, but such disposition of his force as to render it most effective against superior numbers and the highly advantageous position of the enemy. He seemed to comprehend at a glance the necessities of the situation, and handled his troops like a veteran. His daring and rapid movement across the mountains, and the total destruction of the enemy's trains simultaneously with the battle of Pigeon's Ranch, again attested his excellent generalship. It put an end to the war by forcing the invaders to a precipitate flight back to their homes. He hesitated at nothing. Sure of the devotion and gallantry of his men, he was always ready for any adventure however desperate, which promised the discomfiture of his adversaries. We cannot but believe that had his application for the transfer of his regiment to the Army of the Potomac, or to any of the great armies operating under Grant been acceded to, he would have made a still prouder record for himself, the regiment and the territory. That he was endowed with the capabilities of a superior commander none who saw him in action will deny. After New Mexico had been liberated there were no further glories, no more battlefields for the First Colorado. Though some of its detached companies ren- dered efficient service in the Indian wars which ensued, as a whole its record ended with the flight of Sibley. On a broader field, it might have won imperishable renown.
To complete the history of the laurels gathered by our volunteers in New Mexico, it is necessary to review certain events which trans- pired prior to Slough's march to Fort Union. Two companies of infantry then unattached, but subsequently incorporated with the Colo- rado Second, were moved from their rendezvous at Cañon City to Fort Garland where they were mustered in by an officer of the regular army and then dispatched to Santa Fé to be uniformed and equipped. The first was commanded by Captain T. H. Dodd, and the second by James H. Ford. After a time spent in drill and discipline, there came an order from General Canby directing all the available troops in Santa Fé to join him at Fort Craig. Dodd's company marched with others to
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his assistance, Ford's having been assigned to Fort Union to strengthen the weak garrison at that point. As we have seen, the latter took an active part with the First Colorado in the battles of Apache Cañon and Pigeon's Ranch.
On the 15th of February, Sibley made his appearance at the head of about two thousand Texans. On the 2 1st, Canby's small command met him on the field of Valverde, ten miles north of Fort Craig. The Texans took a position in the sand hills overlooking the post. Canby planted a battery under Capt. McRae on the bank of the Rio Grande where an artillery duel ensued, but without effective result on either side. At length McRae was ordered to take his guns across the river. McRae protested against the change of position in view of the greatly superior force of the enemy, saying his guns would be taken and his men needlessly slaughtered. Canby insisting, he said, "I will go if ordered, but the result will be annihilation, for I will not surrender." As predicted, the battery was taken, its commander and nearly all his men killed. The Texans charged furiously. The regiment of raw Mexican troops left to support the guns fled in terror before the terrific onslaught. Capt. Dodd's company fought like seasoned veterans, los- ing half their number in killed and wounded, but not until they had nearly destroyed a company of the enemy's lancers.
Feeling himself too weak to contend against Sibley's entire com- mand, Canby retired to Fort Craig to await the expected reinforce- ments from Denver, while the Texans advanced upon Fort Union, but were met en route by Major Chivington and overwhelmed by him at Apache Cañon.
During the autumn of 1862, Captain W. D. McLain, by authority recruited a four gun battery which took his name. As organized and equipped it presented a fine appearance, and in connection with the Second Regiment of Colorado Volunteers performed efficient service against Sterling Price and other Confederate generals in Missouri. It was officered by W. D. McLain, Captain; George S. Eayre, First Lieutenant, and H. W. Baldwin, Second Lieutenant. The history of the Second Colorado is given in a subsequent chapter.
William Harvey
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CHAPTER XX.
I862-1864-STATE OF POLITICAL FEELING-BENNETT AND GILPIN CANDIDATES FOR CONGRESS-BENNETT'S SERVICES TO THE TERRITORY-OPENING THE BRANCH MINT-REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL TO COLORADO CITY-COL. JESSE H. LEAVEN- WORTH-HISTORY OF THE SECOND AND THIRD REGIMENTS OF COLORADO VOLUN- TEERS-DENVER SWEPT BY FIRE-THE CONSTRUCTION OF TELEGRAPH LINES- MAYOR STECK'S MESSAGE-A STALWART SENTIMENT FROM THE PACIFIC SLOPE- PROTRACTED DROUTH FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE WINTER-THE RAPID RISE OF GOLD-SALE OF COLORADO MINES IN NEW YORK-THE GREAT FLOOD IN CHERRY CREEK-THE STATE MOVEMENT OF 1864-REJECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION.
Pursuing the regular order of events, we find that in July, 1862, ex-Governor Gilpin, deeply incensed by his summary removal from the executive office, but still resolved to perpetuate his name and influ- ence, having received a call signed by some two or three hundred citizens, to become the " People's" candidate for Congress, began an extensive electioneering tour in that behalf. Early in August Hiram P. Bennett was renominated for the same office by the Union Admin- istration party. At this period old party lines were almost wholly ignored, the electors dividing upon the single issue of union or dis- union,-in other words, for and against the existing administration in its efforts to suppress the rebellion. The Republican Unionists, though largely in the majority, were strengthened and earnestly sup- ported by many who theretofore had affiliated with the Democratic organization. These acquisitions united with a deep and steadfast pat- riotism with those who believed that the constitution should be pre- served, and the laws made under it enforced. Such as were unalter- ably opposed to coercion of the seceding states, or who accepted the
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doctrine of secession as a state right, arrayed themselves in opposition, and thus all political contests were waged upon the issue thereby joined, until the time arrived for the resumption of antecedent divi- sions-simon pure Republicanism and Democracy.
Hot and bitter as are the campaigns of the present epoch, local and national in the several states and in our own, they are rarely or never so tempestuous, nor tinctured with the same quality of personal invective, which characterized our territorial politics. In the old days the heat of the campaign entered into all the affairs of life, public and private, not infrequently culminating in social ostracism. The various elements seemed to be in constant fermentation as one party or the other was upheld or cast down by the progress of the war. Intermixed with the general sentiment were factions pledged to support or antagonize the several movements in behalf of state organization. While many of the leading Republicans or Unionists, and some Democrats vehemently advocated admission, the majority in both parties, realizing the true pur- pose of these periodical eruptions, the weakness of the territory in its lack of population and property subject to taxation, and the burdens incident to the support of a state government, resisted, and until 1876 overcame, every attempt to carry it. Notwithstanding the apparent ma- jority of one hundred and fifty-five for the constitution of 1865, there were many who with good reason believed that it was more apparent than real. But of this hereafter.
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