Brig. Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley Commander of the Confederate Forces in New Mexico

General Sibley was raised on a plantation in Louisiana. His values and outlook were formed by the Southern culture he grew up in. However he had deficiencies in character that other Southerners did not have. Early on his life was troubled with difficulties in getting along with his superiors, alcoholism, and an inability to manage his finances.

At the age of 17 he was sent to West Point. His troubles there were a reflection of what was to follow later. He failed one year and was held back. He was arrested for making a false report Somehow he managed to graduate and received a commission in the Second Dragoons.

He did serve well in the Mexican War and he did rise rank. He was also decorated for bravery.

In the mid 1850's he was assigned to Fort Belknap in Texas. It was while he was in service here that he visited the teepee of a Comanche chief. He discovered that this shelter was surprisingly useful and warm. Modern reenactors whether Civil War or mountain man can attest to the work ability and comfort of this structure. Part of this is that a fire can be built in the center thus providing warmth and a place to cook. The smoke would simply go through an opening at the top. In the case of the teepee this was a fire in a pit. But for the new "Sibley Tent" he devised a simple, lightweight conical stove with a few pieces of stove pipe going from the stove to the open top. This contained the fire better reducing fire hazards and also allowed the use of a single center pole rather than the multiple pole that are used to support the side of a teepee. Also containing the fire in a stove will cut down the amount of smoke in the tent.

The War Department adopted the tent for the frontier army. It was used by booth sides in the Civil War and was used later on the frontier during the later Indian Wars.

In 1860 Major Sibley was assigned to New Mexico to fight the Navajos. He was placed in command at Cantonment Burgwin at Taos and later at Fort Union. In May of 1861 he resign to join the Confederacy. He left New Mexico by way of El Paso. From there he traveled to Richmond. He won approval to conquer and annex the territory. His objectives were two fold. The first was to take the Colorado goldfields to provide hard currency for the Southron cause. The other was to establish a western supply port that the Union could not readily blockade.

Unfortunately he made many miscalculations that doomed the expedition from the start. An example of this was that he expected support among the Hispanic population. Evidently he did not know much of the history of previous expeditions of Texans invading the territory in which the local Hispanics were badly treated. Other mistakes that doomed the expedition was the assumption of resupply at Fort Union and other places. He also bypassed Fort Craig leaving a strong point on the supply and retreat route.

At the battle of Valverde on Feb. 21, Sibley was ill probably due to passing a kidney stone. He was prone to this type of trouble which was not only incapacitating in itself but also because he resorted to drinking to kill the pain. This sad state of affairs was apparent to all and he was seldom sober for the remainder of the campaign. The expedition was able to continue for as long as it did due to the efforts of his Colonels who were good, strong leaders. Afterward the campaign his career skidded downward aided by the bottle and by his unfitness for command. It can be safely said that Sibley had the dubious distinction of being if not the worst of the Confederate generals then one of the worst.