Confederate Army of New Mexico

From Mesilla Times, May 12,1863

The Battle of Valverde

(Bill Manley - Researcher)

From the Messilla Times of March 27,1862, we copy the following paragraphs relative of the Battle of Valverde. Evidently the writers were "woolgathering" judging from his style. It may be some consolation to him to know that our loss in killed, wounded, and missing, was not one-half the amount stated by him, and that Kit Carson's regiment did not flee to the mountains, but continued at Fort Craig for some time after General Canby allowed the Texans to get out of the Territory alive. As a specimen of the accuracy of the Time's information, we cite an item to the effect that Albuquerque had been captured by Major Pyron, four companies of regulars made prisoners, and ten men killed; whereas, we all know that the corporal's guard of regulars had been at this place for several days previous to the battle of Valverde. To our extracts however:

The long expected engagement in New Mexico, came off at Valverde, on the east bank of the Rio Grande, four miles above Fort Craig on Friday, February 21. The battle commenced at eight o'clock in the morning and lasted until sunset. The action was commenced by a portion of Col. Baylor's regiment, 200 strong, under command of Major Pyron, who were ordered to flank the enemy. Upon reaching the river valley, they discovered the enemy on the left. Major Pyron's command charged to a good position, where they were covered by timber and a wide slough. They held this position for nearly an hour, under a heavy fire of small-arms, shell, grape, and round shot, before they were reinforced.

They were then reinforced by the first regiment under Lieut. Col. Scurry, and then Capt. Teel's battery came into action, and afterwards the 2nd regiment came into position. The enemy first attempted to turn our flank, when Major Lockridge came to their assistance, and nobley did he do it. Then they made several attempts all along our lines, but without effect. Then again they made a concentrated attack upon our left, with such vigor as to compel our forces to fall back from their first position to another.

While in this position, and late in the evening, the enemy crossed the river with their battery, which proved fatal to them. The Confederate reserve (Col. Steele's command), some 450 men, now joined in the action. A charge was made at the battery of the enemy, and along their whole line, and the battery was taken at revolver and shotgun, after a desperate struggle, when the enemy fled with great slaughter. The enemy suffered the most while retreating across the river, when the slaughter was truly terrible.

This charge was made for eight hundred yards, under a most galling fire. The enemy fought desperately, and their dead lay in heaps about the guns of the battery. The battle was fiercely contested, and one of the severest of the present war, as desperate as any on record for the amount of men engaged. The roar of small-arms, of shell, canister, grape and round shot, is described as having been terrific, and individual instances of great bravery and gallantry, numberless, while our whole army fought like veterans and patriots.

The day was fiercely contested throughout, and until the latter part of the day, the enemy had gained some advantages. Firing had ceased upon both sides, for over an hour, when the Federal General, deeming our forces routed, crossed the river in force and with his battery, to complete his victory, when the gallant charge was made which crowned our arms with success. In the terriible retreat of the enemy across the Rio Grande, many sank Dead and wounded beneath its turbid and bloody waters, to rise no more forever. The current was strong, and the channel narrow, consequently to be wounded was but to meet death.

The loss of the enemy has not been accurately ascertained, but their killed and wounded, must have been over five hundred. It was impossible to ascertain how many of the Federals perished in the river.

Col. Kit Carson's regiment of New Mexico Volunteers were covering the retreat, when a shell was thrown into their ranks, killing and wounding some twent, when they became panic stricken and fled to the mountains.
The regulars fought with great bravery, and before the action both officers and men were sanguine of success.
The retreat across the river exhibited a perfect Leesburg rout, but the regulars of the enemy, formed upon the opposite bank, under a galling fire, and retreated to the fort in the perfect order of a dress parade. The victory, though acheived gloriously over double our numbers, was dearly won, we we have to mourn the loss of 46 heroes, and have 115 wounded.

Lieut. Col. Sutton, of the 3d Regiment, was mortally wounded in the charge, and died soon after the battle.