The Battle of Picacho Pass (also known as the Battle of Picacho Peak) was fought on April 15, 1862 near Picacho Peak, 50 miles northwest of Tucson, Arizona, USA. It was fought between a Union cavalry patrol from California and a party of Confederate scouts from Tucson, and 3 Union soldiers were killed. The engagement was a tactical draw, as both sides withdrew from the field. Though actually little more than a skirmish, it is considered the western-most battle of the American Civil War. April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Picacho Peak State Park is a park in the Arizona state park system, located almost half-way between Casa Grande and Tucson just off Interstate 10. ... Tucson Stone Avenue in year 1880 Tucson redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 6th 295,254 km² 500 km 645 km 0. ... Map of the division of the states during the Civil War. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans February 4, 1861–May 1... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 1,556,678 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 74,500 Total dead: 198,500 Wounded: 137,000+  {{{notes}}} The...

Background

Confederate sympathies were high in Tucson, which had been proclaimed capital of a Confederate territory of Arizona, comprising what is now southern Arizona and southern New Mexico. Confederate dreams even ranged as far as influencing sympathizers in southern California to give the CSA an outlet on the Pacific. The Union was naturally anxious to prevent this, and forces from California moved east to shore up the situation. Territories in Arizona and New Mexico in 1863. ...

Action

Twelve Union cavalry troopers and one scout, commanded by Lieutenant James Barrett of the California Column, were conducting a sweep of the Picacho Pass area, looking for Confederates reported to be nearby. Barrett was under orders not to engage them, but to wait for the main column to come up. However, their patrol surprised and captured 3 Confederate scouts, but failed to see 7 other Confederate soldiers before the Southerners opened fire. During the bloody skirmish that followed, Lt. Barrett and 2 of his men were killed and 3 others wounded. More than an hour later, both sides withdrew from the scene. The remains of the two Union privates buried at Picacho were later removed to Tucson, but Lt. Barrett's grave, near the present railroad tracks, remains unmarked and undisturbed. Union reports indicate 2 Confederates may have been wounded, but there is no confirmation of this. [1]

Aftermath

Confederate patrols actually reached within a day's ride of the California border, where they burned hay at the stage stations and tried to delay the Union advance from California. However, the goal of expanding Confederate influence into southern California and to the Pacific Ocean was never realized. Around the same time as the skirmish at Picacho, a far larger force of Confederates was thwarted in its attempt to advance beyond Santa Fe, NM, in the battle of Glorieta Pass, and by July the Confederates had retreated to Texas. The following year, the Union organized its own territory of Arizona within the state's current borders, extending control southwards from the provisional capital of Prescott. Although the skirmish at Picacho Pass itself may have been only a small factor in these events, it is considered the high-water mark of the Confederate West. Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John P. Slough John M. Chivington Charles L. Pyron William R. Scurry Strength Northern Division, Army of New Mexico 4th, 5th, and 7th Texas Cavalry Regiment, artillery, and a company of independent volunteers Casualties 142 189 {{{notes}}} The Battle of... The Arizona Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed between 1863 and 1912, as well as a territory of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. ... Prescott is a city located in Yavapai County, Arizona. ...

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. Picacho Peak State Park is a park in the Arizona state park system, located almost half-way between Casa Grande and Tucson just off Interstate 10. ...

References

• Battle of Picacho Pass (Arnold Franks, MilitaryHistoryOnline.com)
• The Battle of Picacho Pass (The War Times Journal wtj.com)
• Arizona State Parks press release