Timeline: 1862Sources include THE CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY, by E.B Long with Barbara Long; THE CIVIL WAR IN THE WESTERN TERRITORIES, by Ray C. Colton; and THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
| 1/8 | Moving north up the Rio Grande, the 4th Texas Mounted Volunteers camp 2.5 miles above Fort Thorn (70 miles from Fort Craig). John G. Phillips, formerly a resident of Santa Fe, is involved in a scuffle outside a dance in Mesilla, resulting in the death of an Englishman. Phillips was not blamed. |
||
| 1/11 | U.S. Secretary of War Simon Cameron resigns. |
||
| 1/13 | An expedition under U.S. General Ambrose Burnside arrives by sea at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina.. Lincoln names Edwin M. Stanton U.S. Secretary of War |
||
| 1/15 | The 5th Texas and a battalion of Baylor's men under Major Charles Pyron join the 4th's camp. Supplies are running low. |
||
| 1/18 | Confederate Territory of Arizona officially formed. |
||
| 1/19 | BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS, KENTUCKY Approximately 4000 Federals under General George H. Thomas defeat an equal number of Confederates under Brigadier General George B. Crittenden. Losses: Federal, 39 killed, 297 wounded, 15 captured/missing; Confederates, 125 killed, 309 wounded, 99 missing. |
||
| 1/27 | General Sibley orders Captain Sherod Hunter to take a company west to Tucson and establish a base there for the protection of Western Arizona. |
Lincoln issues General War Order No. 1, ordering Federal troops to advance on Confederate positions. |
|
| 1/30 | U.S.S. Monitor launched at Greenspoint, Long Island, New York. |
||
| 2/6 | Fort Henry, Tennessee, surrenders to Federal forces. |
||
| 2/7 | Sibley's Brigade, hungry and cold, begins to march on Ft. Craig, leaving behind many sick with smallpox and pneumonia. |
Willie Lincoln, youngest son of the president, lies critically ill in the WHite House. |
|
| 2/8 | BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA U.S. General Burnside leads 7000 Federals against less than 2000 Confederates under General Henry A. Wise. Federals overrun the Rebel entenchments, forcing the Confederates to surrender. Losses: Federal, 37 killed, 214 wounded, 13 missing; Confederates, 23 killed, 62 wounded. |
||
| 2/10 | The "Santa Fe Brigands," a company of spies and guides, formed at Ft. Thorn under Captain John G. Phillips. |
||
| 2/14 | Colorado Acting Governor Lewis Weld receives a telegram dated 2/10 from General David Hunter at Leavenworth, ordering the 1st Colorado Volunteers to support Canby. |
Federal Gunboats attack Fort Donelson, Tennessee. |
|
| 2/15 | |
BATTLE AT FORT DONELSON Confederate forces under General Gideon Pillow push back Federals under General U.S. Grant, but no gain results. At night, a conference of Confederate leaders decides Fort Donelson must be surrendered. |
|
| 2/16 | Sibley Brigade demonstrates south of Ft. Craig, hoping to entice the Federals to fight. Canby offers a counter-demonstration of nervous New Mexico Volunteers, but refuses to engage. The Confederates retreat, harassed by Federal cavalry. |
Fort Donelson surrenders. |
|
| 2/18 | Sibley, unwell, places Green in command. With 10 days rations remaining, Green decides to circle east of Fort Craig and threaten the Federal supply line at Valverde. |
||
| 2/20 | The Sibley Brigade struggles up a sandy ravine. Federals from Fort Craig harass them; there is a largely harmless exchange of artillery. Federals picket the river forcing the Confederates to make a dry camp. At night 150-200 horses/mules escape toward river. |
Willie Lincoln dies. |
|
| 2/21 | BATTLE OF VALVERDE Confederate pickets, seeking water at a ford north of Fort Craig, are pushed back by Federals. Both sides send reinforcements into the developing battle. At noon, Sibley, again unwell, places Green in command. While Federals press forward, concentrating their attention on the Confederate left, Green calls for volunteers for a charge on Captain McRae's battery of six guns on the Federal left. The charge succeeds, resulting in a victory for the Confederates. Losses: Federal, 68 killed, 160 wounded, 35 missing; Confederate, 31 killed, 154 wounded, 1 missing. |
||
| 2/22 | Skirmish at Aransas Bay, Texas. |
Jefferson Davis inaugurated President of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. |
|
| 2/25 | Continuing north up the Rio Grande, Confederate advance forces enter Socorro, which surrenders after token resistance. |
Federal troops under General Don Carlos Buell occupy Nashville, Tennessee. |
|
| 2/27 | Due to heavy losses of horses in the Battle of Valverde, the 4th Texas is dismounted and their horses are distributed to the 5th. |
U.S.S. Monitor sails from New York out to sea for trials and an unknown destination. |
|
| 3/2 | Major Charles Pyron's advance from the Confederate Army of New Mexico forces Federal troops to abandon Albuquerque. |
||
| 3/4 | The Santa Fe Brigands, in advance of Sibley's Brigade, enter Santa Fe. Federal forces have abandoned the Territorial capital and retreated to Fort Union |
||
| 3/5 | The Confederate national flag is raised in Albuquerque's plaza. The First Colorado Volunteers, marching south to support Canby, learn of the Battle of Valverde and the Confederate advance up the Rio Grande, begin a forced march through snow to Fort Union. |
||
| 3/6 | U.S.S. Monitor leaves New York for Fort Monroe, Virginia. |
||
| 3/6-8 | BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE (ELKHORN TAVERN), ARKANSAS11,000 Federals under General Samuel Curtis defeat 14,000 Confederated under General Earl Van Dorn in the largest battle of the war west of the Mississippi. Losses: Federal, 203 killed, 980 wounded, 201 missing; Confederate, 600 killed/wounded, 200 missing. |
||
| 3/7 | General Sibley enters Albuquerque. |
||
| 3/8 | C.S.S.VIRGINIA ATTACKS FEDERAL VESSELS. In Hampton Roads near Norfolk and Fort Monroe, Virginia, the former U.S.S. Merrimack, raised by the Confederates, clad in iron and rechristened the C.S.S. Virginia, attacks the Federal fleet. U.S.S. Cumberland and Congress are destroyed, and U.S.S. Minnesota is run aground. |
||
| 3/9 | BATTLE OF THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC (VIRGINIA)Arriving in Hampton Roads after a harrowing trip from New York, U.S.S. Monitor attacks the C.S.S. Virginia as she attempts to finish off the Minnesota. The two ironclads fight to a draw in a battle that proves all the world's wooden navies obsolete. |
||
| 3/11 | First Colorado Volunteers reach Fort Union. |
Lincoln releives Major General George B. McClellan as General-in-Chief of the Federal Armies. |
|
| 3/13 | Pyron's advance enters Santa Fe. |
||
| 3/22 | First Colorado Volunteers march south from Fort Union. |
||
| 3/25 | Federal scouts capture Confederate scouts in Glorieta Pass. The Federal column camps at Kozlowski's Ranch on the Pecos River east of Glorieta Pass. |
||
| 3/26 | BATTLE OF APACHE CANYON (BATTLE OF GLORIETA PASS, PART 1) An advance of Federal troops under Major John Chivington meets a Confederate advance under Major Charles Pyron in Apache Canyon, near the western entrance to Glorieta Pass. The Confederates retreat to Johnson's Ranch at Cañoncito, Federals fall back to Pigeon's Ranch at Glorieta and then to Kozlowski's Ranch. |
||
| 3/28 | BATTLE OF PIGEON'S RANCH (BATTLE OF GLORIETA PASS, PART 2) Federal forces numbering approximately 950 march west to Pigeon's Ranch, led by Colonel John Slough. They meet the Confederate column of 1100 men under Colonel William R. Scurry just west of the ranch, and fight all afternoon in Glorieta Pass. The Federals slowly yeild ground, leaving the Confederates in control of the pass by the end of the day. This victory is offset by the destruction of the Confederate supply train, discovered by Major Chivington's flanking force of 400 men, who descend the cliffs at the western end of the pass to destroy the train. Though this prevented them from fulfilling their mission of flanking the Confederates in the pass, the destruction of the train caused the eventual withdrawal of Confederates from New Mexico Territory. Losses: Federal, 31 killed, 50 wounded, 30 missing; Confederate, 36 killed, 60 wounded, 25 missing. |
||
| 3/29 | Slough receives orders from Canby to march back to Fort Union. |
||
| 3/30 | The Confederates under Scurry fall back to Santa Fe. |
||
| 3/31 | Canby leaves Fort Craig. |
||
| 4/1 | Sibley departs Albuquerque for Santa Fe. |
||
| 4/2 | Colorado Volunteers arrive at Fort Union. |
Confederate spy Rose Greenhow sent across Federal lines into Virginia from Washington, D.C. Severe tornadoes in Cairo, Illinois and New Madrid, Missouri. |
|
| 4/3 | Green arrives in Santa Fe. |
||
| 4/6-7 | BATTLE OF SHILOH (PITTSBURG LANDING, TENNESSEE) |
||
| 4/9 | BATTLE OF ALBUQUERQUE Canby arrives in Albuquerque with 860 regulars & 350 New Mexico Volunteers. Hardeman & Coopwood's companies oppose them with four of Reily's guns. 4th Texas leaves Santa Fe for Albuquerque. |
||
| 4/11 | Fort Pulaski, Georgia, falls |
||
| 4/12 | Sibley and remainder of his army arrive in Albuquerque, having left 100 sick & wounded in Santa Fe. |
||
| 4/13 | Confederates bury four cannon in Albuquerque and begin evacuation of New Mexico. California Column marches east from Fort Yuma |
||
| 4/14 | Following Colonel Slough's resignation, Chivington becomes colonel of the Colorado Volunteers. |
||
| 4/15 | Skirmish at Peralta Skirmish at Picacho Pass |
||
| 4/17 | Confederate army departs from Camino Real, taking route through the Magdalena and San Mateo Mountains to avoid Fort Craig. |
||
| 4/16 | President Jefferson Davis approves Confederate Congress's conscription act |
||
| 4/18 | Federal bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip (on Mississippi below New Orleans) begins |
||
| 4/22 | Canby and his forces arrive at Fort Craig. |
||
| 4/24 | Federal fleet under Farragut passes Forts Jackson and St. Philip |
||
| 4/25 | Sibley's army reaches Rio Grande. Joseph Sayers (formerly Green's adjutant) promoted captain to command newly formed Valverde Battery, made up of the guns captured from the Federals at Valverde (McRae's Battery). |
Federal fleet captures New Orleans |
|
| 4/27 | Half the garrison at Fort Jackson mutinies and abandons the fort. The remainder are taken prisoner. |
||
| 5/3 | Carlton writes Canby from Yuma. |
||
| 5/4 | Captain Sherod Hunter leaves Tucson for Rio Grande, intending to warn Sibley about the approaching California column. |
||
| 5/20 | California column advance guard in Tucson. |
||
| ca. 5/31 | Texans leave Fort Bliss, beginning their retreat to San Antonio. |
||