rotorwash
23-02-05, 12:42
On February 21, 1862, the opening battle in the Confederate drive to grab the Colorado silver mines and the California gold fields occurs just north of Fort Craig, New Mexico Territory as four regiments of Texans meet a mixed bag of Federal regulars and New Mexico militia at a crossing of the Rio Grande known as Val Verde.
Making use of the high ground and support from a 24# cannon, the Federals turn the left flank of the Texans and crowd them into a small area in the old river bed. Sensing victory, the Union commander orders a battery of artillery to cross the Rio Grande on the Texans right, but this battery is overrun by the Texans after one of their commanders bullies them into attacking. The loss of the guns demoralizes the Federals who retreat back to Fort Craig. The Texans hold the field with a loss of 36 KIA, 150 WIA (45 will die of exposure during the cold night) and 1 MIA. The Fedrals lose 110 KIA, 240 WIA and 35 MIA. 1 in 5 of the Regulars is a casualty and a company of Colorado Volunteers losses 50%. 127 casualties lie around the captured battery.
More severe to the Texans is the loss of 1000 horses and mules that were killed because the Texans did not have sense enough to move them to a protected area.
The Texans are now north of the Federals at Fort Craig cutting their lines of communications, but now have a strong Federal position in their own rear and only three days rations, and their commander, BG H.H. Sibley, is suffering from kidney stones and has self-medicated himself with whiskey and brandy leaving the entire battle in the hands of one of his regimental commanders.
RW
Making use of the high ground and support from a 24# cannon, the Federals turn the left flank of the Texans and crowd them into a small area in the old river bed. Sensing victory, the Union commander orders a battery of artillery to cross the Rio Grande on the Texans right, but this battery is overrun by the Texans after one of their commanders bullies them into attacking. The loss of the guns demoralizes the Federals who retreat back to Fort Craig. The Texans hold the field with a loss of 36 KIA, 150 WIA (45 will die of exposure during the cold night) and 1 MIA. The Fedrals lose 110 KIA, 240 WIA and 35 MIA. 1 in 5 of the Regulars is a casualty and a company of Colorado Volunteers losses 50%. 127 casualties lie around the captured battery.
More severe to the Texans is the loss of 1000 horses and mules that were killed because the Texans did not have sense enough to move them to a protected area.
The Texans are now north of the Federals at Fort Craig cutting their lines of communications, but now have a strong Federal position in their own rear and only three days rations, and their commander, BG H.H. Sibley, is suffering from kidney stones and has self-medicated himself with whiskey and brandy leaving the entire battle in the hands of one of his regimental commanders.
RW