Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

Ascending the right or western bank, upon which Fort Craig stands, Sibley made his appearance in front of the Federal positions on the 16th of February. He saw at once that he could not reduce that work, in which Canby was quietly awaiting him, with his field-pieces. In order to compel this adversary, whom he could neither attack nor leave behind him with impunity, to come out, Sibley tried, by a bold manoeuvre, to menace his communications with Albuquerque and Santa Fe. On the right bank of the Rio Grande, facing Fort Craig, there is a succession of sand-banks extending from the margin of the river into the interior. These were thought to be inaccessible to wagons, and this obstacle compelled all the trains coming from the south to pass under the guns of Fort Craig. Sibley, better informed by his scouts, was not afraid of venturing into the wilderness. On the morning of the 19th of February, while the Federals were under the impression that he was about to retreat, he was crossing the Rio Grande, which is almost everywhere fordable, about ten kilometres below the fort. He then proceeded with all his army, his artillery, and his baggage across the heavy sands which the Federals had erroneously considered as a sufficient protection. Canby, astonished at such high daring, determined at once to occupy, with three battalions of regulars, some hills situated in front of the fort, whence he could watch the movements of his adversaries. The march of the Texans, however, had been toilsome in the extreme. In order to drag their wagons through the sand, where they sank up to the hubs, it had been found necessary to double, and even triple, the teams. The mules, exhausted by fatigue, had no water to slacken their thirst; this was also wanting to the men, and a night of great suffering was the consequence. Next morning the Federal regulars, supported by two regiments of volunteers, tried to bar the passage of the Texans. But the latter, rather stimulated by their privations to open for themselves a passage to the river above Fort Craig, were not intimidated by this demonstration. Cannonshots were exchanged at a long distance; and before losing a single man the greater part of the Union troops fell back in disorder,