General Canby, commander of the Department of New Mexico, was at
Fort Craig, on the
Rio Grande, early in 1862.
At that time
Col. H. H. Sibley, a Louisianian, had invaded
New Mexico with 2,300 Texas Rangers, many of them veterans who had fought the Indians.
Sibley issued a proclamation demanding from the inhabitants aid for and allegiance to his troops.
Feeling confident of success, he moved towards
Fort Craig to attack
Canby.
His light field-pieces could not injure the fort, so he crossed the
Rio Grande below and out of reach of the guns of the fort for the purpose of drawing
Canby out. In this he was successful.
Canby threw a force across the river to occupy an eminence commanding the fort, which it was thought
Sibley might attempt to gain.
There a skirmish ensued, and the Nationals retired to the fort.
On the following day (Feb. 21) a considerable force of cavalry, artillery, and infantry, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts, crossed the
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river, and at
Valverde, 7 miles north of the fort, a severe battle occurred.
Canby was about to make a general advance, when about 1,000 Texans, horse and foot, armed with carbines, revolvers, and bowieknives, suddenly burst from a thick wood and attacked two of the
National batteries, commanded respectively by
Captains McRae and
Hall.
The cavalry were repulsed, but the infantry pressed forward, while the grape-shot were making fearful lanes in their ranks, and captured the battery of
McRae.
The brave captain defended his guns with great courage.
Seated upon one of them, he fought the assailants with a pistol until he was shot dead.
At length the Nationals, panicstricken by the fierceness of the charge, broke and fled, and did not stop until they had reached the shelter of
Fort Craig.
That flight was one of the most disgraceful scenes of the war.
Canby was compelled to see the victory snatched from him just as it seemed to be secured.
Sibley, alarmed by the sudden development of
Canby's strength by accessions to his ranks, hurried towards
Santa Fe, captured it, but could not hold it, and was soon afterwards driven over the mountains into
Texas.
