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VAL^VERD.TXT
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1996-11-15
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The Battle of Val Verde
Age of Rifles scenario designed by Stephen Daly
100yd/10 min Scale 13 turns.
Unzip the val^verd.sce to your Rifles\Scenario directory.
In late 1861, Confederate troops consisting of mounted volunteers from Texas
were organized into a brigade under Gen. H.H. Sibley. The purpose of this
brigade was the conquest of the south-west in the name of the Conrederacy.
Sibley saw the campaign's goals as the incorporation of the New Mexico
Territory (which included present day Arizona, soon to be formed under a
Confederate administration), southern California, and the northern states of
Mexico.
The invasion of New Mexico was the first step. It was felt that enough
Secessionist sympathies existed in California that victory in ajoining
territories would bring about a collapse of the Union-allied government
there. To oppose this invasion, Col. E.R.S. Canby pulled together all the
federal troops in the New Mexico Department, leaving many Indian-fighting
posts abandoned. Troops also trickled down from Colorado, and several
companies ordered back east were delayed and used for the campaign. In
addition to these regular troops, several "native" regiments were formed
from local volunteers, including one under Kit Carson, who was already semi-
legendary from Indian wars.
The first major action occurred north of Fort Craig, at a ford of the Rio
Grande River in the Val Verde Valley. The days action was a stalemate until
about noon. Canby arrived on the field, and decided to attempt on attack on
the left flank of the Confederate line. Sibley, seeing the Union center was
made up of weaker volunteer troops, took the initiative and began an attack
on the Union center. The New Mexican troops collapsed, and soon Canby was
forced to pull all his troops back across the river to avoid complete
disaster.
Canby's troops retired to Fort Craig, leaving the Conferderate's in
possession of the ford. Sibley, with only five days supplies, chose to
march north rather than risk a siege of the fort with limited supplies.
I should note that the casualties in this scenario are much higher than in
the actual battle. Most troops listed as "Missing, wounded or dead" should
be assumed to be stragglers who return to their respective camps after the
battle.
I plan on creating the Battle of Glorieta Pass next, which was fought a month
later on March 28, 1862.
Feedback is very welcome! Let me know what you think.
10/27/96
Stephen Daly
daly@goodnet.com
Additional information on the New Mexico campaign can be found in:
The Confederate Invasion of New Mexico and Arizona 1861 - 1862
Robert Lee Kerby, Western Lore Press, Tucson, 1981
The Civil War in the American West
Alvin M. Josephy Jr., Alfred A. Knopf Inc., New York, 1991
The Civil War in the Western Territories
Ray C. Colton, Univ. of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1959