The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 44, July 1940 - April, 1941 Page: 164
546 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the acceptance of his resignation at Fort Fillmore, across the
river from Mesilla in southern New Mexico.7 Canby intercepted
Sibley's letter on June 29, its contents confirming all of his
previous information that some movement from Texas, headed
by Magoffin, Hart, and Crosby, was to be apprehended and
that Loring was attempting to remain in the department long
enough to aid their designs." He decided to exercise the full
command thereafter, and ordered the commander at Fort Fill-
more to arrest the parties implicated in the letter."
The New Mexicans during these events had successfully with-
stood efforts to lead them from the Union, but the inhabitants
of the Gadsden Purchase, the region south of the Gila River
and west of the Rio Grande, had early attached themselves
to the Confederacy.10 On March 16, in a meeting at Mesilla
described as a "Convention of the People of Arizona," they had
adopted a resolution not to recognize the Republican adminis-
tration of Lincoln and to resist any officials appointed to the
territory.1" A Confederate territorial government for Arizona
also had been organized at Tucson and a delegate sent to Rich-
mond.12 By the middle of June a Confederate flag was flying
in the streets of Mesilla and secession leaders were notifying
Union men to leave.13
Orders meanwhile had been received from Washington to
remove the infantry troops from New Mexico for eastern
service. With the residents of Mesilla demonstrating strong
Confederate sympathy and an invasion from Texas believed
imminent, additional troops were ordered into Fort Fillmore
to cover the withdrawal of the garrisons from western Arizona
and other posts. A battalion of Texas cavalry had already
arrived at Fort Bliss, but it was believed that they would
await reinforcements before beginning an invasion of the coun-
try. On July 23, however, Col. John R. Baylor, in command
of the troops, crossed the boundary with 258 men, sooner than
7Canby, report, June 11, 1861, 0. R., S., 1, I, 606.
SCanby to Isaac Lynde, June 24, 1861, Ibid., 1, IV, 56-57.
9Canby to Lynde, June 30, 1861, Ibid., 1, IV, 57. Loring left Fort Fill-
more before the order reached the post.
1oAlthough generally known as Arizona in 1861, the Gadsden Purchase
had been attached to the Territory of New Mexico as the county of
Dona Ana.
"G. R. Paul, report, June 16, 1861, 0. R., S., 1, IV, 38-39.
12Frank C. Lockwood, Pioneer Days in Arizona (New York, 1933), 147.
'3W. W. Mills, Forty Years in El Paso, 1858-1898 (n. p., 1901), 14;
Mills to John S. Watts, June 23, 1861, 0. R., S., 1, IV, 56.164
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 44, July 1940 - April, 1941, periodical, 1941; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146052/m1/184/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.