In the coming monthsOldWestNewWest.Comwill explore how the Civil War spilled into the West and provide an ongoing look at how you can explore and experience the Civil War as it happened — in the Old West.
The Indian Campaigns: Part One
The Lure of Silver and Gold Brings Thousands of Emigrants Into the West, Pushing Native Americans Away from Their Land, Food and Water
When the Army pulled back, the Indians went on the attack.
As men began choosing sides and preparing to fight in America’s Civil War, men in the West also were preparing to fight for their lands and their way of life: The warriors of America’s Indian tribes. The discovery of silver in what is now northern Nevada brought thousands of prospectors into the region, pressuring Paiutes. All it took was a spark to start the Pyramid Valley War.
As Union Forces Pull Back From the Frontier, Confederate Texans Push into New Mexico Territory, Driving West for California Gold
Battle of Picacho Pass re-enactors. Picacho Peak SP photo
It surprises many people to hear that the American Civil War actually reached into the Southwest, into today’s states of Arizona and New Mexico, and that Confederate forces once occupied Tucson, Arizona, and Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.While there were several engagements during the Confederate Southwest Campaign, the most noteworthy battle sites for the North-South struggle can be experienced today at two places: Picacho Pass in Arizona and Glorieta Pass in New Mexico.
The State Would Become a Confederate War Machine, Sending 90,000 Troops to Eastern Battles, and Tons of Cotton to Market for the War
Sabine Pass Memorial
The plan seemed perfect. About 5,000 Union Army troops aboard 20 Navy vessels would leave from New Orleans, travel up the Sabine River in Texas, capture Sabine Pass and begin a Federal invasion of Texas. But Union leaders hadn't counted on Lt. Richard William “Dick” Dowling, a cocky, red-haired Irishman born in Galway County, who stopped cold a major thrust up the Sabine River, and in turn a major Federal invasion of Texas.
New Orleans, the Richest City in the South, Falls Early in the War, But Louisiana Remains a Thorn in the Union's Side
Artist T. Sinclair's illustration of the Battle of New Orleans. Library of Congress image
New Orleans surrenders without firing a shot, and Union forces split the South by gaining control of the Mississippi River. But Louisiana remains a thorn in the Union side for much of the Civil War, and serves as a lifeline to the South as a source of men and war material from the West, including Mexico and Texas.
As if Territorial Violence Over Slavery Hadn't Been Bad Enough, the Civil War and Guerilla Savagery Loomed Ahead To Test Kansas Citizens
Union Army re-enactors add a sense of realism at Fort Scott. NPS photo
Men murdered in cold blood, others wounded or beaten, a town sacked, buildings burned, homes looted, women robbed – and all of this even before the American Civil War began. For seven years, from 1854 until 1861, pro-slavery, anti-slavery and free-state advocates in Territorial Kansas battled each other in words, politics and violence, drawing national attention. That's why some say the Civil War really began in Kansas and the West.
Pro-South Democrats Talk Secession While One Man, a Future Confederate General, Keeps San Francisco's Arms Away From Rebels
One man prevented bloodshed in San Francisco at the start of the Civil War, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, a future hero of the South. Library of Congress Photo
As Lincoln took office, many pro-South Democrats began talking about seceding to create an independent Pacific nation. Pro-Union Democrats quickly responded with a huge rally in San Francisco. As many as 15,000 supporters showed up to yell, cheer and parade for keeping California in the Union. But that didn't stop talk of secession. Pockets of Confederate sympathizers could be found in the Central Valley, Sacramento and San Francisco Bay. But for one man's personal code of honor, armed rebellion against Union forces might have become more than just talk. The man was Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, then commander of the Union Army's Department of the Pacific.
Local Sympathies for the South and a Confederate Invasion of the Southwest Threaten Union Control of Southern California
Alone and facing a possible revolt, then-Captain Winfield Scott Hancock stopped Southern California from breaking away from the Union. Library of Congress photo
If the South had been able to take control of at least southern California, the overall picture of the Civil War might have changed. “Think about it,” said Dan Sebby, director for the California State Military Museum. “Texas forces were outside of Yuma, and there was an active effort to get to southern California. If they had gotten there, it could have given the Confederacy a free port on the West Coast." And just possibly a chance to go after the gold coming down from San Francisco.
Pea Ridge — The Key to Keeping Missouri in Union Hands
A display of artillery at Pea Ridge National Military Park. NPS / Pea Ridge MP photo
Pea Ridge National Military Park, just east of the small northwestern Arkansas town of the same name, not only is one of the nation’s most intact Civil War battlefields, it is the site of the most pivotal battle waged in the struggle for the West.
Wilson's Creek — The First Major Civil War Battle in the West
Members of Captain Henry Guibor's Missouri State Guard Battery firing a 6-pounder field gun. Sarah Cunningham photo
Ten miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri, just off Farm Road 182 near where it intersects Missouri Highway ZZ, you’ll find the entrance to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, one of the nation’s lesser known Civil War battlefields. Think of Wilson’s Creek as a hidden—or at least highly overlooked—gem of American history that not only offers a window into the early phase of the Civil War, but a glimpse at the political and economic struggles many Missourians faced at the time.
