The American Civil War period of 1861 – 1865 is the most written about and studied period in American history. Four years of intense combat left 620,000 to 750,000 people dead. This was more than the number of US military deaths in all other wars combined until Vietnam. Both Confederate and Union governments claimed ownership and territorial rights over the New Mexico Territory. Having been recently annexed from Mexico, the majority of our population was less than enthusiastic about secession. Negative experiences with Confederate neighbors to the east had created general animosity toward Texans. As a result, our populace sided with the Union and over 7,000 New Mexicans served in the Union Army. The Battle of Glorieta Pass in 1862 proved the ultimate failure of the Confederacy’s New Mexico Campaign to control the Southwest and gain access to Unionist California and the Pacific Ocean. We’ll explore the events that secured New Mexico’s place in the annals of Civil War history.