Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-06-19
HISTORIC YALVERDE,
Hon. ]. Frank Chavez Reviews the Rec.
ord Of that Battle as Published
by Prof. Ladd.
A straightforward Defense Of the New
Mexico Volunteers by One Who
Was on the Ground.

To the Editor OF the New Mexican
Los LuNAs, June 17.-In your issue O
the l4th instant, a sketch by Prof. II. O
Ladd on New Mexico appears as an accoun,
of the battle of Valverde. 1t is humorous
to read an account written by man more
than twenty-eight years after the occur
renee Of the battle, especially when
the style in which it is written reminds
one of the celebrated preface Of Berna
Diaz del Castillo, in his history OF the
conquest of Mexico, when he positively
states that everything in his history is
true, that he was one of the expedition
that he knew them all personally, the
color OF their hair and eyes and requested
the publishers OF his history not to make
the slightest change, not even as much as
the dotting of an ''I' or the crossing Of q
an"
But Prof. Ladd's history of the battle
Of Vslverde is about as correct in its de-
tails of the encounter as it is in the de-
scription of the surrounding country
about Valverde and Fort Craig in placing
there the groves of pine which were ben
eft to the confederate troops, for the
concealment which these pine groves af-
forded them from the view of the union
troops. Everybody knows, who knows
anything about "that portion of New
Mexico" that there is not single pine
tree growing within thirty miles Of
THE BATTLE GROUND OF vALvERDR
or Of Fort Craig, in any direction Of the
compass. Gen. Sibley did CROSS the river
on the Goth of February, 1862, with his
confederate forces, about six miles south
of Fort Craig, and in tull view of every
union soldier at the fort who cared about
witnessing the crossing, and no one at
tempted to prevent them. Why this was
so, no one, either regular or volun-
teer, could discover.
On that same day and Immediately
after the confederates had crossed the
Rio Grande, and about three miles east,
Gen. Candy ordered troops composed Ct
regular infantry and cavalry and the lst
and End regiments of New Mexico volun-
teers to cross the Rio Grande at Fort
Craig, and march to meet and intercept
the enemy. When our troops were within
range Of the enemy's guns they began
firing upon us, and
THERE WAS NO CONFUSION
among the New Mexico volunteers to
amount to anything. One private of'the
Sd U. S. cavalry had his jaw broken by
the gravel thrown up by the ricochet of
six FOUNDER shot, and Gen. Csnby's
horse was wounded in the hook of one
of the hind legs. The union troops were
constantly advancing, except when o.
dered to halt, and they never fired
single shot at the enemy. For some in
explcable cause, all the regulars werf
withdraw from the field that evening,
and ordered to Fort Craig, and the lst
and I'd New Mexico volunteers were or
dered back to the edge of the mesa, near
the river, where they passed the night.
1t WAS during that night that the cattle
herd and lot of mules and horses Of the
confederates strayed OFT to the river.
They were not stampeded at all by any
of our men, but they came to the river
of their own accord, and our outlying
pickets drove them into the fort. During
hat night, or the next early morning, the
confederates marched unmolested by the
regular road around the Mesita del Con-
tadero to Valverde on the Rio Grande,
where three or four companies Of New
Mexico volunteers
UNDER MAJOR LUIS NJ. BACA
discover them on the morning of Feb
ruary 2l, having been fired upon by the
confederates from the east bank of the
river while Major Baca's troops were ap-
preaching the west bank, and this was
the beginning Of the battle of Valverde.
Reinforcements were Immediately sent
from Fort Craig by Gen. Candy to the
battle ground, and they were chiefly CON-
posed Of several companies Of the hth,
7th and 10th U. s. infantries, and three
compani-s Of the Sd U. s, cavalry, COM
manded by Capt r. Murray Morris, and
battery of artillery commanded by
Capt. McRea and one company of Colo
RADIO volunteers, all under the command
of Col. B. S. Roberts. These troops were
the ones which commenced the conflict
of the battle of Valyerde. Soon there
after our regiment, the lst New Mexico
volunteers, was ordered to proceed from
the mesa east OF Fort Craig, where they
had slept upon their arms the night
previous, to cross the Rio Grande and
proceed forthwith to the battle ground
This we did, and we went on the battle
ground without having taken any supper
the night previous nor breakfast that morn
ing, but our regiment went cheerfully,
anxious to meet the enemy. When we
reached the battle ground, the union bat
terry was still on the west bank of the Rio
Grande, and had driven the confederates
to the sand hills more than mile from
the river. Nearly all the troops above
mentioned, except the necessary support
for the battery, were on the east side at
Valverde and had already had several
severe conflicts with the confederate
troops, in which our troops
HAD COME OFF VICTORIOUS.
The 1st New Mexico volunteers were
stationed about fifty yards from the west
bank of the river and parallel thereto in