Diego Archuleta Brigadier General Diego Archuleta ( March 27 , 1814 – 1884 ) , was a member of the Mexican Congress . He joined the Mexican Army to fight against the United States in the Mexican American War . Later , he was appointed an Indian ( Native Americans ) Agent by President Abraham Lincoln , and joined the Union Army ( US Army ) during the American Civil War . Archuleta became the first Hispanic to reach the military rank of Brigadier General . Early years . Archuleta was born in Albuquerque , New Mexico , then a province of New Spain . His family were wealthy ranchers and , as such , they had the economic means to send him to Durango , Mexico where he received his primary and secondary education . Mexican - American War . In 1843 , Archuleta was elected to represent New Mexico before the Mexican National Congress , and served as such until 1845 . As a congressman , Archuleta supported Mexico upon the outbreak of the Mexican - American War . The Mexican - American War was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U . S . annexation of Texas , which Mexico considered part of its territory despite the 1836 Texas Revolution . In 1846 and 1847 , Archuleta participated and led two unsuccessful rebellions against the U . S . On August 9 , 1846 , Archuleta , who was appointed to the rank of Colonel in the Mexican Army , wanted to fight the invading American forces headed towards the Mexican city of Santa Fe . He was joined by other militia officers Manuel Chaves and Miguel Pino , who wanted Governor Manuel Armijo to muster a defense . Armijo set up a position in Apache Canyon , a narrow pass about southeast of the city . On August 14 , before the arrival of the American Army , Armijo decided not to fight and dismissed Archuleta . No shots were fired in the Capture of Santa Fe and the New Mexican Militia retreated from Santa Fe while Armijo fled to Chihuahua . Archuleta also participated in the January 24 , 1847 , Battle of Cañada which was part of the Taos Revolt , a popular insurrection against the American occupation of New Mexico by Mexicans and Pueblo Indians . The U . S . won the Mexican - American War and forced Mexico into the cession of its northern territories , which included New Mexico . After the war , Archuleta returned to New Mexico and swore allegiance to the American government . He became involved in the politics of what was now a territory of the United States , and was elected to the New Mexico territory assembly . John S . Watts , a pro - Lincoln Republican congressional delegate from New Mexico , advocated for Archuleta ' s appointment as the U . S . Indian ( Native Americans ) agent . In 1857 , Archuleta was named the U . S . Indian agent for the Ute Indian tribe . American Civil War . From 1861 to 1865 , eleven Southern slave state s of the United States of America declared their secession from the U . S . and formed the Confederate States of America . The U . S . government ( The Union ) rejected secession as illegal , and the Civil War ensued . Initially , Archuleta ' s sympathies lay with the Confederates . This led Watts and other pro - Union colleagues to lose faith in Archuleta . In 1861 , Watts asked the president of the Union , Abraham Lincoln , to replace Archuleta and to name Jose Antonio Mansinares to the position of Indian agent . Archuleta recanted from his secessionist views , joined the Union Army with the rank of Colonel , and was assigned to the " New Mexico Volunteer Infantry " ( NMVI ) . With 157 Hispanic officers , the NMVI had the most Hispanic officers of any unit in the Union Army . Besides Archuleta , who served as the commanding officer of the NMVI , the unit included Colonel Miguel E . Pino , Lieutenant Colonel Jose Maria Valdez , Colonel Jose G . Gallegos , and Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Perea . These units fought in the Battle of Valverde on February 21 , 1862 . When Archuleta was promoted to Brigadier General , he became the first Hispanic in history , to reach that rank in the United States Military . Later years . In March 1865 , after the war ' s end , President Lincoln re - appointed Archuleta as an Indian agent in New Mexico . Archuleta was later elected to the New Mexico State Legislature , where he served until his death in 1884 . He died in Santa Fe , and was survived by seven children . Awards and decorations . Diego Archuleta ' s awards and decorations include the following :