Enoch Steen Enoch Steen ( 1800 – 1880 ) was a United States military officer and western explorer . He joined the United States Army in 1832 , serving at posts throughout the United States , including many remote locations in the west . During his military service , Steen explored parts of the western United States including large areas of southern New Mexico and southeastern Oregon . He served as the commander of several Union Army forts during the American Civil War . Today , there are landmarks in Oklahoma , Oregon , and New Mexico named in his honor ; however , many of the place names are misspelled as " Stein " . Early life . Steen was born on 22 February 1800 in Harrodsburg , Kentucky . His parents were Frederick Steen and Katherine Rector Steen . He was the third of five children . His family moved to Missouri when he was young . Growing up on the American frontier , Steen became a well known woodsman and hunter . As a young man , Steen worked as a surveyor before joining the volunteer Mounted Rangers as a second lieutenant on 16 July 1832 . Junior officer duty . Steen transferred to the United States Army ’ s 1st United States Dragoons as a second lieutenant on 19 September 1833 . He was one of the initial cadre of officers to stand - up this historic cavalry unit . In 1834 , he was stationed at 1st Dragoon headquarters at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . In 1835 , he accompanied Colonel Henry Dodge on an expedition up the Platte River , following its south fork to the Rocky Mountains and then returning by way of Bent ’ s Fort , the Arkansas River , and the Santa Fe Trail . Later that year , Steen joined Colonel Stephen W . Kearny on an expedition along the Platte and then east to the Missouri River , meeting with Potawatomi Indians at Council Bluffs before returning to Fort Leavenworth . Steen was promoted to first lieutenant on 5 March 1836 and then captain on 31 December 1840 . While the record is not clear , it appears Steen was stationed at Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory during this period . It is known that he dispatched a detachment of dragoons from that location to escort a wagon train to Santa Fe in 1843 . Steen began the Mexican War as a captain . He departed San Antonio , Texas on 29 September 1846 , leading two companies of dragoons assigned to escort General John E . Wool and his staff to the front in Mexico . During the Battle of Buena Vista on 23 February 1847 , Steen led a detachment of cavalry in a charge against a large body of Mexican lancer s who were attempting to capture a United States Army supply train . Steen ’ s attack broke and dispersed the Mexican lancer formation , saving the Army ’ s supplies . Steen was severely wounded during the battle , earning a brevet promotion to major for personal gallantry and meritorious conduct . Steen ’ s brevet promotion was effective as of 23 February 1847 , the day of the battle . New Mexico . In the summer of 1849 , Steen escorted a civilian party from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe in New Mexico Territory . After completing his escort duty , he established and commanded an Army outpost at Doña Ana in southern New Mexico . From there , Steen with a detachment of 50 cavalrymen tracked a band of Mimbres Apache raiders to the Santa Rita copper mines . Steen and his men engaged and defeated the Indians on 16 August 1849 . However , Steen was badly wounded during the battle . This was the first military engagement between the United States Army and Apache warriors . In June 1850 , Steen led an expedition through the Organ Mountains , around the southern edge of the White Sands desert area and into Mescalero Apache country when he ran into a superior Indian force , and he withdrew to Doña Ana . Based on his reconnaissance , Steen recommended that an Army post be established near the Santa Rita mines . The Army agreed with Steen ’ s recommendation , and Fort Webster was established in 1852 . Steen was assigned as the fort ’ s first commander . However , before taking command , Steen was sent back east to lead 183 Army recruits to New Mexico for duty . Steen finally took command of Fort Webster on 7 April 1853 . Shortly after taking command , he successfully negotiated peace treaties with Mangas Colorado , chief of the Mimbreno Apaches and Victorio , chief of the Chiricahua Apache s . In May 1853 , Steen escorted William Carr Lane from Fort Webster to the Gila River . It was probably during this trip that " Steins Peak " and " Steins Pass " in southwestern New Mexico acquired their place names . Both were important reference points for frontier travelers . Steen was promoted to the permanent grade of major on 15 July 1853 . In 1856 , Steen negotiated an agreement with Cochise , chief of the Chiricahua Apache s , allowing settlers to cross Apache land while traveling to California . In 1857 , Steen helped establish Camp Moore near present day Rio Rico , Arizona . In 1858 , Steen established Fort Buchanan in the newly acquired Gadsden Purchase ( near present day Sonoita , Arizona ) , and became the post ' s first commander . He hoped the outpost would deter Chiricahua Apache raids in the Sonoita Valley area . Later that year , he escorted a survey party led by Lieutenant Edward Beale along a proposed road route from Fort Smith , Arkansas to the Colorado River . During the trip , " Steen ’ s Buttes " in Caddo County , Oklahoma was named in his honor . Steen then led six companies of cavalry into Utah as the Mormon War was coming to a close . Oregon . By 1860 , Steen was posted in Oregon . On 28 March of that year , General William S . Harney ordered him to led an expedition from Fort Dalles to Harney Lake , a distance of . Steen ’ s party followed the Walla Walla road to the mouth of the Deschutes River . He then turned south passing through the Ochoco highlands and the Trout Creek area before exploring the upper Deschutes River country . Near Pilot Butte , Steen turned east toward Harney Lake conducting road survey work along the way . While en route , another Army survey party led by Captain Andrew J . Smith was attacked by Indians north of Harney Lake . Steen immediately abandoned his survey work and proceeded to the Harney Lake where he joined Smith and his party . To protect the survey teams in the area , Steen established Camp Union on Silver Creek , north of Harney Lake . On a reconnaissance expedition from Camp Union , Steen explored the country along the Donner und Blitzen River , south of Harney Lake . After a skirmish with Paiute Indians in that area , he chased the Indians over a rugged peak that Hudson ' s Bay Company trapper , John Work , called " Snow Mountain " . After Steen and his men cross the mountain in pursuit of the Indians , the peak became known as Steens Mountain . In late 1860 , Steen was given command of Fort Walla Walla in the Washington Territory . He remained there until the outbreak of the American Civil War . Civil War . In April 1861 , Confederate force attacked Fort Sumter , initiating the Civil War . On 3 August 1861 , Steen was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Regiment and ordered to return to the east coast . On 28 September , he was promoted to lieutenant colonel , re - assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment , and posted to Cantonment Holt near Washington , D . C . . Steen remained there until June 1862 , when he was sent to Fort Craig in the New Mexico Territory . While Steen remained loyal to the Union , his son , Alexander Early Steen , served as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army . He was killed on 7 December 1862 at the Battle of Prairie Grove in Arkansas . In March 1863 , Steen was reassigned to Benton Barracks in Missouri . On 23 September 1863 , he was officially retired from the Army at Benton Barracks , for incapacity resulting from long and faithful service and wounds received in the line of duty . However , Steen continued to serve on active duty in various capacities . On 30 September 1863 , he was placed in command of the Union Army ’ s fort at Sandy Hook in New York Harbor . In 1866 , Steen was sent to the Colorado Territory to command Fort Lyon . Later life . When Congress passed a law prohibiting retired officers from serving on active duty , Steen left the Army . He settled on a farm in Jackson County , Missouri . Steen died at his Jackson County home on 22 January 1880 . He is buried at Mount St . Mary ’ s Cemetery in Kansas City , Missouri . Legacy . Steen played an important part in the history of the western United States , leading military expeditions through large areas of the west . As a result of his early explorations , there are landmarks in Oklahoma , Oregon , and New Mexico named in his honor . In Oklahoma ’ s Caddo County , a group of three of sandstone hills were named " Steen ’ s Buttes " by Lieutenant Edward Beale who ’ s survey team was escorted by cavalry under Major Steen ’ s command . The most prominent landmark that bears Steen ’ s name is " Steens Mountain " in Harney County , Oregon . With a summit , Steens Mountain is the highest peak in southeastern Oregon . The mountain extends over north to south . As a result , it is often mistaken for mountain range rather than a single peak . Another Oregon landmark named in honor of Steen is " Steins Pillar " . It is a high rock column in the Ochoco Mountains of central Oregon . Because of an overhanging ledge near its summit , the pillar was not successfully climbed until 1950 . There is also ghost town in New Mexico named Steins . The town site is located just off Interstate 10 in Hidalgo County . It was originally called " Stein ' s Pass " after the nearby pass through the Peloncillo Mountains , where Steen camped in 1856 while exploring the Gadsden Purchase . The town was founded in 1880 as a fueling stop for the Southern Pacific Railroad . In the early 1900s , the town had 1 , 300 residents ; however , the population slowly declined until the town disappeared . In southwest New Mexico , there are two mountains and a stream named in Steen ’ s honor . " Steins Mountain " is located northwest of the Steins town site . The summit of Steins Mountain is above sea level . " Stein Peak " is located to the northwest of Stein ’ s Mountain . Its summit elevation is . Both mountains are part of the Peloncillo Range . " Steins Creek " begins on the southern slope of Steins Mountain and flows southwest across the New Mexico border into Arizona .