Essay On New Mexican War

The outbreak of the war affected New Mexico at once. Many army officers stationed in New Mexico resigned. They joined the Confederate armed forces. The outbreak of the war also had a more lasting effect on New Mexico. This was because of the plans of the South, These plans called for the conquest of New Mexico. They had the support of top Confederate leaders, including Jefferson Davis. Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America. He had long seen the value of the Southwest. As Secretary of War in 1853, he had pushed for the Gadsden Purchase. He had wanted the desert land added to New Mexico for a southern railroad route. Confederates believe New Mexico is important. The Confederacy wanted New Mexico for several reasons. First,

European nations might take notice. They might recognize the Confederacy as an independent country. They might even help the Confederacy. At the same time, New Mexicans began to think about their future. They, too, divided along sectional lines. This was because northern and southern New Mexico were so different. The economic lifeline of northern New Mexico ran along the Santa Fé Trail. It ran from Santa Fé to Missouri. Missouri did not secede from the Union. Northern New Mexicans also distrusted Texans, who had seceded. They remembered the invasion by Texans in 1841. Many southern New Mexicans, on the other hand, cast their lot with the Confederacy. They were southern in their attitudes. Doña Ana County became the center for pro-southern action. Those for secession gathered in Mesilla in March 1861. The people there declared that New Mexico south of 34° was Confederate land. They raised the Confederate flag. Fort Fillmore, which was still under Union control, lay just three miles away.

Union troops prepare to defend New Mexico. Military movements began in New Mexico in 1861. During the summer Confederate troops gathered at Fort Bliss in El Paso. From there they advanced on Fort Fillmore. Fort Fillmore controlled the route