The 2nd New Mexico Infantry Regiment, officially designated the 2nd Regiment New Mexico Volunteer Infantry or 2nd New Mexico Regiment Infantry, was a volunteer regiment in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

, raised at Santa Fe, in the

Territory of New Mexico The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becoming ...

, during July and August 1861.Frederick H. Dyer, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, The Dyer Publishing Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 1908, p.1367
/ref> Its commander was Colonel Miguel E. Pino.
from nmahgp.genealogyvillage.com accessed February 9, 2017.

History

The 2nd New Mexico Infantry Regiment was the second of five regiments raised for the defense of New Mexico under the authority of

Department of New Mexico The Department of New Mexico was a Department (United States Army), department of the United States Army during the mid-19th century. It was created as the 9th Department, a geographical department, in 1848 following the successful conclusion of th ...

commander

Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate Gene ...

. Canby had succeeded to department command after his predecessor had resigned from the army and gone east to join the Confederacy, and immediately ordered the recruitment of companies that became the 1st and 2nd New Mexico Infantry. The men of the regiment were mainly

Nuevomexicanos The Hispanos of New Mexico, also known as Neomexicanos ( es, Neomexicano) or Nuevomexicanos, are Hispanic residents originating in the historical region of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, today the US state of New Mexico (''Nuevo México''), south ...

and enlisted for three years of service. Miguel Estanislado Pino, a wealthy farmer and politician from the Santa Fe area, was commissioned

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the regiment. The regiment was intended to concentrate at

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

and by early fall eight companies had been organized and mustered into service. The regiment, which had several incomplete companies, was still short 400 men. The regiment was attached to the

, serving on duty at

Fort Craig Fort Craig was a U.S. Army fort located along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, near Elephant Butte Lake State Park and the Rio Grande in Socorro County, New Mexico. The Fort Craig site was approximately 1,050 feet east-west by 600 feet north-so ...

, N. M., until February, 1862, when it was in action at the

Battle of Valverde The Battle of Valverde, also known as the Battle of Valverde Ford, was fought from February 20 to 21, 1862, near the town of Val Verde at a ford of the Rio Grande in Union-held New Mexico Territory, in what is today the state of New Mexico. It ...

on February 21, 1862. Lt. Col.

Manuel Antonio Chaves Manuel Antonio Chaves or Chávez (October 18, 1818? – January, 1889), known as ''El Leoncito'' (the little lion), was a soldier in the Mexican Army and then became a rancher who lived in New Mexico. His life was full of incident, and his courag ...

led a detachment of 2nd New Mexican Volunteers whose scouts had detected the Confederate supply train at Johnson's Ranch nearby during the

Battle of Glorieta Pass The Battle of Glorieta Pass (March 26–28, 1862) in the northern New Mexico Territory, was the decisive battle of the New Mexico campaign during the American Civil War. Dubbed the " Gettysburg of the West" by some authors (a term described ...

. Alerted by Chavez, Major John M. Chivington's command including Chavez, fell upon the train, defeated its guards and destroyed it, forcing the withdrawal of the Confederate Army from the battle to Santa Fe, where they began a long and dangerous march back into Texas. Following the defeat of the Confederates at Glorieta Pass, 2nd Regiment was part of the pursuit of the Confederate forces from April 13-22, wherein they fought in the Action at Peralta on April 15th, and at the action at Socorro on April 25th. Following that campaign the regiment had duty in the Central, Northern and Santa Fe Districts of the Department until May, when it was consolidated with the 1st New Mexico Infantry to form the 1st New Mexico Cavalry on May 31, 1862.

References

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Bibliography

* {{Cite book, last=Thompson, first=Jerry D., title=A Civil War History of the New Mexico Volunteers and Militia, publisher=University of New Mexico Press, year=2015, isbn=978-0-8263-5567-6, location=Albuquerque Units and formations of the Union Army from New Mexico Territory Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1862

History

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References

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Bibliography