The Civil War in the territory of New Mexcio culminated in the Battle of Glorieta Pass, which took place near Santa Fe on March 28, 1862. The battle, although almost fogotten today, is important because it deprived the Confederacy of four potential advantages which could have altered the War Between the States.
A Confederate victory at Glorieta Pass would have meant not only the addition of New Mexico to the Confederacy, but would also have opened the way for the Confederate conquest of the American West, including Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. Arizona was already under Confederate control. The addition of this territory would have more than doubled the size of the Confederacy, and assured it sufficient area for national settlement, economic development, and the expansion and strengthening of slavery.
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