brig. gen. kirby smith led the confederate force that captured fort fillmore.
brig. gen. kirby smith led the confederate force that captured fort fillmore.
who led the confederate force that captured fort fillmore?
brig. gen. kirby smith
the confederacy regarded the territory as a valuable route for possible access to the pacific ocean, with the specific intention of capturing california. in july 1861, a small confederate force of texans under the command of lieutenant colonel john r. baylor assaulted fort fillmore at mesilla in the eastern part of the territory. after the fort was abandoned by the union garrison, baylor's force cut off the fleeing union troops and forced them to surrender. on august 1, baylor issued a "proclamation to the people of the territory of arizona", taking possession of the territory for the confederacy, with mesilla as the capital and himself as the governor. baylor's subsequent dismantling of the existing union forts in the territory left the white settlers at the mercy of the apache, who quickly gained control of the area and forced many of the white settlers to seek refuge in tucson.
arizona territory
two days after the union's unsuccessful attack on confederate soldiers under the command of lt. col. john baylor at the first battle of mesilla on july 25, 1861, fort fillmore was set afire and abandoned by the union army. as they retreated back to fort stanton under major isaac lynde, they became desperately thirsty and exhausted. when 300 confederate soldiers approached the 500 retreating union soldiers, lynde surrendered his demoralized troops without firing a shot.









































on august 7, 1862, federal troops near fort fillmore engaged in a skirmish with confederate troops retreating from santa fe, defeating them.
fort fillmore