Henry Hopkins Sibley - Civil War

Civil War

Sibley resigned from the US Army, as he sided with the Confederacy. Prior to his role in the western theater, he commanded forces under General Richard Taylor about Bayou Teche in south Louisiana. The historian John D. Winters reports that he blundered on several occasions, not striking when instructed, during the first phase of the war.

Sibley had intended his New Mexico Campaign to capture the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe and Fort Union on the Santa Fe Trail in order to resupply. He then intended to continue north to Colorado to capture the numerous gold and silver mines in the area as a means of replenishing the badly depleted Confederate treasury. From there Sibley planned to join forces with Confederate Lieut. John R. Baylor, already in control of most of the New Mexico and Arizona territories and headquartered in Tucson, AZ. Their ultimate strategy was to gain access to the warm water ports of California and establish a badly needed supply line to the South, as the Union Navy had implemented a naval blockade from Virginia to Texas.

Throughout the New Mexico Campaign, his opponent was Colonel Edward Canby, formerly a comrade in arms in the U.S. Army. Some historians have said he was Sibley's brother in law. Sibley was initially successful at the Battle of Valverde, but he was forced to retreat after the Battle of Glorieta Pass when his supply train was attacked and destroyed by Union forces. This was called the "Gettysburg of the West". At the same time, he had to deal with Union forces approaching from the west, the California Column. Sibley's retreat to San Antonio, Texas in 1862 ended the hopes of the Confederate nation to stretch to the Pacific Ocean and use the mineral wealth of California.

After the failure of his New Mexico Campaign, Sibley was given minor commands. He commanded the "Arizona Brigade" at the battles of Irish Bend and Fort Bisland. Struggling with alcoholism, in 1863 he was court martialed in Louisiana. Although not convicted of cowardice, he was censured.