Union troops from California fought against the Confederate forces across the Southwest at Picacho Pass, 15 April 1862, about 50 miles north of Tucson
People usually visualize blue and gray armies battling when they think of the great American civil War, which was fought between the North and South war far away from the Grand Canyon and the desert in the Southwest, past the Texas but not in Arizona.
Because Arizona was not even a state in the 1860s, it was just a part of the New Mexico Territory and became a state after more than 50 years of the war.
So are there any ties to the Civil War and did any battle took place in Arizona? The simple answer is yes.
Robert Young, Picacho Peak State Park’s manager said that Arizona does not have much tie with the Civil War, but Arizona does have a history of its own, for the battle which took place at Picacho Pass. There were three different battles that took place, two of them were fought in New Mexico and the one was fought in Picacho Peak.
The area which is around Picacho peak, the Picturesque stretch of land that is about 50 miles north of Tucson punctuated by craggy volcanic rock outcrops and lush desert along, what is now called Interstate-10.
Picturesque stretch served as a popular route for the miners and missionaries who were heading west to California, which later became a state in 1850.
In an attempt to create a coast to coast presence for the souths, the Confederate troops marched west through New Mexico and in 1862 Captain Sherod Hunter set up a camp in Tucson.
The Union troops, which was led by Letuient James Barret claimed Fort Yuma which is on the California-Arizona border and they planned to engage the Confederate troops at Tucson.
13 Union troops and 13 Confederate troops fought a battle in April 1862 at Picacho Pass, two months after they claimed Fort Yuma, the battle was fought for nearly an hour where Barrett and two other Union soldiers were killed and three Confederate troops were captured.
Both the groups retreated and after a month Union troops from California returned and took Tucson without an incident.
The event at Picacho Pass was “the westernmost battle of the Civil War, Young says.
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