Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to the 99th episode of our Civil War podcast.

I'm Rich.

And I'm Tracy. Welcome to the podcast. In the last show, as y'all will recall, we talked about the skirmish at Apache Canyon and set the stage for the Battle of Gloria de Paz.

And so this week we'll pick back up with a story and look at the decisive battle of Cibli's New Mexico campaign.

The fighting in Gloria de Paz at Apache Canyon on March 26th, 1862, was between about 400 Texans led by Major Charles Pyron and around 420 Federals commanded by Major John M. Chivington.

Several days earlier, Pyron's detachment had advanced eastward from the territorial capital of Santa Fe on a collision course with a strong enemy force marching from Fort Union.

That force, made up of Colorado volunteers, regular infantry and cavalry and two batteries of artillery, about 1,300 men and all, was under the command of Colonel John P. Slough, a 33-year-old Denver lawyer.

Slough had halted his column east of Gloria de Paz, and on March 25th he sent the detachment led by Chivington on ahead.

Chivington had four companies of the first Colorado, a company of the 3rd US cavalry and a detachment of the first US cavalry.

It was this force that tangled with Pyron's Texans at Apache Canyon on the 26th.

The Texans came out the worst in the fighting at Apache Canyon. By the time Dartmouth brought an into the action, the Confederates had lost 4 killed and 20 wounded, as well as 71 captured.

Five Federals were killed and 14 wounded. After the fighting was over, Pyron's men retreated through Apache Canyon to their camp at Johnson's Ranch, at the western end of Gloria de Paz, where they awaited the arrival of reinforcements.

Pyron had sent a messenger to Colonel William Dirty Shirt Scurry, who was about 15 miles away with the 4th Texas and part of the 7th Texas.

After receiving Pyron's message, Scurry set out at once, setting out on a forced march through the night, and he reached Johnson's Ranch early on the morning of March 27th.

Scurry assumed command and established a defensive position covering the narrow entrance to Apache Canyon, where the Confederates, numbering about a thousand men now, waited all through the day on the 27th and the belief that the Federals would renew their attack.

But the enemy never appeared. After withdrawing from Apache Canyon, Chibingtons' men had withdrawn to Pigeons Ranch, and they were buried there few dead, and in nearby field, and set up a makeshift field hospital for the wounded.

After 300 reinforcements from the main column showed up, Chibington realized the water supply at Pigeons was inadequate for the number of men he now had on hand.

So he pulled back to Kuzlevsky's Ranch near the eastern entrance to Gloria de Passe, where a spring ensured there was ample water.

At Kuzlevsky's at about 11 a.m. on the 27th, slow and the rest of the Federals joined him.

Receiving word from Scouts that the Confederates at Johnson's Ranch had been reinforced and intended to move up Gloria de Passe, slow devised a scheme to trap the Texans in the Passe.

He divided his force into two detachments, each of them smaller than enemy's force.

At dawn on Friday the 28th, Chibington left camp on a flank march that were allowing to get in the rear of the Confederate force as it moved up Gloria de Passe.

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