Far Western Theater of Operation

[muddymonkey77]

[SIZE="4"][color="Red"]ARIZONA[/color][/size]

[color="Blue"]6 March 1862. Capture of Captain McCleave[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Captain William McCleave

Units:

8 Men of the California Column

Confederate Forces:

Commander:

Captain Sherrod Hunter

Units:

40 Men of The Arizona Volunteers

Captain McCleave was sent out to meet up with friendly Indians and a white trader named Ammi White who owned a flower mill and trading post among the Pima and Maricopa Indian villages along the Gila River, south of present-day Phoenix. Captain McCleave was to set up a supply depot for the advancing army there. The Confederates arrived before the Union troops and seized 1500lbs of flour and captured Ammi White. When the Union Troops arrived, Captain Hunter pretended to be Mr. White and captured the Union Soldiers. The prisoners were sent to Tuscon.


[color="Blue"]30 March 1862. Battle of Stanwix Station[/color]

Union Forces :

Commander :

Captain William P. Calloway

Units :

272 Men of the California Column


Confederate Forces:

Commander:

2nd Lt. John W. Swilling

Units:

Detachment The Arizona Volunteers

The battle was the Western most engagement of Union and Cofederate forces during the Civil War. The battle began when the Union Troops discovered the Confederates burning the hay supplies at Stanwix Station. The Union forces greatly outnumbered the Confederates and a fire fight began. The Union Troops were able to drive off the Confederates, who retreated to Tuscon (Confederate Capital of Arizona). One Union Soldier was wounded but soon recovered. (Pvt. William Semmilrogge) The burning of the Union supplies slowed up the Union advance on New Mexico and gave the Confederates under Captain Sherrod Hunter (Military Commander of Western Arizona) time to prepare a defense.



[color="Blue"]April 15, 1862. Battle of Picacho Pass[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Lieutenant James Barrett

Units:

20 Troopers, 1st California Cavalry, California Column



Confederate Forces:

Units:

10 Soldiers The Arizona Volunteers

The Union Troopers were sweeping Picacho Pass in advance of the main column. The Union Troopers surprised and captured 3 Confederate picketts, but missed the other 7. The remaining Confederates took cover in a thicket and opened fire. Lt. Barrett, who was ordered not to engage the enemy, ordered a cavalry charge on the Confederate position. LT. Barrett and 2 Cavalry Troopers were killed, 3 wounded. After 90 min. of fighting both sides retreated. Confederates had 3 captured and 3 possibly wounded and retreated to Tuscon.


[color="Blue"]May 1st, 1862. Cpt McCleave & Union prisoners released.

May 4th, 1862. Confederates Abandon Tuscon to Union.[/color]

Captain Sherrod Hunter abandons Tuscon and Arizona territory to the California Column. He retreats to join up with the retreating Army of New Mexico.

[color="Blue"]June 8th, 1862. [/color]

Colonel James Henry Carleton (USA) Becomes Brigadier General and imposes martial law in Arizona. Rounds up 37 Confederates and sends them to Fort Yuma.

Units:

California Column (US)

37 men Tuscon Militia (CSA)

[color="Blue"]July 15-July 16, 1862 Battle of Apache Pass[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Col. James H. Carleton

Units:

140 men of the California Column

Apache Forces:

Commander:

Cochise & Mangas Coloradas

Units:

500 Apache Warriors

On July 15, the vanguard of the California Column was ambushed by the Apaches at Apache pass. The battle was a stalemate until the US troops were able to bring up a Howitzer and engage the Apaches. The result of the battle was 9 Apaches killed and 2 US Soldiers killed, and 3 Wounded. The 5th California Built a Fort on the site to protect settlers using the pass against Apache attacks. The Fort was named Fort Bowie after the Commander of the 5th California.


The California Column:

Colonel James Henry Carleton raises California Column. 2,350 California Volunteers. December 1861. Occupy Fort Yuma January 1862 for training.
1st California Infantry, Col. James Henry Carleton & Major Edwin A.Riggs
5th California Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel George W. Bowie
1st California Cavalry, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Davis
2nd California Cavalry
3rd US Artillery, Light Battery A


Colonel James Henry Carleton

[muddymonkey77]

[color="Red"][SIZE="4"]The Dakota War[/size][/color]

[color="Blue"]August 17, 1862. Santee Sioux Uprising in Minnesota.[/color]

[color="Blue"]August 18, 1862. Attack on Lower Sioux Agency.[/color]

Sioux Forces:

Commander:

Little Crow

20 Settlers and Agents are killed, 10 captured and 47 Escape. Most of the Agency is burned.

[color="Blue"]August 18, 1862. Battle of Redwood Ferry.[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Captain John S. Marsh

Units:

46 Men 5th Minnesota Infantry, Company B

Sioux Forces:

Unknown

The Soldiers of the 5th Minnesota were marching out to put down the uprising after hearing about the attack on the Sioux Agency. They were ambushed from both sides of the river when they began to board the Redwood Ferry. When the Soldiers ran out of ammunition, Cpt. Marsh ordered them to swim to safety. Cpt Marsh and many of his men drowned while a some were also shot to death by the Sioux. 24 US Soldiers died and 5 more were wounded.
[color="Blue"]
August 19, 1862. Sioux Raid on New Ulm.[/color]

100 Sioux attack New Ulm killing 6 settlers. Citizens of the town organized a defense in the town center and drove back the Sioux.

[color="Blue"]August 20-22, 1862. Battle of Fort Ridgely[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

1st Lt. Timothy J. Sheehan - Fort Commander
Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere - 5th Minnesota Infantry
Major Galbraith - Gilbraith's Volunteers "The Renville Rangers"

Units:

5th Minnesota Infantry
Gilbraith's Volunteers "The Renville Rangers"
6 Artillery Pieces (6, 12, 24 pounders)
250 Civilians

Sioux Forces:

Little Crow and 800 Warriors

After the Death of the Fort Commander, Captain Marsh and his men, the Sioux attacked the Fort. The Sioux were held off by grapeshot fired from the Fort's cannons. They tried to set the fort on fire but were driven off.


[color="Blue"]August 23, 1862. Second Battle of New Ulm[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Col. Charles Eugene Flandrau

Units:

300 Men Minnesota Militia

Sioux Forces:

650 Sioux Warriors

Indians surrounded the town but were held at bay by the troops under Col. Flandreu. Captain William B. Dodd, second in command, was killed in a sortie against the Indians. In all 34 Soldiers were killed during the battle. The town was abandoned on the 25th and set ablaze.


[color="Blue"]September 2, 1862. Battle of Birch Coulee.[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley- Overall Commander
Major Joseph R. Brown
Captain Hiram P. Grant
Colonel McPhail - Relief Force

Units:

170 men Fort Ridgely Garrison (Infantry & Cavalry)
240 men Ridgely Garrison (Relief Force)
Sibley's Column Infantry and Artillery from Fort Ridgely

Sioux:

Gray Bird, Red Legs, Big Eagle, and Mankato with 200 Warriors

Col. Sibley took command of the US forces to put down the Sioux uprising. He dispatched a column out of Ft. Ridgely, commanded by Maj. Brown, to find any survivors and bury the dead settlers. After finding and burying 54 settlers and not seeing any signs of Indians, the Column set up camp at Birch Coulee. During the night the Sioux warriors crept up to the camp and launced an ambush on the column in the morning. Hearing the battle from Ft. Ridgely, Sibley sent a relief column under Col. McPhail to assist the original column. Col. McPhial then sent back for more help. Col. Sibley then left Fort Ridgely with a second relief column that contained artillery. After a 32 hours of fighting Sibley was able to reach Brown's troops. The US suffered 17 killed and 47 wounded.

[color="Blue"]September 23, 1862. Battle of Wood Lake.[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley
Colonel Charles Eugene Flandrau

Units:

1619 men District of Minnesota Army

Sioux:

Little Crow
Mankato - Killed
700 - 1200 Sioux Warriors

The battle began when soldiers from the 3rd Minnesota Infantry were ambused while foraging for food. This brought the entire force from the camp to engage the Sioux. There was a 2 hour battle in which Chief Mankato was killed by a cannon ball. Many Sioux were killed. The US suffered 40 casualties. This decisive battle shattered the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota. Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley was promoted to Bigadier General.


[color="Blue"]July 24-25, 1863. Battle of Big Mound.[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Brig. Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley

Units:

3000 men District of Minnesota Army


Sioux Forces:

Chief Inkpaduta
Santee and Teton Sioux

After driving the Santee Sioux out of Minnesota, they went to join up with the Teton Sioux in the Dakota Territory. Gen. Sibley began his pursuit. The battle began when a group of Indians entered Sibley's camp for what appeared to be peaceful reasons. However, they quickly killed the Surgeon of the 1st Minnesota Cavalry and that is when the ambush began. Sibley gathered his forces and drove the Indians from their position killing at least 13.

[color="Blue"]July 26, 1863. Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake.[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Brig. Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley

Units:

3000 men District of Minnesota Army

Sioux:

Chief Inkpaduta
Santee and Teton Sioux

Another small skirmish between Sibley's Army and the Sioux. After a bit of fighting, the Sioux were once again driven off and the US Troops continued their pursuit.

[color="Blue"]July 28, 1863. Battle of Stony Lake.[/color]

Union Forces:

Commander:

Brig. Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley

Units:

3000 men District of Minnesota Army

Sioux:

Chief Inkpaduta
Santee and Teton Sioux

The final battle between Sibley's Army and the Sioux. The Sioux advanced on Sibley's troops trying to probe them for a weakness. They were driven off and quickly fled.

Sibley's Army of the District of Minnesota:

1st Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry "Mounted Rangers"
3rd Minnesota Infantry
4th Minnesota Infantry
5th Minnesota Infantry
6th Minnesota Infantry
7th Minnesota Infantry
Minnesota Militias
Artillery


Brigadier General Henry Hastings Sibley