NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – 2025 marks the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Glorieta Pass, a famous Civil War battle that took place in New Mexico. Celebrity Historian Raffi Andonian speaks on the battle.
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Andonian says the three-day battle went back and forth with confederate soldiers being pushed back on day one, then on day three they actually pushed union soldiers off the battlefield. He says a group of union soldiers divided and cut off a supply line, which forced the confederate soldiers to fall back and end the New Mexico campaign. After the battle, most of the southwest was controlled by the union. Andonian says this was important because it prevented the confederate army from expanding to the west coast and kept them from taking control of the gold in Colorado and California.