The role of Fort Union in developing New Mexico’s trade was building a fort called Fort Union, in 1851, Colonel Sumner decided to select a site. Fort Union was to be the one focus for a line of communication between the areas over towards Missouri and all of New Mexico. He was to establish a fort that would command all of the other forts to be built in New Mexico. It was the central core of the military operations in New Mexico. So eventually, Fort Union became a site that offered a good place for travelers to stop. There was forage for their animals. They could turn out their animals, and get them well fed on grass. Colonel Sumner very carefully chose the site for good grass, good water, good defenses which served them well. The people who were stationed at Fort Union very often would go into Santa Fe before they moved it. The local people weren't very happy about having Fort Union so close by. So in 1852, Fort Union was moved. There were, in fact, I think three different Fort Unions.
Fort Union's involvement in the Civil War was that it was the hub for supply delivery for all New Mexican forts by way of the Santa Fe Trail. This does become an important point when we consider what happened during the Civil War. The men that worked at Fort Union and that took the supplies and put them out to other forts in New Mexico, these are the same men that were very active in the Civil War.
1. Edwin Sumner
Colonel Sumner was the one who first set out to us to establish Fort Union. And he was also the one that would clean up the mess that was left behind when the rowdy soldiers would go into Santa Fe. He was the one who moved Fort Union. But two years later, he was dismissed for his methods. He was a very stern man. He ruled with an iron fist. And he kept his men in order and kept them in line. But sometimes people thought that he used his authority a little bit too much.
2. Major Sibley
Major Sibley helped to construct the fort. And he developed other forts and the depots. Sibley became very instrumental. It was Sibley's job to bring in supplies that came from the east, and decide which fort would get which supplies. Where would the ammunition go? Where would the extra food go? He designed the whole layout of New Mexico, and which supplies would be kept where. A very important role, because Sibley was the man who led the Confederate troops to march on New Mexico during the Civil War. That means he knew where everything was. That gave him an advantage.
3. Edward Canby
During the 1850's, when these guys were first at Fort Union, Colonel Canby was a friend of Major Sibley. And Canby, during the Civil War, defended Fort Union against Major Sibley. And in fact, he defended all of New Mexico against Sibley. These two men, who had once been friends a decade before the Civil War. Major Carleton was also at Fort Union during the 1850s, and was friends with Sibley, Sumner, and Canby. Major Carleton at Fort Union, during the Civil War, was ordered to retake all the New Mexican forts from Sibley. Canby urged the Army to protect Fort Union. And he sent out his soldiers to go and attack Sibley. And he wanted them also to destroy all the enemy property, and to just harass the enemy as much as possible, to give Sibley a real hard time. But when one of them got wounded or sick, whether they were Confederates or whether they were the New Mexican volunteers, they were pretty much left right where they were. He chased Sibley down the Rio Grande to Albuquerque. Now, Canby and Sibley had been friends. So after some skirmishes with one set of troops on one side of the river and one set on the other side, Canby allowed Sibley to escape. So Sibley and his Texas Rangers scooted on back to Texas. And that was pretty much the end of that. And then, Canby set up an expedition to make sure that the supply trains were protected, so that New Mexico continued to get its supplies.
4. James Carleton
James Carleton had been at Fort Union since the early 1850s. During the Civil War, Carleton had been sent back to California. On his way back, he marched his men, his 2,300 men, back across the desert. And it was a very, very long march. The men were wearing heavy woolen clothes, marching in the desert. It was one of the most grueling marches ever. But this gave us a little bit of a glimpse into Carleton's personality. Along the way, he created five new forts to fight the Indians and the Indian attacks had increased during the Civil War. This is when he began his planning for his punitive expedition. He wanted to punish the Indians. And this is what led up to the Long Walk.
