Glorieta Pass Battlefield
Encyclopedia
Glorieta Pass Battlefield, also known as Glorieta Pass, was the site of a decisive American Civil War
battle that ended Confederate ambitions to cut off the West from the Union. The Battle of Glorieta Pass
took place on March 26-28, 1862.
The battlefield area consists of two sites, a 294 acres (1.2 km²) parcel and a 150 acre (0.607029 km²) parcel.
The battlefield was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1961.
Parts of the battlefield are preserved in Pecos National Historical Park
.
Of the roughly 10,500 actions of the U.S. Civil War, 384 (3.7%) were identified by the Commission as principal battles and rated according to their significance and threat of loss. The Battle of Glorietta Pass received the highest rating from the Commission - Priority I (Class A). Class A battlefields are principal strategic operations having a direct impact on the course of the war. With this rating the Commission placed Glorietta Pass on the same level with battles such as Gettysburg
and Antietam
. The Priority I rating identified Glorietta Pass as being not only one of the most important, but also one of the most highly endangered battlefields in the country. Only 10 other battlefields received the Priority I (Class A) rating. The Commission recommended that Congress focus its preservation efforts on Priority I, nationally significant battlefields.
Since 1993 portions of the Glorietta Pass battlefield have become a unit of the National Park Service. The Glorietta Pass unit (Pigeon’s Ranch) comprises roughly 20% of the total battlefield. The remaining 80% is in private ownership. Glorietta Pass Battlefield is managed by Pecos National Historical Park
and supported by the Glorietta Battlefield Coalition, a non-profit citizens' organization.http://glorietapass.org/
It is located about 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Santa Fe on U.S. 84-85.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battle that ended Confederate ambitions to cut off the West from the Union. The Battle of Glorieta Pass
Battle of Glorieta Pass
The Battle of Glorieta Pass, fought from March 26 to 28, 1862 in northern New Mexico Territory, was the decisive battle of the New Mexico Campaign during the American Civil War. Dubbed the "Gettysburg of the West" by some historians, it was intended as the killer blow by Confederate forces to break...
took place on March 26-28, 1862.
The battlefield area consists of two sites, a 294 acres (1.2 km²) parcel and a 150 acre (0.607029 km²) parcel.
The battlefield was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1961.
Parts of the battlefield are preserved in Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located about east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The site was originally designated Pecos National Monument on June 28, 1965. In 1990 new lands were added to the park and the official designation was...
.
Battlefield Preservation
In 1993, the Congressionally appointed Civil War Sites Advisory Commission issued its "Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields."http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/cwsac/cws0-1.html The Commission was tasked with identify the nation’s historically significant Civil War sites, determining their importance, and providing recommendations for their preservation to Congress.Of the roughly 10,500 actions of the U.S. Civil War, 384 (3.7%) were identified by the Commission as principal battles and rated according to their significance and threat of loss. The Battle of Glorietta Pass received the highest rating from the Commission - Priority I (Class A). Class A battlefields are principal strategic operations having a direct impact on the course of the war. With this rating the Commission placed Glorietta Pass on the same level with battles such as Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
and Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. The Priority I rating identified Glorietta Pass as being not only one of the most important, but also one of the most highly endangered battlefields in the country. Only 10 other battlefields received the Priority I (Class A) rating. The Commission recommended that Congress focus its preservation efforts on Priority I, nationally significant battlefields.
Since 1993 portions of the Glorietta Pass battlefield have become a unit of the National Park Service. The Glorietta Pass unit (Pigeon’s Ranch) comprises roughly 20% of the total battlefield. The remaining 80% is in private ownership. Glorietta Pass Battlefield is managed by Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located about east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The site was originally designated Pecos National Monument on June 28, 1965. In 1990 new lands were added to the park and the official designation was...
and supported by the Glorietta Battlefield Coalition, a non-profit citizens' organization.http://glorietapass.org/
It is located about 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Santa Fe on U.S. 84-85.
External links
- Glorieta Battlefield Coalition, a non-profit organization to protect the battlefield