Courtesy Photo | Officers and the sergeant major of 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. - Fort Carson Soldiers traveled to Fort Union, New Mexico, Nov. 3-4, 2014, to study history and gain insight into how operations were conducted during the Civil War battle of Glorieta Pass.
The staff ride allowed leaders of 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to walk the battlefield and learn about the about the course of the conflict.
“The main goal of this staff ride was to provide our officers with a free combat experience. By that I mean that they are able to study a battle and actually walk the ground to drive home the experiences of combat,” said Lt. Col Steven Barry, commander, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 4th Infantry Division.
During the tour of Fort Union, the Soldiers learned 1st Cavalry Regiment built and established Fort Union prior to the outbreak of the America Civil War. During the tour, Combat Studies Institute historians from Fort Leavenworth guided the squadron’s officers and sergeant major through the development of Fort Union as the key military installation on the western frontier.
Known as “The Gettysburg of the West,” the battle itself was fought along the Santa Fe Trail March 26-28, 1862, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the New Mexico Territory. The battle was a watershed moment during the Civil War; with the loss or control of the Inter-Mountain and Western territories, and the vast reserves of natural resources found within them at stake.
After seizing Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the Confederacy, Lt. Col. William “Dirty Shirt” Scurry, attacked through Glorieta Pass in an attempt to capture Fort Union and its supplies with four regiments of Texas Mounted Rifles.
Col. John P. Slough, commander of the 1st Colorado Volunteers and detachments of the 1st and 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiments, had orders to defend Fort Union while harassing or delaying Confederate forces marching from Santa Fe through the Glorieta Pass.
Both commanders had forces numbering approximately 1,200 Soldiers. Once the smoke cleared after three days of fierce, close-quarter fighting, the Union forces retained control of Fort Union while Confederate forces retreated following the destruction of their supply wagons by Union cavalry.
“It was a great experience to actually walk the battlefields and see the terrain that the soldiers had to deal with. It gave you a good understanding of what drove the decision making of some of the commanders and the overall outcome of the battle,” said 1st Lt. Ben Koenigsfeld, logistics officer, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 4th Infantry Division.
After the tour of Fort Union, the group moved on to the first initial point of contact between Union and Confederate forces at a site known as Apache Canyon.
“The Apache Canyon site has seen its share of modern day highways infringing on the historic battlefield. [But], Apache Canyon is a stark reminder of how important terrain and maximum reconnaissance are to the armies of the past and present,” said Capt. Todd Orges, assistant operations officer, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 4th Infantry Division.
At the Pecos National Historical Park and the Glorieta Battlefield, Soldiers walked the battlefield and discussed the battle from three tactically significant areas: Windmill Hill, Artillery Hill and Sharpshooter’s Ridge.
Historian Charles Collins of the Combat Studies Institute said the battle was unique in that, “small forces—approximately 1,200 Soldiers on each side had strategic consequences for the Union and Confederacy [gaining] control of the Western Territories.”
“It was an honor to facilitate the learning and applications for their [the officers] careers, and to share the National Park with them,” said Eric Valencia, park ranger of Pecos National Historical Park who aided the staff ride and provided information for multiple sites within the park.
The Soldiers on the staff ride said the experience helped them in their efforts to become better leaders.
“The squadron staff’s experience during the Glorieta Pass Staff Ride built teamwork, allowed us to reflect on our role in the profession of arms, and understand the character of warfare on the western frontier,” said Maj. Paul Olsen, executive officer, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st SBCT. “The study of warfare and war through the Glorieta Pass Staff Ride provided valuable lessons; enduring principles for contemporary conflict characterized by pervasive technology and compressed decision cycles.”
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2014 12:08 |
| Story ID: | 150741 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 258 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 2-1 CAV looks to past to improve future, by SFC Nancy Lugo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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