The bodies of several Civil War soldiers were found in a New Mexico backyard

At the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass in North New Mexico, Union volunteers from Colorado clashed with Confederate Texans trying to take over New Mexico. The battle is referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West" by many historians. The battle occurred from March 26-28, 1862. Which ended in a Confederate retreat to Texas.

Glorieta Pass is considered to be a great turning point in the Civil War. It shattered the western dreams of the Confederate States of America.

The United States designated the Glorieta Pass Battlefield as a National Battlefield. Administration of the site is carried out by the Pecos National Historical Park. The battlefield is located off I-25 about 25 miles southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

CSA and Union Soldiers from the Battle of Glorieta Pass, Santa Fe National CemeteryPhoto byColorado Martini

The Story Behind the Bodies

The three-day battle in March 1862 was the Confederates’ last chance to gain control of the New Mexico territory. 1,300 Union Army soldiers were made up of mostly Colorado volunteers. Where the Confederates soldiers numbered 1,100 Texas volunteers.

Thirty-eight Union soldiers and thirty-six Confederate soldiers were killed during the three-day battle. With about an equal number of wounded and captured reported on both sides. For over 125 years, efforts had been made to find the burial sites of both the Confederate and Union soldiers. The battlefield itself is a patchwork of public and private lands.

In the late 1980s, skeletal remains were discovered near the battlefield site. The bones were found on privately owned land along New Mexico Highway 50. The private land and home were being prepared for a new foundation and basement. During the construction project, a mass grave and one adjacent burial site was found. The mass grave contained 30 Confederate soldiers.

Confederate Major John Samuel ShropshirePhoto byFind-a-grave, Public Domain

The single grave site was Confederate Major John Samuel Shropshire. Shropshire died in the battle engagement called Artillery Hill. Which is located across the street from the grave location. Shropshire, who was only 28 when he suffered a head wound and possibly a body wound. On August 5, 1990, Major Shropshire's remains were reinterred at his place of birth at the Shropshire Valley Forge Farm, Centerville, Bourbon County, Kentucky. He now lies at rest alongside his parents.

Did you know that a pointed Civil War headstone is a CSA Soldier and Union is rounded? Let us know in the comments.

The other grave contained the remains of 30 skeletons. These soldiers were most likely buried just before the Confederates retreated to Texas. The soldiers in the mass grave had wounds to the head and chest, along with several shattered bones. Those that were wounded in the stomach or pelvic area most likely died slow deaths. One soldier was killed by artillery shrapnel.

Thomas Cater a CSA soldier buried at Santa Fe National CemeteryPhoto byColorado Martini

When Archeologists arrived at the scene, they found the bodies were wrapped in blankets. Each skeleton was side-by-side in two layers in a 20-foot long and only three feet deep burial trench. The skeletons were identified by the uniforms, personal effects, and ammunition. The remaining five missing bodies have not been located to my knowledge.

Santa Fe National Cemetery Civil War section.Photo byColorado Martini

Most Confederate soldiers were reinterred in separate graves in the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM. There was an attempt to contact living family descendants to arrange burial in Santa Fe or somewhere else.

Do you think they should have moved the bodies to Santa National Cemetery? Let us know in the comments.

The Confederate and Union soldiers can be found in several rows at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe with a memorial listing the names of the known. There are several unknown soldiers from both sides buried here. It is worth a visit to pay your respects to both sides. The video below directs you to the gravesites and battlefield.

Did you know about this battle? Let us know in the comments.

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References

• John Shropshire Gravesite
• New Mexico Archaeology Organization