— Ch. 1 · Territorial Origins And Division —
New Mexico Territory in the American Civil War.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The New Mexico Territory organized itself in 1850, covering lands that now form the states of New Mexico and Arizona. For years, its boundaries remained undefined while settlers argued over governance. A conference convened in Tucson on the 29th of August 1856, issued a petition signed by 256 people to Congress. They elected Nathan P. Cooke as their territorial delegate to push for separation from Santa Fe. The proposal failed because Congress deemed the population too small for statehood. Another attempt in January 1857 also died in the House of Representatives. By February 1858, the territorial legislature adopted a resolution favoring division along the 109th meridian. This plan included removing all Indians to northern Arizona. Impatient delegates met again in April 1860 at Tucson to draft a constitution south of 34 degrees north latitude. They chose Dr. Lewis S. Owings as provisional governor. Congress refused to recognize these conventions due to low population numbers. On the 2nd of March 1861, the U.S. government revoked a contract with the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Company. This cut off mail delivery from San Antonio through El Paso to California. Settlers in the Arizona region felt abandoned just as southern states began seceding.
Political Allegiances And Secession
Many New Mexicans felt apathetic toward the secession crisis following annexation from Mexico after the Mexican-American War. Their distinct Hispanic ethnicity and cultural identity created alienation from Texans who had recently joined the Confederacy. In early 1861, Texans overwhelmingly voted to leave the Union. Consequently, much of the New Mexico Territory sided with the Union despite some settlers joining the Confederate States of America. The more populous northern section maintained strong ties to Northern trade via the Santa Fe Trail connecting Kansas and Missouri. A convention held at Mesilla on the 16th of March 1861 adopted an ordinance of secession. It called citizens of western territory to join their movement. Another convention convened in Tucson on March 28 under chair Mark Aldrich. This body ratified the Mesilla meeting and elected Dr. Lewis S. Owings as governor. Granville Henderson Oury became the first delegate to the Confederate States Congress. He immediately petitioned for admission while traveling to Richmond, Virginia on the 1st of October 1861. Delegate Oury did not initially sit in Congress but met President Jefferson Davis. Texas Congressman John Reagan introduced a bill on the 22nd of November 1861 to create Arizona Territory officially. Legislation passed on the 13th of January 1862 and was proclaimed by President Davis on February 14. Meanwhile, Abraham Rencher served as territorial governor until July 1861 when Henry Connelly took over. Connelly repealed slavery laws and moved Indian tribes onto reservations.