Thursday, March 28, 2013

Picacho Peak

When I think of the Civil War I think of Georgia and South Carolina. I think of Fort Sumter. I think of Atlanta and "Gone With the Wind". When I think of the Civil War I don't think of Arizona!

 Source

However, April 15, 1862 marked the date of the westernmost conflict in the Civil War with the battle of Pichacho Pass. In my opinion the term 'battle' seem a bit grand, as the conflict involved only 10 Confederate cavalry attacked by 13 Union cavalry. The skirmish was mismanaged by the Union leader, James Barrett, and after an hour of shooting, with losses on both sides, (including Barrett himself) the remaining Union soldiers withdrew. 

We were fortunate to be in the area of Pichacho Peak for a reenactment of the battle. Reenactment? Well, not really. But the men had fun pretending to fight and the spectators, including myself, enjoyed the day in the Arizona sun. 

As I sat with Picacho Peak at my back, I could see the Confederate soldiers forming ranks in the field. In the real skirmish, the men were all mounted. No horses here, sadly! 


The Union forces advance with far more men than were involved in the original conflict. 




Cannons fire back and forth as the ranks engage each other in combat, taking shots at each other from the brush. The announcer explained that unlike real soldiers in the war, these soldiers would not die, at least not until their powder ran out. And, furthermore, with the investment made in purchasing the authentic clothing, most would not fall to the ground!


Following 'the battle' we wandered through the encampment.  Most of the reenactors camped out for the weekend and one could occasionally glimpse a concession to modern times when blowing tent flaps revealed inflated mattresses or comfy cots. We strolled through at lunch time. Some groups remained true to the times, dining on cold sausage and large chunk of cheese on tin or wooden plates. Others enjoyed another concession to modern times, purchasing burgers and chips from the concession stand. (So, is that how we got that word?!!)


Many individuals and groups displayed various antiquities. A woman was spinning brown cotton, and explained the differences between types of cotton; white, green and brown. Did you know that there was something besides white cotton?!
Antique fire arms were exhibited, including this Gatling gun. This particular model had a 'stick cartridge', the long, black rectangle on top, which held about 20 rounds of ammunition. More cartridges are stored in the box next to the gun. 


Medical equipment of the day was displayed and a 'Doctor' shared the gory details of field surgery. One fellow rather enjoyed remaining in character as he looked for medical help!



6 comments:

  1. I also seem to recall a story of a wagon full of gold that was hidden somewhere in Picacho Peak that everyone is still looking for.
    Of course there are many different versions of the story as well.

    Did you know that the word Picacho actually means "peak"? So the name of the landmark is really "peak peak" LOL

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice that they are bringing in a bit of history to the area for kids who might not have a chance to visit a re-enactment site in a far off state...otherwise 10 vs 13? yes there were deaths, but it seems like more a posse chasing after a gang then a typical military battle...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Dreaming! I enjoyed this post very much! When I saw its title, I was thinking
    Pikachu, a Pokémon character! I'm a terrible speller and am constantly checking words! I had never heard of this site or battle, and I love to learn new things! Loved your concession joke! You're getting closer to home, I see. Travel on safely!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really loving your travels. Was so excited to see you on 7msnranchs blog this morning!! So much fun. I love that part of the country a lot. So much we are thinking of retiring there. Great pictures and information!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site unintentionally, and I am surprised
    why this twist of fate did not happened in advance!
    I bookmarked it.

    Also visit my blog :: Wikipedia Reference

    ReplyDelete
  6. You're getting pretty close to home sweet home!

    ReplyDelete

What thoughts do you have?

I knew I Could - Vickie's A-musings

Hi, I'm Vickie, and I just had some great fun! I earned 4 ribbons!! Sweet! Me with two of. my 4 ribbons I just knowed I could do it. I&#...