killed or disabled, was taken by the enemy. Captain McRae and LieutenantMishler were both killed at the guns. The Confederate charge was made onfoot, and was led by the gallant Major S. A. Lockridge, of Colonel Green’s 5thRegiment, who was the foremost to reach the battery. As he approached thebattery Captain McRae was standing at one of the guns, with his left handupon the knob of the cascabel. Lockridge placed his left hand upon the muzzleof the same piece and demanded McRae’s surrender. Both raised their revolv-ers, which were not more than three feet apart, and fired together, and bothdropped dead in their tracks. After the enemy reached the battery, therewas a short hand-to-hand fight, in which revolvers, clubbed rifles, and spongestaffs were used, but the support soon fell back and crossed the river in retreat.A panic now ensued among the New Mexicans, but the regulars and theColorado Volunteers were all withdrawn across the river in comparativelygood order. The captured guns of McRae’s battery were manned by the Con-federates, turned to the rear, and assisted in producing the disorder that ensued.Canby retreated to the adobe walls of Fort Craig, having sustained a losson the field of 3 officers and 65 men killed, 3 officers and 157 men wounded,and 1 officer and 34 men prisoners. The enemy’s loss was about 40 killed and200 wounded. In will be observed that while Colonel Roberts was in com-mand of the Union troops everything was moving in their favor, but whenCanby assumed command the tide of battle turned, until finally the Unionforces were beaten and in retreat. It was the almost unanimous opinion ofthe officers engaged at Valverde, that if Canby had remained at Fort Craigon that day the Confederates would have commenced their retreat at thattime for San Antonio, Texas .
After remaining two days at Valverde, to bury the dead and give neededrest to his men, Sibley moved up the river to Albuquerque , leaving hissick and wounded at Socorro. Sibley found, upon his arrival at Albu-querque, that Captain Herbert M. Enos, assistant-quartermaster, U. S. A. ,who was in command there, had destroyed the larger part of the Governmentstores at that place and had retreated with his command toward Santa Fe .On the 4tli of March, Major J. L. Donaldson, quartermaster, U. S. A. , com-manding at Santa Fe , destroyed the Government stores at that place, andretreated with his command to Fort Union. The enemy soon after occupiedSanta Fe .
In the first week in March, 1862, Colonel John P. Slough , commandingthe 1st Regiment Colorado Volunteers, arrived at Fort Union, having madesome extraordinary marches, and relieved Colonel G. R. Paul, 4th RegimentNew Mexico Volunteers, of the command of the Northern District of NewMexico . Colonel Slough, who was a thorough fighting-man, proceeded toform a command, composed of his own regiment, with what regulars andNew Mexico Volunteers he found at Fort Union, for the purpose of operatingagainst the Confederates, whose next movement was supposed to be towardFort Union; or of forming a junction with Canby’s force, which was sup-posed to have left Fort Craig. His command numbered 1342 officers andmen, with a battery of 4 guns, under command of Captain J. F. Ritter, 15th