Confederate Arizona

The words "Civil War" evoke images of Gettysburg, the clash between the North and South, and grey and blue uniforms. In school we learned that southern states seceded from the Union. But did you know that for short time Arizona was part of the Confederate States?

According to the Arizona History timeline at the the Arizona Governor's website, Arizona became part of the confederacy in 1862. The website reports the "Battle at Picacho Pass, near Casa Grande, [Arizona] is considered the westernmost battle of the Civil War.." 

Although the Battle at Picacho Pass was the westernmost battle, how far south did the Confederacy in Arizona? According to an 1879 San Francisco Bulletin correspondent report: Tubac: 

"In 1862, and this is not known to many, a company of so-called Confederate soldiers took possession of Tubac, (and I think there was a Confederate garrison at Tucson for a while) and raised the flag of the de facto government which had its headquarters in Richmond. This company of men made it warm for the Apaches, under the wily and brave Cochise, and killed a good many of them. During the latter part of 1862, a regiment of Union soldiers arrived at Tucson (and the present Mayor of Tucson, now worth $100,000, was an officer in said regiment,) and the Confederate garrison at Tubac was at once abandoned. Upon the departure of these troops, what people had located also departed, and Tubac was again left without an inhabitant, the overland stages and all other travel had been drawn off, grass had grown up in the streets, and all of the adobe houses crumbled into ruins."

Although there are differing accounts regarding if or when the town of Tubac was abandoned, one thing is certain, its' Confederate history will not be forgotten. 

For more information regarding the Confederacy in Arizona visit:

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/picachopeak.html

Sources:

Arizona Sentinel, March 22, 1879

AZgovernor.gov

Flag: By William Porcher Miles (1822-1899) (Vector graphics image by Crotalus horridus)         This vector image was created with Inkscape. (SVG adapted from this image) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons