Archaeologist: Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass ‘pointless’

CMWinkler

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Archaeologist: Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass ‘pointless’
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A belt buckle from the mass grave in Glorieta. Courtesy of the Department of Cultural Affairs Office of Archaeological Studies




Posted: Sunday, January 17, 2016 10:30 pm | Updated: 2:09 pm, Tue Jan 19, 2016.

By Robert Nott
The New Mexican

What can the dead tell us about how they died?

Matthew Barbour, a state archaeologist, says the remains of Confederate soldiers discovered by a property owner in 1987 in a mass grave site in Glorieta speaks to the violence, loss and futility of war.

More: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/li...cle_22abbbeb-4b14-58a5-8338-6b89034b7770.html
 

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I assume that the archeologist's comment about the battle being pointless was made more in passing and was not the primary thesis of the talk, even though the headline and story suggest it. The purpose or strategic effect of a battle is not exactly an archeologist's purview, especially when focused on the excavation of a mass grave.
 
I'm no stranger to the Kip Siler site, but i'm kinda bumming hard that the article won't show for me....?

Anyone who wants to learn more about this chapter of the ACW should start with any of the Don Alberts publications - top notch stuff!

Federal/Confederate activity in Texas, Colorado & New Mexico is my absolute favorite subject of the ACW... Thanks for posting the article, @CMWinkler.
 
My question is where are they going to interred the bodies found and I hope they are going to redouble their efforts to find the union mass grave. It's the right thing to do....
 
Oddly, the battle may have meant something to indigenous peoples in the region.

Confederate Gov. John Baylor informed a subordinate "You will use all means to persuade the Apaches or any tribe to come for the purpose of making peace…and when you get them together kill all the grown Indians and take the children prisoners and sell them to defray the expense.” He demanded that his soldiers “allow no Indian to escape.” Baylor told his underling that the Confederacy had a policy of “extermination” of “these cursed pests.”
 
Oddly, the battle may have meant something to indigenous peoples in the region.

Confederate Gov. John Baylor informed a subordinate "You will use all means to persuade the Apaches or any tribe to come for the purpose of making peace…and when you get them together kill all the grown Indians and take the children prisoners and sell them to defray the expense.” He demanded that his soldiers “allow no Indian to escape.” Baylor told his underling that the Confederacy had a policy of “extermination” of “these cursed pests.”
John Baylor... indeed, his brother as well.... were old Indian killers. He just switched from helpless Tonkawas and various other Texas tribes, to Apaches. I will refrain from offering an opinion on these people.

However, there was a guy named Carson who is held in great esteem by the Navajo.
 
My question is where are they going to interred the bodies found and I hope they are going to redouble their efforts to find the union mass grave. It's the right thing to do....

I am unable to view the article for some reason...

Anyways, the remains found were bickered about for a while as seen here:

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/29/u...r-remains-of-fallen-confederate-soldiers.html

And then ultimately found a home at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, as told here:

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(SOURCE: http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/santafe.asp#np)

Among the 3 buried separately, Major John Shropshire's (5th TMV) remains were returned to his birthplace in Kentucky.
 
Oddly, the battle may have meant something to indigenous peoples in the region.

Confederate Gov. John Baylor informed a subordinate "You will use all means to persuade the Apaches or any tribe to come for the purpose of making peace…and when you get them together kill all the grown Indians and take the children prisoners and sell them to defray the expense.” He demanded that his soldiers “allow no Indian to escape.” Baylor told his underling that the Confederacy had a policy of “extermination” of “these cursed pests.”


Oh and I see that great friend of the Cheyenne, John Chivington, was there, too. With the Union.
 
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