BATTLEFIELD BACKSTORY: I had traveled south on U.S. Interstate 10 from Phoenix perhaps a dozen times, unknowingly passing a battlefield at Picacho Pass, about 40 miles north of Tucson. Well, "battle" is a stretch. Compared to, say, Gettysburg or Antietam, it was just a small scrap that took place among thick mesquite and saguaro cactus in the shadow of Picacho Mountain. Led by Lieutenant James Barrett of the 1st California Cavalry, an advance party of 13 Union soldiers battled nearly 200 Rebels, quickly taking three prisoners before they were routed on April 15, 1862. Among the three Yankee dead was Barrett, who was killed instantly by a bullet in the neck and buried in an unmarked grave near railroad tracks that still border the Picacho Pass battlefield. During a Christmas trip to Arizona last year, I stopped near the site for a short visit. After skidding down an embankment, crossing two gulleys and walking up a small hill, I took this shot of the battlefield, which is within sight of the interstate. It was the best I could do -- the site is private property and inaccessible to the public. (Click at upper right to enlarge and click here for all posts on this blog.)
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
PICACHO PASS: Yes, the Civil War was fought in Arizona, too
BATTLEFIELD BACKSTORY: I had traveled south on U.S. Interstate 10 from Phoenix perhaps a dozen times, unknowingly passing a battlefield at Picacho Pass, about 40 miles north of Tucson. Well, "battle" is a stretch. Compared to, say, Gettysburg or Antietam, it was just a small scrap that took place among thick mesquite and saguaro cactus in the shadow of Picacho Mountain. Led by Lieutenant James Barrett of the 1st California Cavalry, an advance party of 13 Union soldiers battled nearly 200 Rebels, quickly taking three prisoners before they were routed on April 15, 1862. Among the three Yankee dead was Barrett, who was killed instantly by a bullet in the neck and buried in an unmarked grave near railroad tracks that still border the Picacho Pass battlefield. During a Christmas trip to Arizona last year, I stopped near the site for a short visit. After skidding down an embankment, crossing two gulleys and walking up a small hill, I took this shot of the battlefield, which is within sight of the interstate. It was the best I could do -- the site is private property and inaccessible to the public. (Click at upper right to enlarge and click here for all posts on this blog.)
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