Roger Naylor

Special for the Republic

In times of war, a fine line separates the courageous from the reckless. Lt. James Barrett of the 1st California Cavalry crossed that line, and he lies buried where he fell beneath the mesquite and greasewood in the shadow of Picacho Peak.

On April 15, 1862, the westernmost battle of the Civil War was fought near the rocky slopes of a volcanic spire about 60 miles south of Phoenix. The fierce skirmish involved just two dozen men, yet it lasted a good part of the afternoon and resulted in a high percentage of casualties — three dead, three wounded, three captured.

It probably shouldn't have happened at all, but young Lt. Barrett seemed to have something to prove.

Setting the stage

Shortly after the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Union soldiers were withdrawn from the Arizona and New Mexico territories to fight in the East. This left an opportunity for the Confederates to expand into the Southwest, where they hoped to attain mineral wealth to finance the war effort and gain access to California ports.

The main Confederate force, led by Gen. Henry Sibley, waged a campaign in New Mexico territory. He also dispatched a company of nearly 100 men to Tucson.

"Sibley wanted a tripwire," says Jim Head, ranger at Picacho Peak State Park, which hosts its annual Civil War re-enactment March 21-22. "He wanted his western flank secured. The force at Tucson was to be an early notification system for him as well as controlling the Apaches and performing governmental duties."

Capt. Sherod Hunter and his troops, mostly Texans, raised the Confederacy's Stars and Bars above Tucson in February 1862. To counteract this westward incursion and quell Confederate sympathies through the region, the California Column was formed. It consisted of several companies of infantry, cavalry and artillery under the command of Col. James Carleton.

Clash at Stanwix Station

By March, the California Column had stocked the abandoned stations of the Butterfield Overland Stage with provisions in preparation and left Fort Yuma to advance on Tucson.

"A man named Ammi White operated a mill near one of the supply points and he was arrested by the Confederates and the stockpiled grain dispersed to the locals," Head said.

"Then the Confederates hung around looking like ranchers and cowboys. When the first Union soldiers showed up led by Capt. (William) McCleave, the Southerners invited them in, gave them coffee and got the information they wanted during the conversation. They then captured McCleave and his men."

Now knowing the Union troop movements, Hunter sent men to destroy the supplies along their intended route. They continued west, burning piles of hay all the way to Stanwix Station about 80 miles east of Fort Yuma, where they encountered Union pickets. A quick exchange of gunfire left one Union soldier wounded.

"This encounter marked the westernmost advance of any organized Confederate force during the war," Head said.

The Confederates withdrew to Tucson, but Hunter posted pickets at strategic locations, including 10 men along the old stage road through Picacho Pass.

Death in the desert

By early April a portion of the California Column led by Capt. William Calloway had reached an area near present-day Casa Grande. His orders were to capture Tucson and free McCleave.

"Calloway needed information," Head said. "He had no idea how many troops occupied Tucson. So he really wanted prisoners he could interrogate."

Calloway sent Barrett with 12 cavalry troopers and a scout around the north side of the Picacho Mountains and Lt. Ephraim Baldwin with another dozen men to circle from the south side. The units were under orders to stay concealed and hold the lower end of the pass as the main column swept down on the Confederate encampment.

Barrett arrived first. Ignoring orders and the advice of his scout, who reported that the Confederates were unaware of their presence, he led a mounted charge through the desert scrub and into the rebel camp. As the Southerners prepared to surrender, Barrett discharged his weapon.

"It's not clear if this was intentional or an accident, but now the Confederates, thinking they were going to be mowed down, opened fire," Head said.

One Union soldier was killed and four others were wounded; one died the next day. Barrett was struck by a bullet in the neck and died instantly. Three Confederates were captured. Fierce fighting continued over the next hour. Finally, exhausted and running low on ammunition, the Union cavalry withdrew, allowing the rebels to flee toward Tucson.

Calloway and the California Column arrived later that afternoon, but the damage had been done. There would be no surprise attack on Tucson. He was not kind to the brash lieutenant in his report. According to Calloway, Barrett "surprised the rebels and should have captured them without firing a shot, if the thing had been conducted properly."

Hunter and his troops left Tucson a month later, just ahead of the advancing column. The skirmish at Picacho Pass had prevented what would have likely been a much larger, bloodier battle for the Old Pueblo, and the Confederacy had lost its tenuous hold on the Southwest.

Some years later, U.S. soldiers returned to search for the men who fell at Picacho Pass. The bodies of the enlisted men were removed and buried elsewhere but Barrett's remains were never found.

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com.

Arizona's Military History

Conflict has shaped the Southwest since colonizers arrived in the late 1600s. From the earliest presidios to a modern-day Army base, fighting near and far has caused communities to thrive and fall.

Each month this year in Explore Arizona, Roger Naylor will feature a destination or episode in which military events shaped the state.

In April: World War II Japanese internment camps at Poston.

Civil War in the Southwest

What: A re-enactment of the Battle of Picacho Pass, as well as the battles of Val Verde and Glorieta Pass in New Mexico, considered the most significant Civil War conflicts in the Southwest. There also will be artillery and cavalry demonstrations, historically accurate fashions, the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regimental Band and living-history demonstrations of daily life such as games and spinning. The weekend draws about 6,000 spectators and 200-300 re-enactors.

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22. Gates open at 9:30 a.m.

Where: Picacho Peak State Park, about 60 miles south of Phoenix on Interstate 10 at Exit 219.

Admission: $10 per vehicle for up to four people plus $3 for each additional person to attend the re-enactment. $7 per vehicle for other park visitors.

New at the park: The short, barrier-free Civil War Trail. The longtime dream of Ranger Jim Head loops past signs and maps that tell the story of Civil War conflicts in Arizona. There's also a 1928 stone memorial that was erected elsewhere for Lt. James Barrett and later moved inside the park.

Details: 520-466-3183, azstateparks.com/parks/pipe.

Find out more

These websites have more information on the Battle of Picacho Pass.

- www.civilwar.org/battlefields/picachopeak.html.

- www.militaryhistoryonline.com/civilwar/southwest/picacho.aspx.

- www.militaryhistoryonline.com/civilwar/southwest/myths.aspx.

- john-banks.blogspot.com/2014/12/civil-war-in-arizona-picacho-pass.html.

- wtj.com/articles/picacho.

- www.civilwar.org/education/history/california-in-the-civil-war/eager-to-show.html.