Southern New Mexico

Last Update: 16/JUNE/2007

Post at Abó Pass
(1861), near Scholle
A temporary cavalry tent camp located 15 miles east of Bernardo. Also called Abó Station.

Camp La Hoya
(1846 - 1864, intermittent), La Joya
A Dragoon post located in the wastelands of "Jornada del Muerto" (Journey of Death) to protect the river crossing. Later occupied by CA Volunteers.

Camp Connelly
(1862), Polvadera
A temporary encampment of NM Volunteers located on the territorial governor's ranch.

Post of Socorro
(1849 - 1851, 1863, 1877 - 1881), Socorro
Initially a Dragoon post in rented quarters. The town was later occupied several times.

Camp San Pedro
(1863 - 1864), San Pedro
A temporary post occupied by CA Volunteers, located about 14 miles southeast of Socorro.

Fort Craig (National Historical Site)
(1854 - 1885), San Marcial
Built to protect the Santa Fe and El Paso Road from the Navajo and Apache. Only ruins remain, located in the Socorro Resource Area, Bureau of Land Management. This fort replaced Fort Conrad. Nearby was Camp Carson (between the fort and the river) and Camp Mischler (south of the fort), temporary posts for militia aiding in the defense of the fort in 1862 against the Confederates.

Camp Valverde
(1864), Val Verde
A temporary encampment of CA Volunteers located near the site of the 1862 Battle of Valverde.

Fort Conrad
(1851 - 1854), Val Verde
A Dragoon post on the west bank of the Rio Grande. Possibly originally named Valverde Post in 1851. Replaced by Fort Craig, this site was later used to raise forage for the new post, renamed Hay Camp.

Camp Winfield Scott
(1860), near Corona
A Federal encampment. Located west of town.

Camp Sierra
(1858, 1861), Gallinas
A temporary Federal encampment originally called Camp Gallina. The site was briefly occupied by the CSA.

Camp Cogswell
(1860), near Carrizozo ?
A Federal encampment located about 20 miles northwest of Fort Stanton.

Fort Stanton
(1855 - 1896), Stanton
Originally Camp Garland (2) which consisted of two blockhouses surrounded by adobe walls. It was built to contol the area's Apache tribes. Abandoned in 1861 and later occupied by the Confederates, who then burned it down when they retreated from the area. The Union reoccupied it in 1862 and partially rebuilt it in 1868 with stone. Abandoned and rebuilt two miles north in 1869, and became the guardian of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in 1871. The fort was later abandoned and became a part of the Federal Public Health Service from 1899 to 1953. It is now a state hospital. Several original stone buildings still remain.

Torreon Fort
(1850's), Lincoln
A civilian stone tower to protect against Apache raids. Reconstructed as a tourist attraction.

Fort Meigs
(unknown dates), San Patricio

Camp Magoffin
(1854, 1863 - 1865), near Alto
A Federal post located west of town in the White Mountain Wilderness Reserve.

Camp Roswell
(1878 - 1879), Roswell
A temporary post during the "Lincoln County War", garrisoned by the Buffalo Soldiers.

Camp near Guadalupe Mountains
(1855), near Carlsbad
A Federal encampment southwest of town.

Pecos River Post
(1856 - 1860, 1868), near Malaga
A Federal post on the Pecos River just north of the Texas border. Also known as Camp at Capt. Pope's Well. Known as Camp Pope in 1868.

Camp Comfort
(1858 - 1859), White Sands
A temporary Federal post to watch over the Apache.

Fort McRae
(1863 - 1876), near Elephant Butte
Initially a CA Volunteer post located on a mesa three miles east of the Elephant Butte Reservoir. Stone foundations of the adobe buildings remain on private property.

Camp Ojo Caliente
(1859 - 1861, 1877 - 1882), near Monticello
An outpost of Fort Craig, located about 15 miles northwest of town on the Alamosa River. Nine adobe buildings built. Abandoned during the Civil War. Briefly occupied as the Warm Spring Apache Indian Agency on the Ojo Caliente Indian Reservation during the late 1860's. Regarrisoned by the Buffalo Soldiers during Apache troubles, renamed Post of Ojo Caliente. Attacked in 1879.

Camp Boyd
(1885 - 1886), Hillsboro
Originally called Camp Hillsboro, it was a Federal supply base for other nearby posts.

Camp Blake
(1856), Salem
A Dragoon grazing camp located three miles north of Fort Thorn.

Fort Thorn
(1853 - 1863), Hatch
Originally called Cantonment Garland (1). Established by the garrison from abandoned Fort Webster (1). Abandoned in 1859 due to unhealthful conditions. The post hospital was left standing for the use of travelers. The Confederates briefly used the post in 1861 - 1862. Recaptured by CA Volunteers in 1862 but abandoned in 1863.

Camp Robbero
(1857), near Hatch
A Federal encampment near Fort Thorn.

Fort Selden (State Monument)
(1865 - 1877, 1880 - 1891), near Radium Springs
A Federal post that took over two years to construct. Abandoned after the railroad came through the area. It was reactivated in 1880 for border patrols. Became a subpost of Fort Bayard in 1890.

Camp Robledo
(1861 - 1863), near Radium Springs
Located near Mount Robledo. Intermittently occupied by both USA and CSA units during Indian campaigns.

Doña Ana Post
(1849, 1855 - 1856, 1861), Doña Ana
A Federal garrison post to protect the river crossing and railroad surveyors in 1855. Confederates established a hospital here at the beginning of their New Mexico campaign.

Camp at Las Animas
(1854), near Doña Ana
A temporary Federal encampment near town.

San Isidoro Post
(1849 - 1850), San Isidoro
A temporary Federal post located two miles north of Las Cruces.

Las Cruces Post
(1862), Las Cruces
A Federal quartermaster supply depot in rented structures established after the Confederates retreated from the area.

Mesilla Post
(La Mesilla State Monument)
(1861 - 1864), (La) Mesilla
Mesilla became the Confederate capital of the short-lived CSA Territory of Arizona after Fort Fillmore was captured. CA Volunteers then recaptured it in 1862 and made it the headquarters of the Military District of Arizona. Also called Post at La Mesilla.

Fort Fillmore
(1851 - 1862), Mesilla Park
A stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. Used for operations against the Apache. In 1860 this fort was briefly commanded by a woman when the entire garrison, except for a sergeant and ten men, went on long patrol. The Confederates captured the fort in 1861. Briefly reoccupied by CA Volunteers in 1862 before the post was abandoned. Only traces of the adobe fort remain. The channel of the Rio Grande was once between the fort and Mesilla, but has since changed course.

Post at Santa Tomas de Iturbide
(1854 - 1855), Santa Tomas
A temporary Federal post located just north of San Miguel.

Camp Johnson
(1862), near La Mesa
A temporary CA Volunteer camp located on the west side of the Rio Grande, 17 miles south of Fort Fillmore. Also called Camp Cottonwood or Detachment at Cottonwoods.

Camp Furlong
(1916 - 1924), Columbus
Built by the U.S. Army to patrol the Mexican border. Known as Post at Columbus until 1918 when discontinued as a border post. Attacked by Pancho Villa in 1916. Adobe ruins remain adjacent to Pancho Villa State Park.

Camp Carizallillo Spring
(1885), near Hachita
A Federal encampment. Located southeast of town.

Camp Hachita
(1886), Hachita
A heliograph station during the Apache Campaign.

Camp Shannon
(1917 - 1922), Hachita
Built by the U.S. Army for border patrols. Became a subpost of Camp Furlong in 1920.

Cloverdale Camp
(1882 - 1886), Cloverdale
A supply depot and base camp during the Apache Campaign.

Camp Henley
(1886), near Separ
A base camp and heliograph station during the Apache Campaign, located at Soldiers Farewell Stage Station north of town.

Camp Baird
(1890's), Deming
A temporary Army post just north of town.

Camp Cody
(1917 - 1919), near Deming
A Federalized National Guard cantonment mobilization center and training area for the 34th Division, located two miles west of town. After the war became a Public Health Service Hospital for veterans until 1922, when transferred to the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Notre Dame. Burned down in 1938. Site now vacant land.

Fort Cummings
(1863 - 1873, 1880 - 1884, 1886), Cook Springs
Composed of several single-story adobe buildings surrounded by a 10-foot high adobe wall, it was built for the purpose of keeping New Mexico from joining the Confederacy, to control the Apache Indians, and to protect the Butterfield stage route and the road to California. The fort entered caretaker status in 1870 but was reoccupied later as Camp at Fort Cummings during Apache troubles. A stage station was first located here from 1858 to 1861. Adobe ruins of the fort remain on private property.

Camp Mimbres
(1863 - 1864), near Dwyer
A CA Volunteer supply depot also called Camp on the Rio Mimbres, located about two miles southwest of town.

Fort McLane
(1860 - 1864), near Hurley
Camp Wheeler was originally established here to protect the local copper mines, located three and one-half miles south of town. It was soon redesignated Fort Wheeler, and then renamed Fort Floyd. It was proposed to be renamed Fort Webster (3) to avoid confusion with Camp Floyd in Utah. It was renamed Fort McLane in early 1861 (sometimes spelled McLean). It was then abandoned to reinforce Fort Fillmore. It was reoccupied intermittently from 1862 to 1864 by CA Volunteers during the Apache Campaign.

Fort Bayard
(1866 - 1900), Central
Intended to safeguard the local mines. In 1900 the fort became a military hospital. It later became a Veterans Administration Hospital.

Fort Santa Rita
(1804 - 1838, 1851 - 1852), Santa Rita
A civilian Spanish/Mexican triangular adobe fort with three round towers to protect the Santa Rita copper mines. Built by Manuel Elguea. Abandoned after repeated Apache attacks. Occupied by an American Border Commission party in 1851 and called Cantonment Dawson. Reoccupied and renamed by the Army in 1852 to Post at Gila Copper Mines or Fort Webster (1). Replaced by Fort Webster (2) (see below). A replica of the first Fort Webster is at Pinos Altos.

Fort Webster (2)
(1852 - 1853, 1859), San Lorenzo
Originally located at the Santa Rita copper mines 14 miles west of here at the site of Fort Santa Rita. The post moved in 1852 to this location on the Rio Mimbres. It was then abandoned in 1853 for Fort Thorn. It was briefly reoccupied in 1859.

Fort Webster (4)
(1861), Mimbres
A Butterfield Stage Station originally known as Mimbres Station, it was briefly fortified by a Major Mowry before he joined the Confederacy in 1861.

Fort Webster (5)
(1866), near Mimbres
A temporary post located at the headwaters of the Rio Mimbres, on the west bank 15 miles north of Santa Rita. It is mentioned in Brig. General John Pope's 1866 Report, and featured on a 1877 map, but no other information can be found.

Camp Pinos Altos
(1863 - 1864), Pinos Altos
Built by the CA Volunteers to protect the local mines.
Located here is actually a replica of Fort Webster (1).

Camp at Burro Mountains
(1859), near Tyrone
A Federal encampment. Located west of town.

Camp Bear Spring
(1858), near Gila
A Federal encampment used for the Navajo "Long Walk" to Fort Sumner. Located about 25 miles northwest of Silver City.

Fort West
(1863 - 1864), near Gila
Built by the CA Volunteers during the Apache Campaign. Intended to safeguard local miners. Located on the south-side of the Gila River north of town.

Gila Depot
(1857, 1863), near Cliff
A supply base during the Bonneville Expedition, located about three miles south of town. Also called Depot on the Rio Gila, Rio Gila Depot, and Camp on the Rio Gila. In 1863 the site was occupied by CA Volunteers prior to the establishment of Fort West five miles northwest.

Richmond Post
(1882 - 1883), Virden
A Federal infantry scouting camp. The town was known as Richmond until 1916.

Camp Vincent
(1879), near Gila Hot Springs
Located in southern Catron County northeast of town at the juction of Beaver Creek, Taylor Creek, and the Gila River East Fork, established to defend against Apache raids.

Camp Sherman
(1879), near Gila Hot Springs
An Indian supply distribution base. Located in southern Catron County northeast of town on Taylor Creek.

Camp Maddox
(1885 - 1886), Alma
A Federal cavalry encampment during Apache chief Geronimo's uprising.

Fort Tularosa
(1872 - 1874), Aragon
A Federal post originally located on the left bank of the Tularosa River about 15 miles north of Reserve, to protect the new Apache Indian Agency. Before the post was finished, the Agency moved to a new site on Horse Creek, about 18 miles east. The post was withdrawn when the Apaches returned to Ojo Caliente.

Camp Datil
(1885 - 1886), Datil
A temporary Federal cavalry and infantry post located one and one-half miles north of town on Datil Creek.

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Northern New Mexico - page 1