The Battle of Picacho Pass

Or Picacho Peak--same battle. This small skirmish occurred on April 15, 1862, in the area surrounding beautiful Picacho Peak, about 50 miles northwest of Tucson. It was fought between a Union cavalry patrol from California and a group of Confederate pickets from Tucson. The Battle of Picacho Peak/Pass marks the very westernmost edge of any Civil War engagement.

This small battlefield looks NOTHING like Eastern battlefields. It is hot, dry, sparsely vegetated and red. The battlefields in the East are definitely green, but this one is red, from the hard-baked minerals in the Arizona desert.

The battle itself was small, involving about twenty-five soldiers in all, but the battle occurring there now is a lot larger.

Picacho Peak is yet another State Park on the "hit" list of important historical sites that will be closed due to a lack of funding. It is listed by the Civil War Preservation Trust as one of the ten historic battlefields most endangered by development or neglect. This park is slated to close June 3 due to state budget cuts.

There is a Presidential Primary in AZ tonight. There is also a measure on the ballot to increase vehicle license fees by about a $1.00 in order to keep this park open.

I certainly care more about Picacho Peak than about Romney or Santorum.