Describe the Confederate victory at Val Verde and how the Union troops responded.

The battle of Val Verde. On Febuary 21, 1862, troops under the controle of the confederate general Henery Hopkins attacked Colonial Edwards union troops in New mexico near Fort Craig. This was the very first engagement of the civil war in the west and near the end, there was no results.

This was a part of a movement made by the confederates to capture parts of the west, but mostly New Mexico.

First, the rebels moved from San Antonio and captured two towns. Mesilla and Tucson.

The rebels soon were running low on supplies so they moved and tried to capture the Valverde fords of the Rio Grande. By doing so, he hoped to cut off Canby's communication and force the Yankees out into the open.