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American Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
Internet
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Version 121708
Four graves of Confederate
Soldiers interred at this historic location.
Information
was provided courtesy of the Colonel Sherod Hunter Camp 1525, Sons of
Confederate Veterans, Phoenix, Arizona. To which they have graciously
authorized APCRP
to reproduce this information.
Four Graves at Dragoon Springs, Photo Courtesy:
Colonel Sherod Hunter Camp 1525, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Phoenix, Arizona
July
1861, Confederate military forces under the command of Lt. Colonel John Robert
Baylor invaded the U.S. Territory of New Mexico. Captain Sherod Hunter and Company
A, Baylor’s Regiment of Arizona Rangers, were ordered to proceed to Tucson on
February 10, 1682. They arrived on February 28, 1862 and held a formal ceremony
at which they raised a Confederate First National Flag on the town plaza -
March 1, 1882. It is possible in a rush of patriotism following this ceremony
that Private Richardo, a Hispanic youth from Tucson joined the company.
Photo Courtesy:
Colonel Sherod Hunter Camp 1525, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Phoenix, Arizona
It
is unknown if any of the four men buried at Dragoon Springs took part in the
engagements which Captain Sherod Hunter’s command fought against the Union
California Column during March and April of 1862. Probably they did not, as
most of Hunter’s command remained in Tucson as a garrison throughout the
campaign.
On
May 5th, 1862, these men were among a foraging party which had been
sent from Tucson to gather stray cattle in the vicinity of the abandoned Butterfield
Overland Stagecoach Station at Dragoon Springs, located about 16 miles east of
present-day Benson, Arizona. As they entered a narrow box canyon wherein the
springs are located, the party was ambushed by a large band on Apache Warriors,
numbering as many as 100 men and commanded by the great ware chiefs, Francisco
and Cochise. Most of the Confederate force managed to escape with their lives,
but left behind 25 horses, 30 mules, and four of their comrades . . . the men
who have found their eternal rest at Dragoon Springs.
It
is believed Sergeant Sam Ford, a private know only as Richardo and two other confederate
soldiers whose names have been lost to history, (one of these is probably John
Donaldson, based on an obituary which appeared in the Tucson newspaper) are
interred in the four graves.
For a complete history of this “Engagement” please visit:
http://members.tripod.com/~azrebel/page21.html
American Pioneer
& Cemetery
Research
Project
Internet
Presentation
Version 121708
Webmaster: Neal Du Shane
Copyright © 2008 Neal Du Shane
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for personal family history purposes, but not for financial profit.
All contents of this website are willed to the American Pioneer &
Cemetery Research Project (APCRP).
HOME |
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