Skirmish near Fort Thorn, New Mexico Territory

Skirmish near Fort Thorn, New Mexico Territory
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the
American Civil War
DateSeptember 26, 1861
Location
At E Company Grove, 15 mi (24 km) upriver from Fort Thorn, New Mexico Territory (USA), Confederate Arizona
Modern Day: Sierra County, New Mexico[1]
Result Confederate victory, unsuccessful Union counterattack.
Belligerents
 Confederate States  United States
Commanders and leaders
Bethel Coopwood Robert M. Morris
Strength
112 cavalry 101 cavalry
Casualties and losses
2 killed
8 wounded
3 wounded

The Skirmish near Fort Thorn, New Mexico Territory, also known as the Fight at E Company Grove, was a skirmish of the American Civil War on the morning of September 26, 1861. It followed the Battle of Canada Alamosa one of several small battles that occurred near the border between Confederate Arizona and Union New Mexico Territory. This one being an attempt by detachments of three companies of the Union Regiment of Mounted Rifles to pursue the Confederate cavalry force of Captain Bethel Coopwood's San Elizario Spy Company, and detachments of Company B and E, Second Texas Mounted Rifles, that was retiring from their victory at Canada Alamosa toward their base at Camp Robledo, 12 mi (19 km) north of Doña Ana, New Mexico.

  1. ^ This location, described as being 15 miles upstream from Fort Thorn put it at the point where Percha Creek had its confluence with the Rio Grande. The site of the E Company grove is now probably under Caballo Lake near the Caballo Dam.