The Battle of Canyon de Chelly
Date: January 12 - 14, 1864
Location: Canyon de Chelly, New Mexico Territory
Following the Battle of Pecos River two weeks prior, Colonel Kit Carson led the near 400 troopers of the 1st New Mexico Cavalry to Canyon de Chelly, a scenic canyon sacred to the Navajo containing their camps, fields for agriculture, livestock, and their famous peach orchards that had abundantly grown in the canyon since the Spanish had introduced peaches to the Navajo centuries earlier. Manuelito and Barboncito, the leaders of the Navajos in revolt, had repelled an earlier attempt by Carson to attack Canyon de Chelly, but by January 6th Carson was prepared to try again, reaching the canyon again on the chilly morning of January 12th.
Manuelito & Barboncito
Before descending into the canyon amid a fierce snowstorm, Carson ordered Captain Albert H. Pfeiffer to lead 100 troopers into the east end of the canyon, while Carson would lead the remainder of the 1st New Mexico in to the west end and link up with Pfeiffer at the far end.
Colonel Kit Carson
Carson's troopers descended into the canyon, advancing down the west end and torching everything in their path, intermittently skirmishing with the Navajo.
Canyon de Chelly c. 1873
Eventually Carson reached the far end of the canyon, without coming across Manuelito and Barboncito's warriors or Pfeiffer's unit. Carson and his troopers decided to continue down the east end of the canyon, dense smoke pouring out of the canyon in their wake as everything was set ablaze. After traversing the whole canyon, Carson returned to the west entrance and waited for Pfeiffer's eventual return. Pfeiffer, in the confusion of the snowstorm during their descent, had led his troopers down the wrong canyon and after skirmishing with the Navajo, eventually retraced their steps back to Carson at the west entrance. With his unit now regrouped, Carson ordered them back to their bivouac at Chinle.
Though Carson and his cavalry had been unable to find and defeat Manuelito, Barboncito, and the Navajos in revolt, the desolation of Canyon de Chelly had a devastating impact on the Navajo resistance, causing many to surrender to the Union Army rather than freeze or starve.
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