Zorro aside, the story of the unique wars with the Indians in the former Spanish/Mexican territories is worth noting.
John R. Baylor was a former U.S. Special Indian Agent, lawyer and member of the Texas legislature joined the secession cause. A had a major part in the formation of the Arizona Territory.
J. R. Baylor had a very colorful past prior to the Civil War, especially with fighting Indians. He and his posse of 300 or so Texas Indians fighter had so defeated a raiding band of Comanche's that they retreated to the protection of a reservation garrisoned by troops of Major George H. Thomas (Stones River, Nashville) in 1859. Baylor's men pursued the Comanche's onto the reservation. During this whole affair Thomas had done nothing. Major Thomas now sent a message to Baylor, stating that if the latter would withdraw his men, he would see that the Indians were removed from the reservation to the Indian Territory, and this was done.
When the Civil War started Baylor formed a Texas Military force and in July of 1861 was assigned to occupy the forts in the western half of Texas. Baylor now a Lt. Colonel moved his 700 force west and garrisoned several post between Brownsville and El Paso Texas. This movement led to Baylor attacking a Union force in what was then called the New Mexico Territory which included what is now Arizona. He occupied the New Mexico Territory and with local support formed the new "Arizona Territory" splitting the New Mexico Territory along an east-west line along the 34th parallel. This is the first formation of a formal "Arizona Territory" with its own government. Lt. Col. Baylor also named himself temporary governor of the new territory.
The story of the Confederate secession of the Arizona Territory was short, about a year, but its failure was not all created to Union force of arms. The Confederates spent most of their time fighting Apaches and Mexican bandits that were attacking all along the territory. This was a big problem for a small force. The Apache were on a warpath of extermination of both White and Mexican settlers. The Apaches committed atrocities against white settlers that are horrible in detail. Under increased pressure from both external and internal dangers Baylor, mistakenly thinking he had permission, put forth an order that would change his career...
"use all means to persuade the Apaches or any tribe to come in for the purpose of making peace, and when you get them together kill all the grown Indians and take the children prisoners and sell them to defray the expense of killing the adult Indians. Buy whiskey and such other goods as may be necessary for the Indians and I will order vouchers given to cover the amount expended. Leave nothing undone to insure success, and have a sufficient number of men around to allow no Indian to escape."
No evidence has come to light that proves that these orders were ever carried out but when word of this order reached Richmond, President Davis had him removed from authority, took away his governorship, and took away his commission in the army. Baylor ended up as a private fighting in the defense of Galveston, Texas. In March of 1865 he was given a new commission as a Colonel and ordered to go west and recruit a new army to invade New Mexico and the Arizona Territory, now with new borders and under Union administration, but the war all but over and he abandoned the attempt.
Arizona under the Union forces fared no better during the Civil War against the Apaches. The Union forces apparently came to the same conclusion that Baylor did and ordered their forces to exterminate the Apaches too...
General Orders No. 12 HDQRS. Department of New Mexico, Sante Fe, N. Mex., May 1, 1864.
I. The Apaches of Arizona have been hostile ever since we haveoccupied that Territory, and now that the Navajo war is drawing to a successful termination, an earnest effort must be made not only to punish them for their continued murders, accompanied. as many of those murders have been, by burnings at the stake and by tortures of the most atrocious character, but either by their removal to a reservation or by the utter extermination of their men, to insure a lasting peace and a security of life to all those who go to that country to search for the precious metals.
IV. All A pache Indians in that Territory are hostile, and all Apache men large enough to bear arms who may be encountered in Arizona will be slain wherever met, unless they give themselves up as prisoners. No women or children will be harmed; these will be taken prisoners.
JULY 18—AUGUST 7, 1864.—Expedition to the Pinal Mountains, Ariz. Ter.
Report of Major Thomas J. Blakeney, First California Cavalry.
" Sent Captain Harrover with Company E, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, with instructions to skirmish over the mountain west of Pinal Creek and north of the canyon, kill all buck Indians big enough to bear arms and capture all squaws and children he might come upon"
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David Upton