La Paz Incident
Encyclopedia
The La Paz Incident occurred in May 1863 at the ghost town
of La Paz
in Confederate Arizona and was the western most confrontation of the American Civil War
. Confederate
minuteman William "Frog" Edwards
attacked a pair of United States
Army soldiers when they stopped at La Paz to purchase supplies. Though successful in ambushing the federals, Edwards died of exposure while making his escape.
was formed to march across Arizona for an occupation and to reinforce the Union Army
engaged in the New Mexico Campaign
. In 1862 General
James H. Carleton arrested several Arizona citizens and detained them at Fort Yuma
as political prisoner
s; Edwards was one of these detainees. By 1863, La Paz and a handful of other American settlements had been established along the Colorado River
, which was an important army route since the Yuma War
. The army constantly had a presence by steaming up and down the waterway on river steamers, generally in pursuit of supplies to maintain their forts. On the night of May 20, 1863, the army steamer named Cocopah arrived at La Paz. A small group of soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant
James A. Hale of the 4th Infantry, disembarked the ship to visit Cohn's Store. There they were to purchase some supplies before returning to Fort Mohave
.
Waiting in the shadows was William Edwards, or the 'Frog", a name the Union troops later called him. As the soldiers were gathering in front of the store, Edwards opened fire with his revolver and shot several rounds off into the crowd. Both Private
Ferdinand Behn and Private Thomas Gainor of Company H were hit and killed instantly. One bystander was also struck by a bullet and suffered a serious wound. Lieutenant Hale immediately searched the town with his remaining men but he could not find Edwards, who had already made his escape. The Union troops were forced to return to base where the lieutenant informed his commander what had happened. In response a troop of forty men were deployed to hunt the "Frog". Edwards was found lying in the desert a few days later; apparently he had no water and died of thirst.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of La Paz
La Paz, Arizona
La Paz was a short-lived, early gold mining town along the Colorado River in La Paz County on the western border of the U.S. state of Arizona. It was the location of the La Paz Incident in 1863, the westernmost confrontation of the American Civil War. The town was settled in 1862 in what was then...
in Confederate Arizona and was the western most confrontation of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
minuteman William "Frog" Edwards
William Edwards
William Edwards may refer to:*William Edwards , minister and architect of the Pontypridd bridge in south Wales*William Edwards , grandson of Jonathan Edwards*William Camden Edwards...
attacked a pair of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army soldiers when they stopped at La Paz to purchase supplies. Though successful in ambushing the federals, Edwards died of exposure while making his escape.
Incident
When Confederate Arizona was created in 1861, the Union California ColumnCalifornia Column
The California Column, a force of Union volunteers, marched from April to August 1862 over 900 miles from California, across the southern New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and then into western Texas during the American Civil War. At the time, this was the longest trek through desert terrain...
was formed to march across Arizona for an occupation and to reinforce the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
engaged in the New Mexico Campaign
New Mexico Campaign
The New Mexico Campaign was a military operation of the American Civil War from February to April 1862 in which Confederate Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley invaded the northern New Mexico Territory in an attempt to gain control of the Southwest, including the gold fields of Colorado and the...
. In 1862 General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
James H. Carleton arrested several Arizona citizens and detained them at Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
as political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s; Edwards was one of these detainees. By 1863, La Paz and a handful of other American settlements had been established along the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, which was an important army route since the Yuma War
Yuma War
The Yuma War was the name given to a series of United States military operations conducted in southern California and what is today southwestern Arizona from 1850 to 1853. The Yumans were the primary opponent of the United States Army, though engagements were fought between the Americans and other...
. The army constantly had a presence by steaming up and down the waterway on river steamers, generally in pursuit of supplies to maintain their forts. On the night of May 20, 1863, the army steamer named Cocopah arrived at La Paz. A small group of soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
James A. Hale of the 4th Infantry, disembarked the ship to visit Cohn's Store. There they were to purchase some supplies before returning to Fort Mohave
Fort Mohave, Arizona
Fort Mohave is a CDP in Mohave County, Arizona. It is named for a nearby fort that was used during the Mohave War. As of the census of 2010, the population of Fort Mohave was 14,364. This was up from 8,919 in 2000. It is a micro-suburb of Bullhead City...
.
Waiting in the shadows was William Edwards, or the 'Frog", a name the Union troops later called him. As the soldiers were gathering in front of the store, Edwards opened fire with his revolver and shot several rounds off into the crowd. Both Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
Ferdinand Behn and Private Thomas Gainor of Company H were hit and killed instantly. One bystander was also struck by a bullet and suffered a serious wound. Lieutenant Hale immediately searched the town with his remaining men but he could not find Edwards, who had already made his escape. The Union troops were forced to return to base where the lieutenant informed his commander what had happened. In response a troop of forty men were deployed to hunt the "Frog". Edwards was found lying in the desert a few days later; apparently he had no water and died of thirst.