In this episode of Dave Does History, we saddle up and ride west—far west—to the rugged terrain of New Mexico in 1862.

While most folks picture Civil War battles back east, there was a fiery clash in the high desert that proved just as pivotal. Known as the “Gettysburg of the West,” the Battle of Glorieta Pass was a bold Confederate gamble to seize the Southwest—and its gold.

But what unfolded in those narrow canyons changed the course of the war out west. Join us as we uncover the forgotten fight that ended Dixie’s dreams of a desert empire.