76 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 
Cristo Range. It extends continuously northward through northern 
New Mexico into Colorado. After passing through Glorieta Pass the 
railroad turns southwestward and follows a series of canyons and val- 
leys, the headwaters of a branch of Galisteo (gah-lis-tay’o) Creek, on 
a continuous down grade to the Rio Grande at Santo Domingo. In 
40 miles the descent is 2,175 feet, of which the steeper part (963 feet) 
is between Glorieta and Lamy. 
This portion of the journey takes the traveler over a historic 
battle ground, for here occurred a decisive clash between Union and ~ 
Confederate forces in 1862. A preliminary skirmish ending in, favor 
of the northern forces was followed by a battle that lasted nine hours 
and ended in a truce. The Confederates, who were from Texas, were 
superior in numbers and equipment, but their stores were burned in 
a brilliant flanking movement. They returned to Santa Fe and 
the northern forces to Fort Union. This is variously known as the 
battle of Glorieta, of Apache Canyon, and of Pigeon’s ranch, which 
was near the scene of battle. 
Beyond the big cut at Glorieta there are extensive exposures of 
the lower red beds for some distance, extending up to the great cap 
of hard sandstone that constitutes the mesa to the east. This is the 
western face of Glorieta Mesa, which at Glorieta Pass turns south- 
ward. In a cut about 2 miles beyond the summit some thin-bedded 
blue clays, included in the red beds, contain the remains of fresh-water 
shells and insects, and ferns of Permian age. A short distance below 
milepost 829 the sandstone that caps the mesa is brought down below 
the track by an abrupt bend of the beds, and at this place it is well 
exposed in cuts and canyon walls. Not far west it is cut off by a 
great fault. 
On leaving the narrow pass in the canyon the train passes the little 
Mexican village of Canyoncito on the right. At this place the Santa 
Fe Trail, which the railway has followed thus far 
Canyoncito. down the canyon, turns to the west to cross the hills 
sasbtenbagtes feet. to Santa Fe. Canyoncito was a well-known point on 
Kansas City 846 miles, the trail in the old days, when its stores, saloons, and 
otels were well patronized. Not all the caravans, 
however, used this route, many of them, especially in the earlier days, 
leaving the main trail near Cimarron and crossing the range to the 
Indian pueblo of Taos and thence to the city. Santa Fe, the capital 
of New Mexico, is 12 miles to the northwest, at the west foot of the 
mountain range which is crossed at Glorieta, 
Below Canyoncito the railway follows Apache Canyon, in which 
