By Melinda Sue Robbins, Grants Manager, School for Advanced Research
On the morning of May 3, 20-plus SAR members began a guided excursion to Glorieta Pass and Pecos National Historical Park. The day began at SAR’s Dobkin Boardroom with a presentation by historian Randy Egan on the Civil War in New Mexico, as the 1862 Battle of Glorieta Pass was the site of a decisive victory for the Union, followed by a bus tour with various stops along the battlefields.
Next, the group visited the private museum Casa Escuela, where owner Jim Gordon shared his extensive collection of historic firearms and vintage artifacts, which include many Civil War weapons and other interesting objects such as Civil War-era prosthetic legs and Flash Gordon memorabilia.
After enjoying a picnic lunch at the Pecos National Historical Park and a visit to the park’s museum, the group headed out on a walking tour with park archaeologist Jeremy Moss, who told of the continuously unfolding story of human culture that has traveled to and from the Pecos Valley for thousands of years.
