Symposium 2026 Spotlight: Duel in the Desert

Welcome to our spotlight series, highlighting speakers and topics for our upcoming symposium. Over the coming weeks, we will continue previewing of our speaker’s presentations for the 2026 Emerging Civil War Symposium. This week we feature Pat Kelly Fischer’s topic:

Duel in the Desert: Canby and Sibley’s Fight for the West

Before the Civil War, Edward Canby and Henry Hopkins Sibley fought side by side to secure the newly-acquired West for the United States. But when the Civil War broke out, they found themselves on opposite sides of the firing line. Sibley sought to leverage his pre-war relationships and knowledge of the ground to secure New Mexico for the Confederacy. If successful, he would kick open the door to Colorado’s newly-discovered gold mines, and California’s Pacific ports. Standing in his way: One-time brother-in-arms Edward Canby, with a cobbled together force of U.S. Regulars, local militia, and Colorado Volunteers.

For more information on the 2026 Emerging Civil War Symposium and to purchase tickets, click here.