also the largest settlement in Southern Arizona at the time and had already considered secession as far back as 1859, when Tucson citizens and Mesilla citizens petitioned the U.S. government for the creation of a Union Arizona territory, with this request being denied. Despite Tucson's presidio walls, the fortress had no garrison at the time of secession and therefore was an open city at first until the creation of a small militia force. Tubac, to the south of Tucson was another old Spanish presidio. Tucson's militia rescued the Tubacans during the Siege of Tubac in spring of 1861 under the command of Captain Granville Henderson Oury. After John R. Baylor established himself as Governor of Arizona, two district courts were created. The Confederates declared Mesilla the capital and home of the first district court, due to its geographical location, close to Texas and not beyond the vast stretch of desert that lies beyond Tucson and Mesilla. Tucson was home of the second district court. Not long after the official creation of Confederate Arizona in early 1862, Texan and Arizonan rebels defeated a Union cavalry patrol at the Battle of Canada Alamosa. When Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley began his New Mexico Campaign to capture Union New Mexico, north of the 34th parallel, he dispatched a company of mounted Arizona militia and Texas Mounted Rifles to hold Tucson. They were commanded by Captain Sherod Hunter and composed of about seventy-five men. General Sibley went on to fight the Battle of Valverde, north of Mesilla. At Confederate Arizona's border with Union New Mexico, several other engagements were fought as well. Ultimately his army, comprising many Arizona militia, with supplies scarce in the region, won a tactical victory at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, but was forced to withdraw due to the loss of provisions. In the meantime, the region suffered from the worst Apache conflict in the American history of the area. In the early 1860s, Mangas Coloradas and Cochise led thousands of Apache warriors in several different battles. Apaches attacked the Pinos Altos mining town in traditional Arizona, one of the major engagements between rebel Arizona militia and Apache warriors. Placito was also attacked, again Confederate States Army troops and Arizona militia successfully warded off the Apaches. After the failure of the New Mexico Campaign, Confederate Arizona's days were drawing to an end. Union forces advanced south from Fort Union and