User:Asiaticus/sandbox/John Henry Mink

John Henry Mink (1816 - 1901) was a Prussian born immigrant to the United States, soldier in the Mexican American War, and a Union Army Officer in New Mexico Territory, at the begining of the American Civil War.

Early Life
John Henry Mink was born in Bielefield, Westfalen, Prussia, on November 26, 1816, to David Wilhelm Minck and Christine Frederica Rolf. He immigrated to the United States in 1844. He came to Saint Louis and enlisted in the Missouri Volunteers at Fort Leavenworth, as a private in the Missouri Light Artillery. In 1846 he came to Santa Fe as part of Kearny's Army of the West. There he was discharged for medical reasons, but remained in Santa Fe. There in 1850 he married a local girl, Maria Antonia Martinez. In 1853, they had a daughter Manuela. By 1856, he was a clerk for the Army in Santa Fe.

Raising and training of the company
With the invasion of the southern part of the Territory, officers were appointed to raise Territorial troops. John H. Minks was appointed to raise a native New Mexican cavalry company. Called Mink's Independent Cavalry Company, it was to serve for a three month term of duty, for the defense of New Mexico Territory. The soldiers came from Peñasco and Taos. He marched them to Santa Fe where they were mustered in on July 10, 1861, and began training. Its first duty was to march south to join the garrison at Fort Craig, New Mexico Territory, till October. That garrison was opposing the Confederate forces from Texas that had occupied the southern part of the territory, and were operating against the Union Army forces on and beyond the northern frontier of what became known as Confederate Arizona.

Minks in the Battle of Canada Alamosa
The commander of the 3d Cavalry Regiment at Fort Craig, had launched a reconnaissance mission to guard against the approach of Confederate forces up the west bank of the Rio Grande. The unit sent was Mink's Independent Cavalry Company. Captain John H. Minks led his company of around 100 men southward and stopped at the village of San Ygnacio de la Alamosa (or La Alamosa), on the south side of Alamosa Creek, then known as Canada Alamosa. There Minks ordered his men to build a camp next to the village. The camp consisted of a corral and breastworks, to defend against any possible Confederate attack.

Later Life
The 1870 census records Minks as a lawyer, living with his wife and child in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The 1880 census records Minks living with his wife in Anton Chico, New Mexico.

John Henry Mink died on January 17, 1901 at the age of 84, in Guadalupe County, New Mexico.