This monument is  dedicated to the men of  the Civil War who fought  at the Battle of Picacho  Peak on July 15, 1862. Union soldiers were sent from California to drive the Confederates out of Arizona. Under the command of Colonel James Carleton, the two thousand soldiers of the California Column arrived in Arizona in the spring of 1862. Crossing the Colorado River at Arizona City (Yuma), the army began its march toward Tucson. There was a brief fight between Union and Confederate scouts at Stanwick Station, northeast of Arizona City. On April 15, 1862 a 90-minute battle occurred at Picacho Peak, some forty miles north of Tucson. Three Union and two Confederate soldiers were killed. The surviving Confederate soldiers fled back to Tucson and Captain Hunter. Captain Hunter now learned of the battle at Picacho Peak. He realized that his Confederate soldiers were vastly outnumbered. He decided that he and his soldiers should leave Tucson. Picacho is a Spanish word  that means “peak.” So,  this Arizona State Park  could be called “Peak  Peak!” Many Arizona  names come from the  state’s Spanish and Native  American history and  culture.   Picacho Peak is the  tilted, uplifted remains of  an ancient lava flow. It has  always been a landmark  guide for travelers of the  Sonoran Desert. 76 Chapter 7 • Finding an Identity