| 1st Colorado Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 National color of the regiment | |
| Active | August 1861 to November 1862 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
The1st Colorado Infantry Regiment (officially the1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers) was avolunteerinfantryregiment of theUnited States Army formed in theColorado Territory in 1861 and active in theAmerican West in the late 19th century.
The regiment was formed shortly after the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War by order ofWilliam Gilpin, the first governor of the territory. Recruiters began enlisting men in August 1861, just six months after the organization of the territory. Known as "Gilpin's Pet Lambs" for the involvement of the governor in its formation, the regiment served in theWestern Theater, at first serving in various detachments throughout the territory.
The regiment's most notable service came in theNew Mexico Campaign in the spring of 1862, in which they helped repulse the advance of theArmy of New Mexico underHenry Hopkins Sibley at the battles ofGlorieta Pass andPeralta.
In November 1862, the unit was reorganized along with Companies C and D of the2nd Colorado Infantry into the1st Colorado Cavalry. (This was done since theUS War Department believed cavalry would be better in protecting the Western trails and for fighting the various Indian tribes.)
The first colonel of the regiment wasJohn P. Slough, replaced in April 1862 by MajorJohn Chivington, later chastised for his role as commander of the3rd Colorado Cavalry in the November 1864Sand Creek Massacre.
There is a group ofreenactors who portray the First Colorado (Company D) in Denver. The unit celebrated 50 years in 2024.[1]
Whitford, William Clarke (1906).Colorado Volunteers in the Civil War: The New Mexico Campaign in 1862. Denver: The State Historical and Natural History Society.
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