Fort Craig was established in 1853 and garrisoned in 1854 with troops from Fort Conrad about nine miles north. Named after Capt. Louis S. Craig, it was used to control Indian raids along the Jornada del Muerto. Troops from Fort Craig were defeated by Confederates in 1865 at the Battle of Valverde, seven miles away. Between 1863 and 1865 it served as headquarters for campaigns against the Gila and Mimbres Apache.