William F. M. Arny: Secretary of New Mexico Territory, 1862-1867

In this rich portrait, made in a Washington studio, Arny characteristically wears an Indian blanket over his suit.

Arny was one of the best of the Indian agents. A friend of Lincoln, he was appointed to succeed Kit Carson as agent to the Utes and Jacarilla Apaches in 1860. He famously attended an 1861 reception at the White House dressed as a Mountain Man, and pleaded the cause of his charges. In 1862 he was appointed Territorial Secretary for New Mexico, and he served in various capacities until 1875.

The Territorial Secretary was the 3rd most powerful official in NM. The congressman would be first and the governor second. 

The Territorial Secretary served as governor when the governor was out of the territory. He also presided over the legislature. The legislature was predominantly Republican as was Arny and Elkins. It served NM to be Republican during the war because their agriculture and stock fed the 6 or seven forts within their boundaries. Fort Union, in addition to its soldiers, employed maybe 2000 civilians. 

Governor Connnelly (the first governor of the territory in Yankee Gold) and Governor Mitchell were both absent from the territory several times when Secretary Arny served as governor. Elkins takes advantage of that fact when he challenges Mitchell for removing him from office after an absence.