Montana in the American Civil War
Encyclopedia
Montana
played little direct role in the American Civil War
. The closest the Confederate States Army
ever came to Montana was New Mexico
and eastern Kansas
, each over a thousand miles away. Montana was not even an organized territory until Montana Territory
was created on May 26, 1864, three years after the Battle of Fort Sumter
; in 1861, it was divided between the Dakota Territory
and the Washington Territory
, and in 1863, it was part of the Idaho Territory
.
Nevertheless, Confederate
soldiers did have a presence in what is now the U.S. state
of Montana
. Those in the Montana Territory who supported the Confederate side were varied. Among them were Confederate soldiers who were determined that some of Montana's gold would go into the Southern
instead of Northern
coffers. But most were those who would rather not fight in the war, which ranged from pure drifters to actual Confederate deserters
.
In southwest Montana, Madison County
residents of the area native to the Southeast United States wished to name their new town Varina, in honor of Varina Davis, the wife of the Confederate President
Jefferson Davis
. The Varina Townsite Company, on June 16, 1863, went to confirm the 320 acres (1.3 km²) of land as the town of Varina. However, when they applied for the name, the judge—Connecticut
native Dr. G.G. Bissell—refused, saying they would be "damned" before he would allow the town to be named for the first lady
of the Confederacy. Bissell did say he would allow the company to name the town after the state of Virginia
, and they did so, incorporating the town of Virginia City
. Charles Dickens
even mentioned it in his book All the Year Round
. The town would remain sympathetic to the South, even after being named the capital of Montana. When boats sailed down the Yellowstone River
from the town, the local newspaper said they were sailing to "America."
The loyalty towards the Confederacy concerned many supporters of the Union
. Seeing this, Sidney Edgerton
in 1863 went quickly to see Abraham Lincoln
about the situation, and this was one impetus to create the Montana Territory so quickly.
Gold mining
in Montana began during the Civil War; gold placer deposit
s were discovered at Bannack
in 1862. The resulting gold rush
resulted in more placer discoveries, including those at Virginia City in 1863 and at Helena
and Butte
in 1864. Gold from the Montana gold mines went to both sides of the conflict. In Broadwater County
, in the central portion of the state, Confederate soldiers found a vein of gold eight miles (13 km) west of Townsend
, with the immediate area named "Confederate Gulch" in their honor. It was said to be among the "largest and richest of the placer diggings" within the state.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
played little direct role in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The closest the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
ever came to Montana was New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and eastern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, each over a thousand miles away. Montana was not even an organized territory until Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
was created on May 26, 1864, three years after the Battle of Fort Sumter
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, that started the American Civil War. Following declarations of secession by seven Southern states, South Carolina demanded that the U.S. Army abandon its facilities in Charleston Harbor. On...
; in 1861, it was divided between the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
and the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
, and in 1863, it was part of the Idaho Territory
Idaho Territory
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
.
Nevertheless, Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldiers did have a presence in what is now the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Those in the Montana Territory who supported the Confederate side were varied. Among them were Confederate soldiers who were determined that some of Montana's gold would go into the Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
instead of Northern
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
coffers. But most were those who would rather not fight in the war, which ranged from pure drifters to actual Confederate deserters
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
.
Madison County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest *Gallatin National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,851 people, 2,956 households, and 1,921 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile...
residents of the area native to the Southeast United States wished to name their new town Varina, in honor of Varina Davis, the wife of the Confederate President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
. The Varina Townsite Company, on June 16, 1863, went to confirm the 320 acres (1.3 km²) of land as the town of Varina. However, when they applied for the name, the judge—Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
native Dr. G.G. Bissell—refused, saying they would be "damned" before he would allow the town to be named for the first lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of the Confederacy. Bissell did say he would allow the company to name the town after the state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and they did so, incorporating the town of Virginia City
Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City is a town in and the county seat of Madison County, Montana, United States. In 1961, the town and the surrounding area was designated a National Historic Landmark District, the Virginia City Historic District...
. Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
even mentioned it in his book All the Year Round
All the Year Round
All the Year Round was a Victorian periodical, being a British weekly literary magazine founded and owned by Charles Dickens, published between 1859 and 1895 throughout the United Kingdom. Edited by Dickens, it was the direct successor to his previous publication Household Words, abandoned due to...
. The town would remain sympathetic to the South, even after being named the capital of Montana. When boats sailed down the Yellowstone River
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
from the town, the local newspaper said they were sailing to "America."
The loyalty towards the Confederacy concerned many supporters of the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
. Seeing this, Sidney Edgerton
Sidney Edgerton
Sidney Edgerton was a politician, lawyer, judge and teacher from Ohio. He served during the American Civil War, as a Squirrel Hunter. During this time, Edgerton served as a U.S. Congressman. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln appointed him the first Chief justice of the Idaho Territorial Court...
in 1863 went quickly to see Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
about the situation, and this was one impetus to create the Montana Territory so quickly.
Gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
in Montana began during the Civil War; gold placer deposit
Placer deposit
In geology, a placer deposit or placer is an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes. The name is from the Spanish word placer, meaning "alluvial sand". Placer mining is an important source of gold, and was the main technique used in the early...
s were discovered at Bannack
Bannack, Montana
Bannack is a ghost town in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States, located on Grasshopper Creek, approximately upstream from where Grasshopper Creek joins with the Beaverhead River south of Dillon.-History:...
in 1862. The resulting gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
resulted in more placer discoveries, including those at Virginia City in 1863 and at Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
and Butte
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
in 1864. Gold from the Montana gold mines went to both sides of the conflict. In Broadwater County
Broadwater County, Montana
-Economy:Agriculture is one of the primary industries in Broadwater County. RY Timber and Wheat Montana Bakery were the largest private employers according to the 2000 Census.-Demographics:...
, in the central portion of the state, Confederate soldiers found a vein of gold eight miles (13 km) west of Townsend
Townsend, Montana
Townsend is a city in and the county seat of Broadwater County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,867 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, with the immediate area named "Confederate Gulch" in their honor. It was said to be among the "largest and richest of the placer diggings" within the state.