The area that eventually became the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

played little direct role in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The closest the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

ever came to the area was

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

and eastern

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

, each over a thousand miles away. There was not even an

organized territory Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...

using "Montana" until the

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...

was created on May 26, 1864, three years after the Battle of Fort Sumter. In 1861, the area was divided between the

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 N ...

and the

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, and in 1863, it was part of the Idaho Territory. Nevertheless,

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

sympathizers 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 sympathizers 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 Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which a ...

In southwest Montana, Madison County residents of the area native to the

Southeast United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

wished to name their new town Varina, in honor of

Varina Davis Varina Anne Banks Howell Davis (May 7, 1826 – October 16, 1906) was the only First Lady of the Confederate States of America, and the longtime second wife of President Jefferson Davis. She moved to a house in Richmond, Virginia, in mid-1 ...

, the wife of the Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The Varina Townsite Company, on June 16, 1863, went to confirm the of land as the town of Varina. However, when they applied for the name, the judge—

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

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 Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, and they did so, incorporating the town of

Virginia City Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, and the largest community in the county. The city is a part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Virginia City developed as a boom ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

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. The loyalty towards the Confederacy concerned many supporters of the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

. Seeing this, Sidney Edgerton in 1863 went quickly to see

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

about the situation, and this was one impetus to create the Montana Territory so quickly.

Gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface, ...

in Montana began during the Civil War; gold

placer deposit In geology, a placer deposit or placer is an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation from a specific source rock during sedimentary processes. The name is from the Spanish word ''placer'', meaning "alluvial sand". Placer mi ...

s were discovered at

Bannack Bannack is a ghost town in Beaverhead County, Montana, Beaverhead County, Montana, United States, located on Grasshopper Creek, approximately upstream from where Grasshopper Creek joins with the Beaverhead River south of Dillon, Montana, Dillon. ...

in 1862. The resulting

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...

resulted in more placer discoveries, including those at Virginia City in 1863 and at Helena and

Butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word me ...

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 sympathizers found a vein of gold eight miles (13 km) west of

Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** 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.

Civil War Regiments in Montana Territory

Although no organized Confederate forces reached Montana Territory, a series of union regiments, most of which were raised to fight confederates in the south, instead found themselves far to the west of the Civil War, fighting Native Americans and guarding outposts in Montana Territory. They are listed here:

Infantry

* 1st United States Volunteer Infantry Regiment, "Galvanized Yankees", In 1865 Company H served at Fort Benton, deep within Montana Territory, and the same year Company B was stationed at Fort Union, Dakota Territory (just outside the Montana border). Company H gained the designation of serving the farthest north out of all the companies of the "Galvanized Yankees". * 8th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, District of Iowa - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, all ten companies (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and K) of this regiment after being mounted on horses marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864. This regiment was then transferred to the Department of the Cumberland and Nashville, Tennessee, going on to fight with the 23rd Corps at the Battle of Wyse Fork, North Carolina. In the last year of the Civil War, the 8th Minnesota saw service in Minnesota, Dakota Territory, Montana Territory, Alabama, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina, traveling more miles than any other regiment of the Union Army. *

30th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 30th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 30th Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into federal s ...

, One company (I) of this regiment garrisoned Fort Union, Dakota Territory from 1864 until June, 1865. Fort Union was located just outside Montana in present-day North Dakota.

Cavalry

* 1st Dakota Territory Volunteer Cavalry Battalion, 2nd Brigade, District of Iowa - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, the two companies (A and B) that made up this battalion marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864. * 2nd California Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Western Column, Powder River Expedition - Two companies (L and M) of this regiment accompanied Colonel James H. Kidd's left column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, traveling down the Tongue River valley. * 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, District of Iowa - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, six companies of this regiment marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864. * 6th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, District of Iowa - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, eleven companies of this regiment marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864. * 6th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Western Column, Powder River Expedition - This regiment, which is most known for being part of Custer's Michigan Cavalry Brigade in the Army of the Potomac, found four of its companies accompanying Colonel James H. Kidd's western column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, traveling down the Tongue River valley. * 7th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, District of Iowa and Western Column, Powder River Expedition - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, three companies of this regiment marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864. The next year, one company (F) of the regiment accompanied Colonel James H. Kidd's western column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, traveling down the Tongue River valley. * 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Western Column, Powder River Expedition - This regiment, initially organized as the 7th Ohio Cavalry and then the 6th Ohio Cavalry, found two of its companies (E and K) accompanying Colonel James H. Kidd's western column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, traveling down the Tongue River valley. * 12th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Eastern Column, Powder River Expedition - All twelve companies of this regiment (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, and M) marched out from Omaha, Nebraska as part of Colonel Nelson D. Cole's eastern column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, participating in fighting against Native American's throughout the Powder River country of southeastern Montana. * 15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Central Column, Powder River Expedition - One company of this regiment, (H) acting as an artillery battery marched north from Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory as part of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker's central column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, participating in fighting against Native American's throughout the Powder River country of southeastern Montana. * 16th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, Central Column, Powder River Expedition - Eight companies of this regiment marched north from Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory as part of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker's central column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, participating in fighting against Native American's throughout the Powder River country of southeastern Montana. * Brackett's Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry Battalion, 1st Brigade, District of Iowa - Commanded by Major Alfred B. Brackett, the battalion was part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, this regiment marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864. * Independent Company, Pawnee Scouts, Nebraska Cavalry, Western Column, Powder River Expedition - This company, made up of Pawnee's, and commanded by Captain Frank Joshua North, accompanied Colonel James H. Kidd's western column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, fighting and scouting around the Tongue and Powder River country in southeastern Montana. * Independent Company, Omaha and Winnebago Scouts, Nebraska Cavalry, Western Column, Powder River Expedition - This company, made up of Omaha's and Winnebago's, and commanded by Captain Edwin W. Nash, accompanied Colonel James H. Kidd's western column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, scouting throughout the Tongue River valley. * Stufft's Independent Company of Indian Scouts, Nebraska Cavalry, 2nd Brigade, District of Iowa - Commanded by Captain Christian Stufft, the company was part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, this company marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of Montana Territory in July, 1864.

Artillery

* 2nd Missouri Volunteer Light Artillery Regiment, Eastern and Western Columns, Powder River Expedition - After serving in the South (with Battery H fighting at the battles of Pilot Knob, Little Blue River, Big Blue River, and Westport, in Missouri, and at the Battle of Mine Creek, Kansas), seven Batteries of this regiment (B, C, D, E, H, L, and M) equipped as cavalry marched out from Omaha, Nebraska as part of Colonel Nelson D. Cole's eastern column of the Powder River Expedition of 1865, participating in fighting against Native American's throughout the Powder River country of southeastern Montana. Also, a detachment of 14 men from this regiment accompanied Colonel James H. Kidd's western column of the same Expedition, traveling through the Tongue River valley. * 3rd Minnesota Volunteer Light Artillery Battery, 2nd Brigade, District of Iowa - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, this battery marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of the Montana Territory in 1864. * Prairie Light Artillery Battery, 1st Brigade, District of Iowa - Part of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's 1864 Expedition against the Sioux, this battery marched along the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of the Montana Territory in 1864.

Miscellaneous

* United States Signal Corps, Western and Eastern Columns, Powder River Expedition - Two separate U.S. Signal Corps detachments, both made up of men from the Department of Missouri who had recently participated in Civil War campaigns in the east, accompanied the Powder River Expedition of 1865, with the first detachment of 15 men accompanying Colonel James Kidd's western column in traveling down the Tongue River valley, and the second detachment of 7 men joining Colonel Nelson D. Cole's eastern column from Omaha, Nebraska, campaigning against Native American's throughout the Powder River country of southeastern Montana.

Gallery

Image:VirginiaCityGhostTown.jpg, Historic area of Virginia City

References

{{American Civil War , expanded=CTCBS Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War American Civil War by state