Montana in the American Civil War Montana in the American Civil War The area that eventually became the U.S. state of Montana played little direct role in the American Civil War. The closest the Confederate States Army ever came to the area was New Mexico and eastern Kansas, each over a thousand miles away. There was not even an organized territory using "Montana" until the Montana Territory was created on May 26, 1864, three years after the Battle of Fort Sumter. In 1861, the area was divided between the Dakota Territory and the Washington Territory, and in 1863, it was part of the Idaho Territory. Nevertheless,
Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War of the Civil War. In February 1861, the Peace Congress, a last-ditch attempt by delegates from 21 of the 34 states to avert what many saw as the impending Civil War, met in the city's Willard Hotel. The strenuous effort failed and the War started in April 1861. At first, it looked as though neighbouring Virginia would remain in the Union. When it unexpectedly voted Confederate, there was a serious danger that the divided state of Maryland would do the same, totally surrounding the capital with enemy states. President Abraham Lincoln’s act in jailing Maryland's pro-slavery leaders (without trial) saved