Nevada in the American Civil War
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Nevada in the American Civil War saw Nevada's entry into full statehood expedited. Union sympathizers were so eager to gain statehood for Nevada that they rushed to send the entire state constitution by telegraph to Congress before the presidential election and they did not believe that sending it by train would guarantee that it would arrive on time. The constitution was sent on October 31st, just 8 days before the election on November 7th, 1864. The Nevada state constitution remains the largest and costliest transmission by telegraph. It had less than 40,000 inhabitants when it gained statehood (territories needed 60,000 to petition for statehood), far fewer than the initial population of any other state. United States President Abraham Lincoln wanted an additional Northern state that would presumably vote for his reelection, and help force pro-Northern ideas into new amendments to the United States Constitution. In total, Nevada sent 1,200 men to fight for the Union.[1]
Nevada's main contribution to the war was the Comstock Lode, whose silver totaling $400,000,000 financed the Union war effort to defeat the southern states. A common belief is that Nevada achieved early statehood due to its silver, but as the Union already had Nevada's silver due to Nevada being its territory, its statehood was due to political concerns, not economic.[2] [3]
There were several sympathizers to the Confederate States of America in Nevada during the War; in fact, of the "Pacific Coast" states, none had more southern supporters.[citation needed] Virginia City, in particular, saw sentiment towards the warring sides split evenly. However, in strict military fashion any strong sentiment that was pro-Confederate was struck down as Union army soldiers arrested the sympathizers and jailed them indefinitely at Fort Churchill, with special corporal punishment inflicted upon these prisoners, until such time as they swore a loyalty oath to the Union. The only time a Confederate flag was flown in the state was at a stone saloon, and defended by gunpoint by one of the saloon's owners until the owner's partner convinced him to change the flag to the United States flag before troops from Fort Churchill forced the matter, causing the commander of Fort Churchill to feel additional paranoia about pro-Confederate sympathies in mining camps, and throughout the war Nevada would be under martial law.[4] [5]
One organization particularly pro-Union was the Virginia City Fire Department. Many of them were originally from New York, and had strong feelings for the New York Fire Zouaves, who many had known when they lived back east. When news arrived of the Union defeat at the First Battle of Manassas, with the New York Fire Zouaves in particular suffering heavy casualties, it was determined by the Virginia City firemen that they would book no celebrations by pro-Confederates, and they bullied any southern sympathizer they met that day by fist and weapons.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. |
- ^ http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Reading%20Room%20Documents/Nevada%20and%20the%20Civil%20War%20(1912).htm
- ^ http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc5/virginia_city1.htm
- ^ http://www.nevadaweb.com/nevadaca/rocha-2.html
- ^ http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Reading%20Room%20Documents/Nevada%20and%20the%20Civil%20War%20(1912).htm
- ^ http://www.nevada-history.org/civil_war.html
- ^ http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Reading%20Room%20Documents/Nevada%20and%20the%20Civil%20War%20(1912).htm
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