Idaho Territory in the American Civil War facts for kids
The history of Idaho in the American Civil War is quite special. This is because Idaho was very far from where the main battles of the Civil War were fought.
At the start of the Civil War, what we now call Idaho was part of the Washington Territory. But on March 3, 1863, the Idaho Territory was created. It included all of modern-day Idaho, Montana, and most of Wyoming. However, there were worries about people who supported the Confederacy in the eastern part of the territory (which is now Montana). Because of this, in 1863, Sidney Edgerton quickly went to see President Abraham Lincoln. This visit was one reason why the Montana Territory was later separated from the Idaho Territory. When Montana was split off, most of Idaho Territory's land in Wyoming was given to the Dakota Territory.
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Idaho's Role During the War
Soldiers who volunteered to serve in Idaho did not fight against the Confederacy. Instead, their main jobs were to watch traffic along the Oregon Trail. They also protected important communication routes. These routes connected the western and eastern parts of the United States.
Building Important Forts
Many forts were built or used during this time. Fort Boise, located where the city of Boise is today, was started on July 3, 1863. There was an older Fort Boise nearby, which was a fur trading post built in 1834. It was abandoned before the Civil War.
Gold was discovered in places like Orofino and Florence, Idaho. These discoveries sometimes caused problems with the friendly Nez Perce tribe. To help keep the peace between the Native Americans and the miners, a place called Camp Lapwai was set up. It later became Fort Lapwai.
Conflicts with Native American Tribes
In the early part of the Civil War, volunteer soldiers from Oregon and California had several clashes with Native American groups. These groups included the Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone tribes. These conflicts happened in Oregon and the territories of Washington (which later became Idaho), Utah, and Nevada. They were often called the Snake Indians.
The Snake War Begins
When miners started moving into Native American lands in 1863, for places like Silver City, it led to a bigger conflict called the Snake War. The volunteer soldiers fought against the Snake tribes until federal troops took over in late 1865. The war continued until 1868.
The Bear River Massacre
A very sad event called the Bear River massacre happened on January 29, 1863. It took place near what is now Preston in Franklin County, Idaho. At that time, people thought it was on the border of Washington Territory and Utah Territory.
On that day, about 300 soldiers from the 3rd California Volunteer Infantry Regiment attacked a camp of the Shoshone tribe. These soldiers were led by Colonel Patrick Connor. At least 250 Shoshone people were killed, and only about twenty Shoshone men survived. This attack was in response to many attacks on white settlers in the year before, which were blamed on the Shoshone.
News of this event did not spread much outside of California and Utah. Most major newspapers were focused on the main battles of the Civil War. Today, the Bear River Massacre Site is a National Historic Landmark.
Life in Idaho During the War
There were some people from the Southern states living in Idaho during the war. Most of them had first gone to California and then came to Idaho to search for gold.
Idaho After the Civil War
After the Civil War ended, many soldiers who had fought for the Union Army moved to Idaho. Several of these veterans even became governors of the state. An Idaho Soldiers Home was built in the 1890s to care for these veterans. For many years in the 20th century, the deaths of Civil War veterans were often reported in the news. The last Civil War veteran to die in Idaho was Israel Broadsword in 1952.
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