It is quite possible that Colorado may have been a Confederate state had she been a state at the time the War Between the States broke out. During the late 1850's, many Southerners migrated to the Colorado Territory in search of new opportunities, including working in the newly discovered gold fields. When the War broke out, many returned to the South to defend their homes; however, some remained, forming militia groups in Fairplay, Leadville, Denver and Mace's Hole (near present day Beulah). There were pockets of strong support for the Confederacy in the mining areas and in the Arkansas River Valley, from Canon City eastward to Lamar, and Canon City southward to Trinidad.

     Shortly after the War began, one morning on 24 April 1861, Denver awakened to find a Confederate flag flying over the Larimer St. warehouse of Wallingford and Murphy. A crowd of men gathered to demand its removal, in which Samuel Logan, a Unionists, climbed up and tore the flag down, threatening bloodshed if it was not. There are conflicting reports as to what happened next; some say a compromise was reached and the flag was permitted to remain for one day, while others state the flag was removed.

     In 1861, when Confederate Gen. Henry Sibley organized his Army of New Mexico to invade New Mexico, Capt. George Madison was commissioned by Sibley to venture into Colorado with a two-fold mission: disrupt federal mail and communication lines, and to help organize Confederate recruitment in Colorado.

     A rumor started that many were staying in a mountain hideout, forming a Southern military regiment. The rumor was true. Pueblo was a huge Southern area and those who wanted to serve the South could get hooked up in Pueblo. The mountain hideout was called Mace's Hole. In the mountains outside of Pueblo, Colonel John Heffinger was the Southern commander put in charge of recruiting and readying this Southern force.

     At this time, Confederate recruits in Colorado were first sent to a camp in the Pikes Peak area, and then sent to the main Confederate encampment at Mace's Hole. Gen. Sibley was working on two objectives for his Army of New Mexico at that time: capture of the state of New Mexico to open a path to the Pacific, and capture Colorado to take the much needed gold mines for the South.

     At one point, in early 1862, Capt. Madison and his men captured mail to Ft. Garland, and were actively planning a raid on Ft. Garland with Col. Heffinger's regiment (about 600 soldiers) from Mace's Hole. Unfortunately, Federal soldiers learned of the encampment at Mace's Hole and broke up the regiment while many were away. The Federals took prisoners of those who remained in camp that day. Following this, Col. Heffinger, his officers, including Capt. Madison and his men, were all ordered back to join Sibley, as the war in Mexico had taken a turn for the worse at Glorieta Pass.

     In March 1862, Confederate forces, under the command of General Henry Sibley, hoping to gain control of the Colorado gold fields, attempted to enter Colorado, but were stopped by the 1st Colorado Volunteers at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, NM. That was the turning point of the War in the west, and the Confederate Army never attempted to enter Colorado again.

     The Reynolds Gang operated in South Park in 1864, with their goal being to rob the gold mines of South Park to help finance the Confederate Government. However, their goal was never accomplished and the members were eventually captured (realistically, they were more of a gang of outlaws). While they were being taken to Ft. Lyon, the first stop on their way to Denver for a military trial, they attempted their escape. A gunfight ensued, in which three of members were killed; however two managed to steal horses in the confusion and escaped to the New Mexico Territory.

     Once the War was over, many Confederate Veterans returned to Colorado or ventured out west in search of a new start. They were fundamental in helping to develop Colorado into a prosperous state. One Confederate Veteran in particular, Charles S. Thomas, became the 11th Governor of Colorado and a U.S. Senator, and some of President Jefferson Davis' descendants settled in Colorado Springs, where they remain to this day.