That's a nice little story, but silver production in Nevada began in 1859 well before the war and Nevada's territorial government was organized as a procedural matter in the "secession winter" session of congress, also before the war. Nevada's state archivist Guy Rocha calls the claim that Nevada was admitted to finance the war "a wonderful tale, but nothing could be farther from the truth" given that the mining had been underway for several years. The real reason for its admittance, which came in late October 1864 (i.e. onyl a few months before the end of the war) was the fact that Lincoln wanted its electoral votes in his 1864 campaign and needed to bolster the moderate ranks in the Republican Congress, which was trending radical.
Confederate tripe.
The constitution is quite clear that no state may be split without the sanction of its legislature. Unless you can show me where the Virginia legislature gave that sanction, the split was illegal. It happened to be sure. But it was still illegal.
Reconstructed Virginia lost all of the court cases it made to recover West Virginia.
Incorrect. If memory serves me well, they sued to recover some of the counties that had been arbitrarily claimed by Wheeling and succeeded in doing so. They were content to let Wheeling go however due to years of differences.
The loyal citizens of western Virginia organized a Unionist government in the absense of any constitutional government within the boundaries of the state.
Bullsh*t. They set up a rump government in Wheeling, purported themselves to rule over about 30 counties to their south that wanted nothing to do with them, and voted for separate statehood with a Saddam Hussein-style "election."
The Cherokees, in particular, wised up by 1863 and pretty much repudiated any agreements they had with the south.
Last time I checked, Chief Stand Watie and the Cherokees he led were among the very last confederate troops to surrender in 1865.
You show me that there was a functioning constitutional government in Virgina in 1863, outside of the western counties! Insurrectionists didn't derive any benefits from the Constitution they spat upon. LOL
The mountaineers organized a state government where none existed.