A depiction of the failed 1861 Peace Conference in the Willard Hall of the Willard Hotel. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

From the Washington Post:

“As part of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, historians are gathering at the Willard InterContinental hotel to remember the failed, and largely forgotten, peace conference of 1861. There, 150 years ago this month, 132 delegates from 21 states bickered, bargained and tried in vain to bridge the chasm that widened beneath them even as they met. Six weeks after they adjourned, the war began.”

Follow the on-going coverage of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War – including blogs, tweets, photos, maps, timelines and special stories –  on this special page of the Washington Post.