The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1864-04-16

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The C5ppsrbeaa Riot a Tiiinois.
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nassssa, Cslss esassys uf.s April 1. 1874
I have Just returned from Charleston
where the great riot took placs on Mon
day laat, by which eight persons were
Ikiiled-a OF whom, with the exception
| of two, were good Union men. Charles
ten Il che county seat of Coles county !.
| situated on Shs TsrFe Hasise u Altons r.
| r.. taelpe miles east OF Sattoons Itfiss
to use the yernacul4r here, e. r. right
smart place" and contains about ], s00
inhabitants. It beasts several stores
saloons, large public hall, and q Court
house. The last Is situate on an open
square. in the highest part of town, ssnd
/ il was In the court house ard where the
| fray first commenced. The court house
! il q large brick building, the front part o.
Which Is two stories high, fronting 10
ward the North. On the east and west
sides of the square, about two rods trom
the court house, is a small brick build
ing. used as lawyers Offices; while I'M
mediateIy opposite these arsgentrances
10 the court room. 80 80
On Monday morning last, numerous
SQUADS of the Copperheads came riding
into town. armed 18th reyolveis, whlle
along with them came several wagons, IN
(which, as the sequel shows, arnis were
ttoncealed. There were two reasons for
The outpouring of the Cops the opening
of the County Court, aud the announce.
ment that Tohn T. Eden, N. Gssssvonid
address his secesh constituents There
were few of the 9Th Illinois in town,
preparing togo TO Mattoon, where the
regiment was ordered f. rendezvous, but
were unarmed, save about have dozen,
who had revolyers about nine or ten
o'clock that morning, one VIM. a. hart,
Tor. eriy actinn Provost Marshall, had n
difficulty with Copperhead, in which
the latter came out second best. lie
went and told his story TO his brethren
and they seeing that the soldiers were
very few and unarm d, determined alter
a consultation. to clean them out. IN
order to do this, one Nelson Wells, big.
burly butternut , was commissioned
t. open the ball Acting under this or
der he went st liking around, like P"ddy
at Donnybrook Fair, asking some one to
tread on the tail of his coat. In the
meantime the Count had been OPP ned by
Judge Constable. and John y Hair, the
! Sheriff OF Coles county. was attending to
the duties of his Office. Hon. ~ John
r. Eden, however, anticipating what was
coming, and nat wishing to criminate
| himself, did not attempt TO deliver his
o alton, but quietly started off on foot
about half past ten, accompanied by one
Shofield, a leading Copperhead, and a
member ofthe X: G. Cs. 1t is asserted
by SOM that he has gone to Washington,
and Will not show himself again for some
time.
About . o'clock in the afternoon Oliver
Slllee, Of the 10th Illinois, went up to
| Wells and tapped him on the shoulder,
at the same time asking him if there
were any Copperhea Is about. Wells re-
| piled - Yes, d-=n you. am one" and
drawing his revolver, fired. This was the
signal the reverberatiQns OF this shot
had hardly ceased, when the Copper
heads common ed firing nd,scriminately
among the soldiers and sctiseas. Col.
Mitchell, Of the 54tl Illinois. was in the
county clerks Office at lifetime. and i'm.
mediateIy rnslied out to learn what was
going on. His rpearanceswas5 The signal
! tor the firing of dozenssof pistols athim
and although his clothes Here ridaied
with ballets., he's eaped iniFaculonSly,
having only received two very ight flesh
wounds. Major. Yofk,. saargeon of the
regiment, Eas ia the drag Store, opposite
the west side@af the court house. and
hearing the shots. ran across the street
He had hardly entered the court house
door before several shots were fired.
One scoundrcl, who turns out to be
Green II tnHs. n constable in Paris. and
deputy sheriff under Hair, stepped up
heh:nl the doctor, and placing the muz
lie of revolver to his back. fired. The
unfortunate man fell dead without utter
ing a word. In the meantime Judge
Constable had adjourned the court, and
cleared out of town. while Sheriff O. Hair
abandoned his shrievality, and took up
his position as one of The leaders OF the
insurgents. They ran TO their wagons
taking out their guns and 10 reating be-
Hiud the small brick building in the
courtyard. Here they fired whenever
they saw blue coat. The citizens had
at this time rushed to their homes, and
hastily arming themselves, returned to
the fray. The rebels. then rushing oyer
the fences mounted their horses which
had been tied there, and retreated about
eight or ten rods from the courthouse.
1tere they made momnhtary halt, Blu
again took. TO their heels, when the citi
zons charged on them At this charge
one John Cooper. a hi@, 4oud-mouthed
Copperhead. was ca tured and brought
back. lie attempted to escape by run
ming into jenkins store, when the hol
der. fired, killing him instantly. as also
John Jenkins, who was closing the shop
door to keep Cooper out. This was the,
list shbtfred. The rebels again rstrfatedI
in struggling manner to 0Hairs resi-
dence, about a quarter of mile from
the court -house. Here O'FIair and John
Frazer, we'll to do farmer living about
eight miles north Of Charleston. attempt
ed to rally theg cowsrdly brethren, tbu
n q n