, 1864-04-02
TEE COILS COUNTY, 1s1or.

TEE COILS COUNTY, 1e1OE.
A Fun Account Of the origin, Prog
Tess and Conclusion Of tho Copper
TFrom the Charleston tco'es County Plain Dealer,
| Extra,
! CHARLESTON, March 81, 1864.
This niternoona dreadful affair took place
IN our town-the most shocking In Its details
that has ever occurred in our part of the
State. Early In the morning, squads Of Cop
perheadB came In town, from vaftous direc-
tiors, md, as The sequel will show, armed
and determined upon summary vengeance
1itions Of the coming trouble were too evil
dent Some Of the soldiers, about to return
to thctr regiments, were somewhat excited
by liquor, and consequently rather bolster
| ous, but not belngercut-were more disposed
f9r @ fun than fight: About4 O'Clock, a soldier,
Oliver sallee, stepped up to Nelson Wells, who
has been regarded as the leader :of the Cop
Ferbcads m 'this county, and placing his
hand -good-naturcdlJ7 ag ,inst him. plaYfully
asked him IT, there were any Coppcrheads
N town! Wells replied. 'Yes, God id you, ,
an one!' and drawing his revolver shot At
sal1ee, but MISSED him. In IN instant sallee
was shot from another direction, and fell.
bnt raising himself up, he fired ut Wells, TIC
ball taking effect in Lis Yita1s. He (W.) went
as far as Chambers & McCrory's store, and,
gathered behind Judge Edwards Office, load.
Ing their firearms, and then would step ont
and fire from the corner at the soldiers iudis-
cr1m1nately, with guns and revolrcrs OF
course having come fully prepared thex had
Vastly the advantage over the soldiers, who
were not expecting such an attack. and we're
for the most part unnrmed. Those who
were armed would hardly know at whom to
IRE until they wero fred upon. The Cop
pefneads were seen to hurry to their
wagons, hitched at the square, and
rnea snnnea,. .GeteiIom @ several guns, which were
freely used and with terrible effect. Thomas
Jetit1es wns the next to- fall, receiving an
1sly wound iRthe neck VIM. Gilman was
shot @ By 3; T; Dukes, the ball striking rib
Gn tSc ns sesn te,t siqe and glanced o Dukes
wards declared that be had killed him. Col
AlitcheH received several shots THROUGH his
clothes; one hit his watch and glanced ofT
pIodnclng only slight flesh wound upon his
abdomen. The watch thus, proytdentially,
9aEed 9m; ms A1e; Dr, York, surgeon Of the 5ath
Illinois, while passing through the Court
House, was approached By some one from
behind, who took deliberate aim, and ghot
him dcad--the pistol being held SO close to
pun that the powder burned his cont! So
1ar as..Wo can learn, DR.. York was not |
-
iessionsl capacity us surgeon, and in trying
to restore order: A soldier, Alfred Swim,
company G, 51th Illinois, wns shot, and |
taken to Drs. Allen q Van Meters office,
where he soon died. Mr.. Swim lived some
where near Casey, in Clark county, where be
leaves q wife and three children. He is |
spoken OF by al1 as having been an excellent |
soldier and q good citizen. Wm. G, Hart, |
deputy Provost Marshal, Nus shot In several |
places, In the head and vitals; his wounds
pany G, 5!th Illinois, received a shocking
wound being shotin the bowels, his wound,
we fear, Will prove mortal.
About five o'clock the reinforcemcnts from
Mattoon arrived and, while in the court
house yard, :Mr. John Cooper, from sarlis-
oner. by Mr. ". A.. Noe and Soldier Mr, C, i
nad taken ~ active part in the alftay. When /
IN front OF Jcnkins' store, he attempted to |,
escape, and when commanded TO lnlt, refused +
to DO SO; whercupon, MI. Noe fired over C.'s |.
head, who, In return, fired at some Of our |:
lin, which was done, and he fell dead at II
Jenkins' door. Unfortunately, one of the |:
balls passed through the closed door, aud
struck Mr. John Jenkins in the groin, pro-
wound Mr. Cooper was Shot through the
neck and shoulder. When the CoppeTheads
were halted near Mrs. Dlckson,s. be Was
heard to say that as they now had no leader,
he was ready to lead them back and kill the
Id soldiers. and burn the town, or die in
heard to threaten. to cut out the hearts Of, :
the Nd Abolitionists," and use kindred Z,
expresslong- .,.~ ......,. ;. 90
Unarned Is our boys were, Colonel Mitch. !
sn soon 5allled al ha could, citizens and sol
d1cIs, and inprovisiDg such arms Il could BE-
had, gathered at the southwest corner OF the
Square, as the Copperheads retreated down
1Ae Street running easttherefrom. DISPATCHES