The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-04-02
THE COLES COUNTY TROUBLE.

For the last few days the Chicago dailies
! and particularly those OF the abolition
.trpe) have been full of the widest re-
ports Of terrible outbreak between the
"Copperlleads" and rsturaed Soldiers at
Charleston and Nation, Coles County, IN
this State. These reports were SO palpa-
bly, partisan, exaggerated, and contradic-
| tory in character, that we almost dlspalreo
of finding out what really had occurred,
until yesterdays Chicago papers ana par
ticularly the Times, brought letters from
the scene of disturbance, which give RAJ
tlonal solution Of the affair
This, then, appears to be the true state
1 of facts. in brief. For some time past,
considerable rad blood had been engen
derins between the democrats and abo
litionists and particularly returnrd sold>
iers, in Coles County. by the Ill treatment
| to which the former had been frequently
subjected by the latter. 1t was here that
the estinnable Judge Constable had been
, maltreated by the soldiers, and at least
half a dozen OF bloody affrays in that VII
cinty between citizens and soldiers have
| been recorded in the papers during the
past month.
On Monday last the Circuit Court met
at Charleston This naturally brought
many people to town. Then the Hon j.
& Eden, member Of congress from that
district, had announced his purpose to
eDaool, in tho This
brought many more. Amoug them came
delegation frsm the township where Sher'
if o Hair lived, town where trequen:
difficulties had occurred between citizens
and soldiers, stimulated more, it is said
by Ii quor than politics and this delegate
came armed. As the day progressed one
of the soldiers iostled one Of the O Hair
mea, named Wells, who warned him not
to do so again. Wells was again pushed
when pistols began to flash. Wells AMI
the soldier were tn killed, but it is said
Wells fell first Firing then became gem
erai, during which ! men were killed, and
dozen other wounded. Among the kill
! ed, was Dr. York, surgeon Of tho 9th
! regiment, and other soldiers. Most OF
! the killed and wounded took no part in
. the ARRAY. The whole affair lasted but a
/ few minutes and leading democrats and
aboitionists went to work at once ener-
ge:ically and successfully TO restore quiet,
Mr. Eden recalled his notice to make a
speech, and by evening the people gener-
/ ally had gone home
/ Rumors, however, we're flying about Of
/ armed parties gathering here and there
threatening the soldiers, TO burn the town,
/ dc, and resulted in sending 10 Springfield
/ for troops. Several regiments were s9nt,
but after scouting Il 9 country ia all direc>
tons, found that the rurors about the
''copperheads organizing, entrsnching
themselves, de, were without foundation,
and left for other parts.
! Some forty persons engaged in the af-
; Fray lave been arrested, and thus the II st-
'ar ha, ended.
Politically, there is but this to say
about it. / he facts show that it was q
row between drunken citizens AMI drunk
On soldiers, growing cut Of former coils
sions between the same classes, and the
row over, By the efforts Of sober citizens
OF all parties that vas the end Of it.
OF course, then, the dispatches in the
abolition papers magnifyingit into seces-
sion outbreak, and to give aid and comfort
to the reteis by conveying TO them the
IDEA tina, they had friends fighting for
them in Illinois, is no less reasonable
than it IS false and wicked The only tsn~
dency Of such faIsehoois can be prudence
the very violence between loyal citizens
which they pretend to depreca:e,-a re-
suit which, indeed, the abolition press il.
nov to ali appearance systematically en-
aged ia trying TO bring about.
The democracy Of Illinois have 10 SYM
pa;hy with rebels, and will never do an
act to weaken the government in its efforts
10 suppress the rebellion. But they know
their own rights as citizens, and if ao5-
litionists, whether in cit;z.ns or soldiers
clothes, attempt to act on the suggestion
Of Gov. Yates, that abe 'copperheads'
{ meaning democrats) have no rights
which negro should respect, and tram-
pie on them, they will kaow how to pro-
tect themselves.