Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-04

detailed account OF the origin,
Occurrence and termination of the
affatr-The bloody responsibiIity
re.tIngupsn the 4 boiitionists
sp,oialCorrespoudsnos Of the Chicago inns
MArTooS. III. April /. ls64
The recent Disturbances At Charleston. in this
Coles county, concerning which many ex
aggeratons have found their way into print we're
but the natural and inevitable result Of the out
RACES which the citizens of Coles and adjoining
counties have received At the hands OF Federal
soldiers IL may be- and certainly IL, terrible
thing Tor private citizens TO engage in such
scene. o. violence az those which 20 recently
trsnspi-ed in THE county seat. and yet IL J. 40
natural. when the law - pOwere~s To redress
wrongs, for the sufferers 10 redress themselves.
that Il should occasion no surprise. With like
causes the same terrible SCENES may be enacted
in Coles county tomorrow. aud with the like
causes which exist 10 almost every town IN the
North. the same scenes may az any time be Ell
acted in almost any portion Of the country. There
is but one remedy tor such disturbances. and that
the cessation o. the practice Of turning soldiers
loose upon the country in sufficient numbers TO
invite them 10 lawessbess. IL Is only where
there are numbers OF soldiers together that any
complaint has ever been made of them. One
two, or as many dozen. can 20 aud come and re.
side at pleasure IN the most ultra OF the 80 called
comprehend" communities. and give rise 10 no
more disturbance or excitement than IL they
were "chiet among the eopperheads." Not so,
however, where large numbers OF soldiers are
found together-where they n sufficient mum
bers TO defy or TO occupy equal grounds with
popular sentiment Then the lawlessness which
has been instil!ed into them by the teachings OF
a corrupt press and 0isosal constitution hating
and breaking party. Is sure 10 manifest itself
IL is quite fashionable among them, melted aud
encouraged aud rewarded by the approval OF the
par excellence patriots yclept negro worshippers.
to invade the personal rights of Democrats, but
still their outrages not confined strictly TO
this class The lawless spirit engendered among
them has in more than one instance. found ex-
preston in the destruction, or rather apprOprIa-
ton. OF property of men quite as loyal as them
selves.
The people of Coles county, a. those Of many
other interior counties where the whole people
have been Frustrated helpless and powerless at
the feet of sOdery shO saw, in their power
aud the terror they inspired. but invitation To
commit any outrage or violate any law or custom
founded upon public convenience or decency
which they proper Prominent among the
outrages perpetrated upon citizens OF Coles
county, was the mobbing of Hon II Consta
ble Judge of this Judicial District. this place,
in the latter part Of January last. The dastardly
act. though probably perpetrsted at the direct
instigation of Abolitionists.-ast received at the
time their warmest approval affected the people
beyond measure. All right-thnkng citizens OF
the county felt deeply the disgrace they had suf-
lered ia the person OF their chief judicial officer.
than whom none in Illinois bears a reputation
more stainless, and not prepared to
brook kindly the other outrages which we're to
follow
The 54th Illinois Infantry Colonel G. NJ.
Mitchell, having re enlisted returned as veterans.
and was furlouehed from this place. the men re-
turning 10 their homes ia Coles and adjoining
counties. At first, the men behaved with reason
able propriety. Soon. however, the very loose
ideas of rights OF person and property. and liberal
constructions of laws aud constitutions. enter
tanned by the "Lincontes," were embraced by
them and then their action far from what 10
should have been From the mischievous de
structon of small articles of property and petty
annoy ances, in which their lawlessness first found
expression. their progress WAS rapid TO the most
high handed outrages The regiment-the pri-
vate soldiers | mean-seem To have conceived
themselves charged with the especial duty of
Administering the oath OF allegiance, and OF
"putting down copDerhesds Divided into small
squads usually OF from FIVE TO six, maddened
by liquor and breathing the most shameful pro-
family, they would stagger along the public streets
administering what they called the ''oath" Of al
ltglduct W every tuel lnct Any
mortal with the fantest spark of manhood,
whether n Democrat or an Aboltionist would
hesitate before taking any oath at the dictation
of these drunken miscreantS, and frequently they
would meet with men whose hesitation amounted
to refusal When such one was found, a hall
dozen soldiers more, it more were present,
would beat HIM numerically, until their strength
and drunken fury were exhausted together
These things were doubtless done at the instiga-
ton of AbolitiOnists, and had the effect OF rem
dering the soldiers entirely independent of their
officers. Colonel Mitchell and Major York were
constant in their endeavors 10 compel the soldiers
orderly conduct But unruy had they be
come that, on one occasion, when Col. Mitchell
was endeayOring to rescue one OF their victims
from the hands of his men, one of them made AN
assault upon him, and, but for a Lieutenant who
parted the blow, would undoubtedly have
knocked his Colonel down.
Among the men SD beaten were some from
"O'Hair's Settlement" who were quite fond
OF liquor the soldiers. and had betrayed them
selves into several afirays with them while over
their cups These men determined to revenge
themselves upon the soldiers.
Last Monday was the commencement of the
spring term of court, an event which usually
brings many citizens 10 the county seat In adj
dition To the commencement OF court. IT was I'M
derstood that Hon John X. Ellen, the Demo-
cratic member OF Congress from this district
would address his constituents, and this would
bring to Charleston large proportion of the
Democrats Of the county. The people u''O Hairs
Settlement" deemed that the o diers would m K e
some effort to interrupt Mr.. Eden while speaking
and conceived the idea OF embroliIng all the
d .mocrats IT, attendance in the atfiay with the
soldiers by resisting, by force any attempt made
to interfere with them To this end some thirty
forty of them came armed. some with re-
volvers and the remainder with shot guns and
rifles concealed in the in their wagons.
They appear 10 have had concerted plan thus
far. that when any shot was fired il should be the
signal for general assault upon the soldiers
Supposing the disturbance would occur ut a
public meeting. aud that the Democrats would
join them. the people from o Hairs Settlement
hoped to oyerpower the soldiers without much
difficulty.
During the early part of the day. while the
people were assembling. liquor was INDUCED in
freely by both parties Several soldiers gave "A
citizen an unmerciful beating. which contributed
greatly 10 the excitement. and the signs of an
impending disturbance were quite evident.
About O'Clock in the afternoon Mr. Eden ar
rived, aud. in view of the excitement prevailing
at the time revoked his appoint ment. and with
other prominent Democrats, endeavored 20 pre-
vent a disturbance by inducing The Democrats 10