State of Illinois
Coles County

I was in Charleston on Monday the 28th day of March 1864, about 12 to 1 o’clock, when an altercation took place between Robert McLain and some of the O’Hairs and Nelson Wells, with one Wm. Hart, a soldier. McLain said this was the time to settle this matter. On this day the made many insulting remarks to the Soldiers and seemed to be trying to get up a difficulty; they all seemed to be prepared and to understand each other. The occurrance spoken of above took place at the N.W. Corner of the square, near the store of Chambers and McCrory. Wells and his crowd afterwards went towards the Court House, where the firing afterwards took place. I saw James OHair snap his pistol at Lewis Mullen, a soldier, several times – saw many of them shooting at the Soldiers or any one with soldier clothes on. I had a conversation somewhere about the 20th of March with John OHair and in that conversation OHair said that he could get together 150 men in two hours notice, all armed, for the purpose of putting down the Soliders.

Byrd Monroe

Subscribed and sworn to
before me this April 1, 1864
W.A. Whittemore M.P.

Last updated August 8, 2003

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