M.A. Kleen

Following the Charleston Riot on March 28, 1864, the U.S. Army rounded up dozens of civilians in Coles County and around east central Illinois, suspecting them of a seditious conspiracy. Eventually, 15 remained in custody, languishing in military prison without charges. In my latest article for the Emerging Civil War Blog, I explore the aftermath of the Charleston Riot and the “Fate of the Coles County Fifteen.” Check it out: Justice Deferred: Lincoln, Stanton, and the Fate of the Coles County Fifteen