Lincoln and the Civil War in Coles County:
A Historic Tour
1/A)Tarble Arts Center:
Address: 2010 9th St., Charleston, IL, 61920
The Tarble Arts Center, located on EIU’s campus, is hosting the exhibition “Experiences of the Illinois Civil War Soldier: Reflections through
Art and Artifacts” from April 13 to June 7, 2013. Begin your journey at the
exhibit and discover the Civil War as told from the Illinois Soldiers perspective. The exhibit features paintings, diaries, letters, photographs, and
even a battle flag to explore the universal experiences of the war.
Did you know Abraham Lincoln made several prominent trips
to Coles County before the Civil War? Did you ever wonder how
the Civil War made a lasting impact on the county? Take a tour
around Coles County and learn about the Abraham Lincoln and
Civil War attractions in the area!
Hours of Operation:
Tues-Friday: 10am- 5pm
Saturday: 10am- 4pm
Sunday: 1-4pm, and by appointment
Contact: (217)581-2787
2/ B)Five Mile House
Address:
One of the oldest buildings in Coles County, the Five Mile House
served as a wayside inn and tavern to travelers making their way through
Charleston. Legend has it that Abe Lincoln himself stayed there while
traveling on his Eighth Judicial Circuit. Now, the House serves as window
to the past and holds special events throughout the year.
To learn more please visit:
http://www.fivemilehouse.org/index.htm
Contact:
(217)348-8603
3/ C)Connolly House
Address: 948 6th St., Charleston, IL, 61920
This home, built in 1863, features an Italianate façade, typical of a
home built during the Civil War. The style includes decorative brackets,
arches over the windows, and long narrow windows. Colonel J. A. Connelly moved to Charleston in 1860, but left in 1862 to serve as Major of the
123rd Illinois Volunteers in the Civil War. Connelly built this home for his
bride, Mary Dunn, in 1863. At the funeral of President Lincoln, in NYC, in
April 1865, he served as a member of the President’s honor guard and returned to Charleston in 1865 to start a law practice. Later, President Grant
appointed Connelly US District Attorney for the Southern District in 1876.
4/D) Charleston Square: Charleston Riot
Address: 7th St & Jackson Ave, Charleston, IL 61920
The Mason-Dixon Line passes through Charleston as it runs along
Lincoln St (ROUTE 16). This line shows the divide between the North
and the South, explaining the amount of civil discord in the area. Feelings
seem to run high between Southern sympathizers called Copperheads, and
the Union soldiers on leave. On March 28, 1864, with alcohol in the mix,
violence broke out around the Charleston Square. By the time the riot had
ended, nine were dead and twelve had been wounded. An artistic mural of
the event can be seen one block west of the Historic Marker at the corner
of 6th street and Jackson Avenue.
5/ E) Chambers Cemetery/ Old City Cemetery
Address: Corner of Madison and ‘E’ Street, Charleston IL 61920
Discover the graves of Charleston’s earliest residents, which include Lincoln’s
extended family, and victims of the 1864 Charleston Riot. Look for the grave of
Oliver Sallee, a Union Soldier, and the first person to die in the Charleston Riot.
In one account of the incident, around 3-4 o’clock, on March 28, 1864,
soldier, Oliver Sallee, private in Company C, 54th Illinois Infantry, stepped up
to Nelson Wells, supposed leader of the Copperheads, and playfully asked him if
there were any copperheads in town. Wells replied, “Yes, God d-n you, I am one!”
and drawing his revolver, shot at Sallee, but missed him. In an instant Sallee was
shot from another direction and fell. Rising up, he fired at Wells, hitting his vital
organs, killing Wells. Sallee then died from his gunshot wounds.
Contact: (217) 348-0430
Contact: (217) 348-0430
6/F) Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum, 1858 (Fairgrounds)
Address: Coles County Fairgrounds, 416 West Madison Ave. Charleston,
IL 61920
On September 18, 1858, the fourth of the famous joint debates
between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas was held on the Fairgrounds where one thousand people heard the two candidates for the
United States senatorship discuss the question of slavery in American
politics. Tour the museum that offers exhibits and interactives that tell the
story of these debates.
Hours of Operation:
Everyday 9:00am-4:00pm
Contact: (217) 348-0430
7/G) Oakland, Lincoln’s Trials and Tribulations
Address: Independence Pioneer Village, Newman Rd, Oakland, IL 61943
This special event held on June 29, 2013, July 13, and Sept. 20 from
6pm – 9pm have you travel back in time to relive the controversial Matson
Slave Trial, in which Abe Lincoln represented a slave-owner. The event
will be held at Independence Pioneer Village, a historic site open for special events. The trial itself actually took place at the Coles County Illinois
courthouse in Charleston.
Contact:
(217)346-2621
To learn more visit:
http://www.matsontrial1847.org/
8/H) Mattoon Depot: Civil War Exhibit
Address: 1718 Broadway Ave, Mattoon IL 61938
Come visit the Illinois Central Railroad Depot Museum in Mattoon, currently housing a Civil War exhibit created by the Coles County
Historical Society. The location of the depot once housed the Essex House
Hotel, which would have been the overnight stay place for Abraham Lincoln the night before his great debate in Charleston.
Contact: (217) 235-6744
9/I) Public Library: Camp Goode
Address: 1600 Charleston Ave, Mattoon, IL 61938
In 1861, the 21st Illinois Infantry Regiment was stationed at Camp
Goode in Mattoon. The camp gained its name from Colonel Simon G.
Goode of Decatur, who was in command of the 7th District Regiment,
with headquarters in Mattoon. On June 17, 1861, General Ulysses S. Grant
took his first post of the American Civil War when he assumed command
of the 21st Illinois Infantry in Mattoon at Camp Goode. The flagpole from
General Grant’s camp was preserved and is on display at the Mattoon Public Library.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday. 9:00 - 8:00.
Saturday. 9:00 - 5:00. Sunday. Closed
Contact: (217) 234-2621
10/J) Thomas Lincoln Cemetery/ Shiloh
Address: 12988 E. Lincoln Hwy Rd, Lerna, IL 62440
Here you will find the final resting place of Thomas Lincoln and
Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s father and stepmother. Their grave,
a gift of the Kiwanis Club of Danville, IL, is surrounded by an iron fence
and monument. Though Thomas Lincoln originally lay in an unmarked
grave, a white monument was later erected in 1880. This original marker
now sits closer to the park entrance. Visitors enjoy placing a penny on this
monument- Lincoln side up of course!
Cemetery closes at Dusk
11/K) Moore Home/ Lincoln Log Cabin
Address: 402 S. Lincoln Hwy Rd, Lerna, IL, 62440
On Abraham Lincoln’s last visit to Coles County he visited the
Moore Home and dined with his stepmother and extended family before
beginning his Presidency. This site, along with the Lincoln Log Cabin State
Historic Site a mile away, are Civilian Conservation Corp reconstructions.
Lincoln Log Cabin sits on the land Abe Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln,
last lived. Today, it is a first person living history site open everyday to the
public during the season.
Hours of Operation:
Memorial Day-Labor Day: 9am-5pm Everyday
September to May: 9am -4pm Wednesday- Sunday
Contact: (217)345-1845