Mason, Effingham Co., Ill.,
March 26,1863
Our town was the scene of a most disgraceful display of Copperhead ruffianism and brutality to-day. Between the hours of 5 and 6 o’clock this afternoon, a mob of twelve or fifteen Copperheads, thoroughly saturated with secesh whisky, rushed to the storehouse of Mr. L. F. Fehren, and demanded of the clerks to come out, swearing if they did not, they would break down the door and murder them in their tracks. Hearing the noise and confusion, and somewhat anticipating the cause, a large number of Union men rushed to the scene, and put a stop to the mob in that direction. The Copperheads then rushed to the drug store of Dr. J. Baker, a life time Democrat, but an unswerving Union man, smashed in his front window, and one of the ruffians fired at the druggist, the ball barely escaping bis head. We finally succeeded in driving them from their position, and they are now quiet, but they swear they will kill every Abolitionist in the town, and that all the people in the State cannot take them. But I assure you we are able and willing to meet them in any shape they may come, and clean them out, root and branch. When these cowardly Copperheads undertake to put down Union men by such means, there will be some new made graves for the reception of their pestiferous carcasses.
Yours truly,
Abel Young, Jr,
Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, IL