The marker is located on the side of the building at 1101 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, IL.
In August 1862, federal authorities detained Israel Blanchard, John A. Logan’s brother-in-law, as he walked near the courthouse. Blanchard was subsequently taken to the Logan Hotel and arrested on vague charges related to alleged anti-war activities. This was Blanchard’s second wartime arrest.
Blanchard’s arrest, one of many taking place across Illinois and the nation, raised serious questions about the nature of civil liberties during wartime. The constitutional system of checks and balances was particularly strained during this period as the president, the Congress, and the federal courts struggled to balance individual liberty and national security.
