In August 1862, federal authorities detained Israel Blanchard, John A. Logan's brother-in-law, as he walked near the court house. He was then taken to the Logan Hotel and arrested on vague charges tied to alleged anti-war activities. This was his second wartime arrest. His arrest, one of many across Illinois and the nation, raised serious questions about civil liberties during wartime, as the constitutional system of checks and balances was strained while the President, the Congress, and the federal courts struggled to balance individual liberty and national security.