USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 49
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We have watched thee in thy bivouac On thy weary march by day, Prayed the angels keep thee safely In the midnight's wild foray. And the noble band thou leadest Battling 'gainst dark Slavery's cause-
Are shrined with our inmost hearts- Are household words with us!
He shall be blessed forever Who for truth and justice pleads, But blessed thrice is he who adds The majesty of Deeds! And by thy acts of daring, Our words seem cold and poor,
For well we know the record Of the man we stand before!
Greeting we call to those who dwell On Kansas' hallowed sod, Ho brethren! "keep your powder dry And put your trust in God!" Take your free homes upon the soil, Free path upon the flood, Though ye wall that land with corses And make it wet with blood!
Long may thy stalwart presence Guard Freedom's border line, Long to the pining bondman, Be it Freedom's seal and sign; Long may God help the rescue Of the suffering and the dumb- Make thy firm soul sterner, stronger For the struggle yet to come!
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
the way from Chambersburg to Charlestown, a stop was made at the Washington House in Hagers- town and there the wretched man, a mere boy in appearance, short in stature, with light hair and delicate features, dirty, ragged, cowering and trembling, was exhibited to a large crowd of peo- ple who had assembled, and who were astonished at his miserable appearance, especially as he was supposed to be a man of indomitable courage. Cook was a native of Connecticut, the son of respectable parents, who had educated him for the law. Hav- ing no taste for this study he abandoned it and took to roaming over the country. His family had lost all trace of him until his connection WILL. the dreadful outbreak at Harper's Ferry was all- nounced. Governor Williard of Indiana was his brother-in-law, and loyally supported him in his dire distress, procuring as his counsel, to defend him at his trial, Mr. Daniel W. Voorhees, whose eloquent appeal to the jury for mercy brought tears to the eyes of every one in the audience which filled the Court House.
The following is a brief summary of the events of the memorable insurrection, written in 1899 for the Baltimore Sun by Henry D. Beall, for many years a member of the editorial staff of that paper, who was present at the trial of John Brown and reported it for the newspapers.
Sunday evening, October 16, 1859, Brown an- nounced that the time had arrived for the attack on Harper's Ferry. This place had been selected because it was not far to send freed slaves across the narrow strip of Maryland into Pennsylvania, and because Brown knew the United States arsenal there was not well guarded. At that time Brown had with him the following men:
Whites-Oliver and Walter Brown, his sons of New York; Aaron C. Stevens, John E. Cook and Stewart Taylor, of Connecticut; Edwin Coppee, Iowa; Albert Haslett, Pennsylvania; William H. Leeman and Charles P. Tidd, Maine; William Thompson and Dolph Thompson, New York ; John Kagi, Ohio; Jerry Anderson, Indiana; Allen Evans, Connecticut.
Negroes-Daingerfield Newbry, Ohio; O. P. Anderson, Pennsylvania : Emperor, New York ; Lewis L. Leary and John Copeland, Ohio; Shields Green, Pennsylvania.
Cook was left to guard the Kennedy farm and the weapons there. The night of the start was cold and dark, ending in rain. The little party marched across the bridge and into Har-
per's Ferry at 10:30 o'clock. They broke into the arsenal gate, overpowered the watchmen on duty and seized the place. Before midnight the village was quietly patrolled by Brown's men, and six had been sent to bring in certain neighboring plan- ters and their slaves.
While they were gone some others of the party were busy arresting prominent citizens of the town. A small but strong brick engine house near the railroad was selected as headquarters, and into this the prisoners were placed. Eight or ten slaves were seized, given spears and made to stand guard about the place. By midday Monday 30 or 40 of the leading citizens had been captured and imprisoned, as well as a number of workmen who were seized while on their way to work early in the morning.
Until 1893 the historic old engine house was an object of great interest to travelers over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, standing near the track, and bearing in large letters the words "John Brown's Fort." The building was removed bodily to the Chicago Expositon, and after remaining there for some time after the World's Fair closed, was brought back to Harper's Ferry and re-erected, although not on the former site, which had been covered by a change of railroad tracks.
News of the attack on Harper's Ferry caused intense excitement throughout the country. The first reports were that there had been a general up- rising of slaves, headed by 250 abolitionists, and the exact number of the raiders was not definitely known until they were captured early Tuesday morning. The first information of the affair was brought by Conductor Phelps, of a Baltimore and Ohio train, who was allowed to come. east after having been held up from 1 to 5 o'clock Monday morning. Phelps, who was a Baltimorean, had sev- eral conferences with Brown, who was then called Anderson.
Curiously enough, their first victim of an enterprise intended to free negroes was a colored employe of the railroad, named Hayward Shep- pard, who was shot Sunday night because lie did not surrender quickly enough.
Upon receipt of the news President Buchanan sent a company of United States marines from Washington to Harper's Ferry, and Maryland and Virginia State troops were also ordered there. The marines were in command of Lieutenant Green, and C'ol. Robert E. Lce, who had been living in Baltimore several years, while superin-
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
tending the construction of Fort Carroll, was sent to take command of all military operations at Har- per's Ferry. With him, as aide, went Lieut. J. E. B. Stuart, afterward the famous Confederate cavalry leader.
The Baltimore military left on special trains shortly after 3 o'clock Monday afternoon, October 17, the departure being witnessed by thousands of persons who thronged the vicinity of Camden Sta- tion. The following commands went : Law Grays, 31 men, Lieut. J. C. Brown; Shields' Guards, 30 men, Captain Chaisty ; Independent Grays, 3% men, Lieutenant Simpson; Wells and MeComas Iufles, 32 men. Capt. George W. Bowers; Battalion of ('ity Guards, 82 men, Major Joseph P. Warner, with three companies commanded by Capt. Lloyd B. Parks, Capt. John G. Johannes and Captain Woodhouse. Major E. Swinney and Adjutant W. H. Evans, of the First Rifle Regiment, aeeompa- nied the Wells and MeComas Rifles. The entire command numbered about ?? 5 men, and was un- der Gen. C. C. Egerton, who had as staff officers Majors Carr, Kellinger, Howard and Radehilfe, and Dr. J. W. R. Dunbar, surgeon.
The Baltimore troops were joined at the Relay by the marines from Washington, and about 5 o'clock all started for Harper's Ferry, which was reached shortly after midnight.
It was found that the raiders had been sur- rounded in their improvised fort sinee 3 o'eloek in the afternoon. The town people had in a measure recovered from their fright, had armed themselves and, reinforced by a number of railroad men from Martinsburg, under C'aptain Alburtus, had given battle to the raiders and driven them into the en- gine house.
In this fight Mr. Evan L. Dorsey. a Baltimore and Ohio conduetor, was shot in the stomach and for some time was thought to be fatally wounded. He went with the other railroad men from Martins- burg. Mr. Dorsey was shot by Oliver Brown, and the latter was shot and killed, it is supposed, by Mr. Dorsey. Several of the attacking party were badly wounded.
The United States marines arrived at 2:30 Tuesday morning, the Baltimore troops who accompanied them being left on the Maryland side of the river to prevent the escape of any of the raiders. At 7 A. M. Colonel Lee ealled upon Brown to surrender. He refused, and an attack upon his fort was at onee made. The marines, under Lieutenant Green, battered down the door
with ladders, and after a fieree fight, captured the surviving raiders. Only six were alive, all the otli- ers, ineluding Brown's two sons, having been kill- ed. Several were killed while trying to escape across the river. John Brown and several of the survivors were badly wounded.
Col. Lewis W. Washington, Mr. Dangerfield, a clerk; Mr. Hall, master machinist; Mr. Mills, master armorer; Dr. Murphy, paymaster; Mr. Kitzmiller, superintendent's clerk, and, Mr. Dono- hue, a railroad clerk, who had been held as hos- tages by Brown, were released. Colonel Washing- ton had been taken from his bed Sunday night at his home, near Ilarper's Ferry. With him the raiders captured the handsome sword which had been presented to Gen. George Washington by Frederick the Great of Prussia.
The surviving raiders were Brown, Copeland, Green, Coppee, Haslett and Stevens.
The following were killed by the raiders dur- ing their oeeupancy of the town: Fontains Beek- ham, railroad agent ; Hayward Sheppard, eolored, porter ; Thomas Boerly, groeer ; George W. Turner, of the Charleston military; Private Quinn, of the marines, and a number of persons were wounded.
Tuesday the Baltimore Independent Grays, under Lieutenants Simpson and Kershner, made a scout on the Maryland side and in a schoolhouse near the Kennedy farm found a large quantity of fire-arms and spears. All the Baltimore troops returned home Tuesday evening.
The trial of John Brown began October 28, at (Charlestown. Judge Richard Parker presided. The jurors were Richard Timberlake, Joseph My- ers, Thomas Watson, Jr., Isaae Dust, John C. Mie- Clure, William Rightstine. Jacob J. Miller, Thomas Osborne, Geo. W. Boyer, John C. Wilt- shire, George W. Tapp and William A. Martin. Mr. Bover is the only survivor of the 1 ?. He lives near Shenandoah Junetion, W. Va.
Lawson Botts and Thomas ('. Green, of the Charlestown bar, were assigned to defend Brown. Later, George H. Hoyt, of Boston ; H. Griswold, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Samuel Chilton, of Washing- ton, D. C., arrived and took charge of the defense. After a trial lasting six days the prisoner was convieted of treason, insurrection and murder. The other prisoners wore subsequently eonvieted.
Cook who was a brother-in-law of Gov. A. P. Willard, of Indiana, had been captured in Penn- sylvania, a few days after the raid. Governor Willard brought some of the best counsel in In-
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
dianna to defend him. The appeal of Daniel W. Voorlices to the jury has ever sinee been spoken . of as a masterpiece of eloquenec.
Brown was hanged at 11:15 A. M. Friday, December 2. Over 1,200 military, under com- mand of Gen. W. B. Taliaferro, guarded the town and jail, and no one was allowed to approach the prisoner. It has long been believed that on his way to the gallows Brown stooped and kissed a negro ehild. A well-known Baltimore newspaper man who reported the hanging for his paper, says no such thing occurred. Brown marched from
his cell to the wagon between solid lines of soldiers; the wagon on the way to the gallows was sur- rounded by soldiers, and no one execpt the null- tary was allowed to be within several hundred yards of the gallows. At no time eould a person approach Brown. The body of Brown was taken by his wife to North Elba, N. Y., for burial.
Cook and Coppie and the two negroes, Green and Copeland, were hanged December 16, and Stevens and Haslett were hanged Mareh 16, 1860.
An investigation of the raid was subsequently made by a committee of the United States Senate.
*In the 36th Congress, the Senate, on Dec. 14, 1859, appointed a committee to investigate the John Brown raid. The committee was composed of Sen- ators James M. Mason chairman, Jefferson Davis, G. N. Fitch, J. Collamer and J. R. Doolittle. The first three joined in the majority report and the other two made a minority report. The following is extracted from the majority report:
"The committee find from the testimony that this so called invasion originated with a man named John Brown who conducted it in person. It appears that Brown had been for some previous years in- volved in the late difficulties in the territory of Kansas. He went there at an early day after the settlement of the territory began and either took with him, or was joined by several sons and, per- haps, sons-in-law, and, as shown by the proof, was extensively connected with many of the lawless mil- itary expeditions belonging to the history of those times. It would appear from the testimony of more than one of the witnesses, that, before leaving the territory, he fully admitted that he had not gone there with any view to permanent settlement; but that finding all the elements of strife and intestine war there in full operation, created by the division of sentiment between those constituting what were called the free-State and the slave-State parties, his purpose was, by participating in it, to keep the pub- lic mind inflamed on the subject of slavery in the country with a view to effect such organizations as might enable him to bring about servile insurrection in the slave States.
"To carry these plans into execution it appears that, in the winter of 1857-58 he collected a number of young men in the Territory of Kansas, most of whom appeared with him afterwards at Harper's Ferry, and placed them under military instruction at a place called Springdale, in the State of Iowa, their instructor being one of the party thus collect- ed, and one who, it was said, had some military train- ing. These men were maintained by Brown; and in the spring of 1858 he took them with him to the town of Chatham in Canada, where he claimed to have summoned a convention for the purpose of or- ganizing a provisional government, as preliminary to his descent upon one of the slave States | The report then gives some account of the proceedings of that convention and mentions the fact that John E. Cook, one of Brown's men, was sent to Harper's
Ferry with directions to remain there and there- about, subject to the call of his chief. As we have seen, he spent much of his time in Washington County, selling books.]
"As to the attack itself at Harper's Ferry the committee find that Brown first appeared in that neighborhood carly in July 1859. He came there under the assumed name of Isaac Smith, attended by two of his sons and a son-in-law. He gave out in the neighborhood that he was a farmer from New York, who desired to rent or purchase land in that vicinity, with a view to agricultural pursuits, and soon afterwards rented a small farm on the Mary- land side of the river and some four or five miles from Harper's Ferry, having on it convenient houses, and began farming operations in a very small way. He had little or no intercourse with the people of the country; and when questioned through the cur- iosity of his neighbors, stated further that he was accustomed to mining operations, and expected to find deposits of metal in the adjacent mountains. He lived in an obscure manner and attracted but little attention, and certainly no suspicion whatever as to his ulterior objects. While there, he kept some two or three of his party under assumed names at Chambersburg, Pa., who there received and from time to time forwarded to him, the arms of different kinds of which he was subsequently found in pos- session. Cook, one of his men spoken of above, it appears, had resided at Harper's Ferry and its neighborhood some twelve months before Brown appeared, pursuing various occupations. He left the Ferry a few days before the attack was made, and joined Brown at his country place. The whole number assembled with Brown at the time of the invasion was 21 men, making with himself in all 22.
"On Sunday night, the 16th of October, 1859, between 11 and 12 o'clock Brown, attended by prob- ably 18 of his company, crossed the bridge connecting the village of Harper's Ferry with the Maryland Shore, and, on reaching the Virginia side, proceeded immediately to take possession of the buildings of the armory and arsenal of the United States. These men were armed, each with a Sharp's rifled carbine, and with revolving pistols. The inhabitants of the village asleep, the presence of the party was not known until they appeared and demanded admittance at the gate leading to the public works which was
1
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
July 29 last (in 1899) the bodies of Oliver Brown, W. H. Thompson, Stewart Taylor, W. H. Leeman, Dauphin Thompson, Dangerfield Newby
and Lewis L. Leary, who were killed in the fight and buried near Harper's Ferry, were disinterred and removed to North Elba, N. Y.
locked. The watchman in charge states that on his refusal to admit them, the gate was opened by vi- olence, the pary entered, made him a prisoner, and established themselves immediately in a strong brick building used as an engine-house, with a room for a watchman adjoining it. They brought with thew a wagon, with one horse, containing arms and some prepared torches.
"The invasion thus silently commenced, was as silently conducted, none of the inhabitants having been aroused. Armed parties were then stationeu at corners of the streets. The next movement was to take possession by detached parties of three or four, of the arsenal of the United States where the public arms werc chiefly deposited, a building not far from the engine house; and by another party, of the workshops and other buildings of the armory about half a mile off, on the Sheuardoah river, called Hall's Rifle Works. These dispositions made, an armed party was sent into the adjoining country, with a view to the seizure of two or three of tbe principal inhabitants with such of their slaves as might be found, and to bringing them to Harper s Ferry, (in the language of Brown) as "hostages;" Cook, who had become well acquainted with the country around Harper's Ferry, acting as their guide. They seized Col. Lewis W. Washington, with several of his slaves (negro men) at his residence, some five or six miles distant; and in like manner a gen- tleman named Allstadt, who lived near the road leading from Col. Washington's to the Ferry, two 'or three miles distant from the latter, with five or six of his slaves (also negro men). They brought off also from Col. Washington's such arms as they found in his house, with a wagon and four horses, for subsequent use, as will be shown. This party, with their prisoners, arrived at the Ferry a little before day, and the latter were carried at once to the room adjoining ue engine-house, where they were kept in custody.
"Having thus far apparently perfected his plans a party was sent, taking Washington's wagon and horses and five or six of the captured slaves, iuto Maryland, to bring the arms deposited at Brown's house there to a point nearer the Ferry and more accessible. On their way they seized a gentlemau named Byrne, who lived in Maryland, three or tour miles from Harper's Ferry, and whom they after- wards sent to the Ferry and placed among the other prisoners in the engine-house. It was shown that their design was to take at the same time as mauy of the slaves of Byrne as could be found, but in this they did not succeed. During Monday, a large portion of the arms, consisting of carbines pistols in boxes, and pikes, were brought off in the wagon and deposited in a school-house about a mile from the village of Harper's Ferry, on the Maryland side. "The first alarm that was given, indicating the presence of the hostile party, appears to have beeu on the arrival there of the mail train of cars on
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad on its way from Wheeling to Baltimore, which arrived at Harper's Ferry at its usual hour, about half-past one o'clock in the morning. On the arrival of Brown's party he had stationed two men well armed on the bridge with directions to permit no one to pass. This bridge is a viaduct for the railroad to cross the river, having connected with it a bridge for ordinary travel. When the train arrived, it was arrested by this guard, and very soon afterwards a negro named Hayward, a free man who lived at Harper's Ferry and was in the service of the railroad company as a porter, was shot by this guard and died in a few hours. His statement was that he had been out on the railroad bridge looking after a watchman who was missing, and he had been ordered to halt by some men who were there; and instead of doing that he turned to go back to the office and as he turned they shot him in the back. The alarm, however, did not ex- tend to the inhabitants of the town, the scene of operations, so far, being near the river at points occupied by railroad structures and the public works; the principal part of the town being somewhat re- mote from that quarter. The train of cars, atter being detained some hours, was permitted to pro- ceed on its way to Baltimore.
"When daylight came, as the inhabitants left their houses consisting chiefly of workmen and others employed in the public works, on their way to their usual occupations, and unaware of what had occurred during the night, they were seized in the streets by Brown's men and carried as prisoners to the engine house, until with those previously there, they amounted to some thirty or forty in num- ber. Pikes were put in the hands of such of the slaves as they had taken, and they were kept under the eye of their captors as sentinels, near the build- ings they occupied. But their movements being conducted at night, it was not until the morning was well advanced that the presence and character cf the party was generally known in the village.
"The nearest towns to Harper's Ferry were Charlestown, distant some ten miles, and Martins- burg about 20. As soon as information could reach those points, the citizens assembled, hurriedly en- rolled themselves into military bands, and with such arms as they could find, proceeded to the Fer- ry. Before their arrival, however, it would seem that some four or five of the marauders who were stationed at "Hall's Rifle Works," were driven out by the citizens of the village, and either killed or captured. In the course of the day an attack was made on the engine and watch-house by those of the armed citizens of the adjoining country who had thus hurriedly arrived, and the prisoners in the watch-house, adjoining the engine-house, were . liberated. The attacking parties were fired on by the marauders in the engine house and some were severely wounded. It should have been stated that during the night Brown selected ten of those whom
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
Of John Brown's family, one son, Jason Brown, is now living, in California. He is lead- ing a hermit's life and is in poor circumstances.
he considered the principal men of his prisoners, and carried them into the engine-house, where they were detained. The rest thus left in the watch-house were those who were liberated during the attack spoken of. The engine-house is a strong building, and was occupied by Brown with seven or eight or his men.
"During the day it appears that all of Brown's party who were not with him in the engine-house, were either killed or captured, except those who were on the Maryland side, engaged in moving the arms, as above stated. Before, however, they were thus captured or destroyed, they shot and killed two persons, citizens of Virginia in the streets. Que of them, a man named Boerley, who lived in the vil- lage, was killed by a rifle shot near his own house. He had taken no part in any of the attacks and does not appear even to have been armcd. The other, Mr. George W. Turner, was a gentleman who lived in the country some ten miles distant, and who, it appears, had gone to the village upon infor- mation that his neighbor, Mr. Washington, had been seized in his house and carried off during the night. It would seem that for his safety he had taken a gun offered to him by some one in the village, and was proceeding along the street unattended, with it in his hand, when he also was killed by a rifle ball.
"The party immediately under Brown remained barricaded in the engine-house during the whole of that day (Monday). They had confined with them ten most respectable and valuable citizens, kept as stated by Brown in the nature of "hostages" for the security of his own party, he assuming that a regard for the safety of the "hostages " would de- ter their friends and neighbors from attempting their rescue by force.
"During the day an irregular fire was kept up against the engine-house by the people who assein- bled; it was returned by the party within through loop holes made in the wall, or through the door- way partially opened. In this manner two of Brown's party were killed at the door-way, and in the afternoon a gentleman of the village, Mr. Beck- ham, was killed by a shot from the engine house. It was clearly shown that he was entirely unarmed, and had exposed his person only for an instant on the railroad bridge opposite to the house.
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