Daily national Democrat., 1859-11-19
Sketch of Capt. John Brown, the Leader
of the InsurTectiOn.

|
and settled in the township of Ossowaitomie.
lie was accompanied by seven sons. the
youngest heing o.d enough to earn his liveli
hood The birthplace of Brown is not pos
! lively known 10 the writer. but report has il
that he was born in Kentucky. lie is now
about sixty years oi ng" lie il about medi
um height, slim, muscular and posse sing an
iron constitution. He has blue eyes slInrn
features, and long gray hair, wearing a fuil
beard
In December, 1855 during the shannon
war" Brown first made his appearance IL
mong the free state men at Lawrence His
entrance into the place at once attracted the
attention of the people towards him. lie
brought wagon load of cavalry sabres, and
was accompanied by twelve men, seven of
whom were his own sons. He first exhibited
his qualities at the time of the free State and
pro slavery parties, under the lead of Gov
Robinson on one side, and Gov Shannon on
the other, met tomHkea treaty ofpeace After
Gov. Robinson had stated to the people who
were gathered around the hotel the terms of
the pence, Brown took the stand, uninvitrd
and opposed the terms Of the treaty. He was
in favor of ign ring all treaties, and such
leading men as Robinson, Lane and Lowry,
and proceeding ut once against the border
rutlian invaders. drive them from the soil or
hang them If taken.
ten Lowry, who was Chairman of the
Committee of Safety, aud also commander of
the free State troops, ordered Brown under
arrest The latter made no physical resist
ance, hut it was soon dscOve cred that he wns
altogether too combustihle person to retain
as prisoner. and compromise was made
with him 10y the free State men. and he was
released lie WAS informed hy the leaders of
that party that his remarks were intended tn
undo what they were trying TO accomplish
10y means of the treaty. that he was stiun-
ger in Lawrence and Kansas, and ought n, t
hy his rash remarks to compromise the peo-
pie of Lawrence until he had known .nein
longer and knew them better
One of his sons, who was elected to the
Legislature in February, 1856, was seized
and taken from Ossowaltamie to Lecompton
in chains. n distance of thirty miles. His
feet aud tnds were chained together with a
large heavy chain, the re of that used upon
OK teams. He was compelled to wa k the
whole distance beneath Lnrning sun The
irons wore the flesh from his ankles he was
attacked with a brain fever, was neglected.
and died in two or three days. He was a
companion of Gov Robinson jenkins. (since
shot 10y Lane and some eight or ten others.
Another son of Captain Brown was shot at
Ossowatiomie hy Il maraudii party from
Missouri After the death of his first son.
occasioned 10y the tortures and fatigue of his
forced march, Brown swore vengeance upon
the pro slavery party, and it was frequently
observed by the more prudent of the free
State men that he was evidently insane on
the subject. lie was always considered hy
them us n dangerous man, was never taken
into their councils, and never consulted bv
them with reference either to their policy or
movements.
The destruction of the Free State Hotel
and presses at Lawrence, in May, 1856, in
cited him anew to action, and he organized
small company, composed chiefly Of men who
had been robbed, or whose relatives had
been murdered 10y the pro-slavery party, and
at the head of his band, armed with Sharp's
rifles, bowie knives and Colts revolvers, he
secured Southern Kansas, and the name of
"Old Brown" became terror to all who op-
posed his will in that region. While he was
thus malauding, five pro slavery men were
taken from their cihins at Pottawattouir
Creek. in the night time, and shot dead
The pro slavery party charged this deed
upon Old Brown, viii = the free State party
asserted that they could prove him in Law
renee, forty miles distant, when it happened,
and that the horrd deed was perpetrated By
"Buford's Georgia Rufians," supposing that
the victims were free state men.
The news uf this massacre reached West
port, Missouri, the place of rendezvous of the
border ruiiians," the same evening that the
Kansas Commission sent out by the United
States House of Representatives arrived ut
that place. The excitement was intense and
was Induced almoet lis much by the appear
Hnce of the Commissioners as 10y the news of
the massacre. The ruifans swore vengeance
upon the members and officers of the COM
mission, declaring that their llood should
recompense for the slaughter at Pottawatta-
mie creek. and but for the intercession of Mr
Oliver, the pr" slavery members of the COM
mission would have been attacked.
1t was ut this time that the notorious II.
Clay Pate organized band of men in the
streets OF Welport, Mo-, with the avowed
pnurpose of entering the Territory and cap
turing "Old Brown" He raised about thir-
ty men, and went into the Territory about
twilight one evening, and was surprised at
sunrise the next morning by Old Brown, who
was in the command of nine men. armed us
stated above. Pate sent flag of truce to
Brown, who advanced some rods in front Of
his company and ordered the flag bearer to
remain with him, and sent one of his own
men to inform Pate to come himself Pate
oheyed when Brown ordered him TO lay
down his arms. Pate refused to give the or
der to MS men, when Brown, drd wing IL re-
volver, informed him that he must give the
order or be shot Oh the SPOT. Pate immedi-
ately surrendered up himself aud men, aud
they were disarmed and marched into II rn-
viIre near hy and kept until liberated ly
Col. Sumner and sent back to Missouri, II few
dnys subsequently, who also ordered Old
Brown to dSband and go home. The hitter
agreed to do 50 if the Colonel would also
agree to protect the settlers in that region of
the Territory. This was the celebrated bat
tie of BLACK Jack Point" made famous ty
the III G. p" Kansas correspondent of the
Missouri Republican,, who was the heroic
commander of the surrendering party. Cap
tain Brown was not much heard from again
until the notorious Captain Hamilton made
his incursiOns int o southern Kansas from Mis-
s,uri IN 1858. when he raised another party,
and, with Captain Montgomery, drove Ham
iton and bis companions back to Missouri,
and marching his men into that State took
possession Of one of the villages. shot one or
two men, and liberated several slaves. This
course ot Brown was repudmted by GoVer-
nor Robinson and the leaders of the free
State party. in and ont Of Kansas, which
caused Brown to publish letter explaining
his pc sitien, in which he assumed the entire
responsibility Of his act, and relieved the
free tate mea from any share therein. This
letter was called the rwo Parallels" on nc
count of the peculiar distinction made 10y the
writer
Captain Brown was very strong believer
in the doctrines OF the Presbyterian church.