The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-12-10

quarters. The letters of minor impor-
lance came to the Ferry to j. Smith &
Sons. All illusions to our business were
made in such blind way that they
would not have been understood by any
outside parties, even should they have
been miscarried. The attack was made
sooner than it was intended, owing to
some friends in Boston writing letter,
finding fault with the management of
Capt. B., and what to them seemed his
unnecessary delay and expense. I do
not know who those persons were, and
how far they were cognizsnt of his (Capt.
B.'s) plans But l do know that DR..
Howe gave Capt. Brown breech-load-
ing carbine and a pair of zle-loading
pistols, an Or government mshufaetare:E
They were left either at the house of
Capt. Brown, or at the school house, where
most of the arms were conveyed. At
what time and for what purpose they
were given to Capt. B., / do not know.
1t was supposed that Col. Hugh Forbes
was dead. I was told by Capt. Brown
that when on East he had been told by
Thaddeus Hyatt, of New York, that some
of the negroes at that place had informed
him (Hyatt) that Forbes had "gone up"
phrase which Capt. B., and the rest of
our company, understood to mean that he
had been killed. I do not think that
Forbes had any cognizance of our plans
from the time of our leaving Pedee,
year ago last April. Previous to his
quarrel with Capt Brown, we considered
that he would hold place next to Brown
in command. | do not know the pres
ent whereabouts of Luke F. Parsons or
Charles Moffet. The last l heard of Par
sons was through Capt. Brown, who ill.,
formed me that Parsons had started for
Pixies Peak, ard that he BROWN thought
he would be pretty tolerably peaked be-
fore he got there. A short time before
the attack on Harper's Ferry, Capt. Brown
requested me TO find out in some way,
without creating suspicion, the number o.
male slaves at or near the roads leading
to the Ferry, for distance of eight or
ten miles, and to make such memoranda
that it would be unintelligible to Others
but in such a manner that l could make
it plain to him and the rest of the COM
pany. He gave me two dollars to pay
my expenses with. l took the road
from Harper's Ferry to Charlestown, IN
der the plea of gaining statistics for a
work to be published by John Henri, and
to decide wager between him and Mr..
Smith. 1 did not go on any other road.
A few days after this Capt Brown sent
his wagon over by his son Oliver and Jer-
emiah Anderson, to bring my wife and
myself to his house. They gave me a
note from him, which, as near as l can
recollect, read as follows:
"MR Cook Dear Sir: You will
please get everything ready to come with
your wife to my house this morning. My
wagon will wait for you. l shall take
your wife to Chambersburg, and shall
start early tomorrow morning. Be as
expeditions as possible. Be very careful
not to say or do anything which will
awaken any suspicion.
"You can say your wife is going to
make visit to some friends of hers in the
country. Be very careful that you do not
let any of our plans leak out.
"Yours, SC, j. SMITH"
Ny wife and myself accordingly left
Harpers Ferry that night, accompanied by
Oliver Brown and jeremiah Anderson,
for Capt. Browns house, in Washington
county, Nd.
The next day, after dinner, Captain B.
and his son Watson, together with my
wife and child, started for Chambersburg.
When Captain B. returned, he told me
that he had got her boarding place in
Chambersburg, at Mrs. Rtterer's, and that
she liked her boarding place very well.
There were some six or seven In our
party who did not know anything of our
constitution, and, as ! have since under
stood, were also ignorant of the plan OF
operations until the Sunday morning pre-
vious to the attack. Among this number
were Edwin Coppic, Barclay Coppic
Francis j. Merriam, Shields Green, Johr
Copeland and Leary. The constitution
was read to them by A. D. Stephens, and
the oath afterward administered by Capt
Brown.
1--WE omit Cookies account of the fght
a: the Ferry, as it does not differ mater.
ally from accounts published already
l see from some of the newspapers thai
4 1 have been represented as Capt. Browns
chief aid. This Is incorrect. Kagi wal
second in command, Stephens third, Haz.
lit fourth. Further than this, I do no
know that Capt. Brown had made knowr
any preference as to superiority OF rank
Edward Coppie and Dolphin Thomas
were the only lieutenants he commission
ed. Owen Brown, Barclay, Coppic and
| ! d INN were not at the Ferry dur
ins - ilme the attack was made, but re-
NAMED, by 6fds. Of Capt b., to tax,
charge of the premises, and to guard th'
arms left at Browns house, in case Of ar
attack. I do not know of any person il
the Ferry or its neighborhood, who knew
of our plan; save. our own party, and they
were pledged to keep 1t Secret
Richard Realf, one of our original par
ty, and our Secretary of State, came from
Chatham to Cleveland, few days befor'
Capt. Browns arrival from the East. sooI
after his arrival, he Capt b. sent Real
to New York city, at which place he EN-
barked for England; fot the purpose o
carrying out the plans of Capt. Brown
ReaE was born and raised in England
HTS peasants SOD, but his native tai
ents brought him into the notice of SOM
of the nobility, who took charge of hin
and made arrangements to give him nm
ished education. He was taken into tn
family of Lady Noel Byron, where h
made his home while pursuing his studies
Falling in love with a young lady OF nobl
birth, who was a relative of Lady Byron'i
he was censured by Lady B. for his pre-
sumption. He became offended at he
interference, and finally left Lady B., t
work his own way in the world. Abou
this time, the Chartist movement wa
, made, which Reslf Joined, and the resu
D was he was obliged to seek safety BY en-
, igrating to America. He made his HON
s some years in New York city. A part {
{ the time he was there, he was engaged {
!, assistant superintendent of the Five Poin
y