The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-27

UcA8N9y ono Secretaries o. tue
crgaaixaiiou. There some others from tho United
States, whose names DO ~ now renembcr. Most Of
The delegates 70 the Conversation were from Canada
took their oath to support t. II was then signed
BY 81 present During the interval between the call
were held at Barbour's Hotel where we were stopping
by those who known 10 be true TO the cause at
which meetings plans were laid ana discussed. There
OF our company Men and money had both promised
from Chatham and other parts Of Canada When
yenton broke up news was received that Col Forbes
who had joined In the movement, had given information
to the government This OF course delayed the time OF
attack day or two afterward ost or our party took
q. Leeman, Richard Robertson and Capt Brown remain
ing Capt B., however started in day or two for the
East Kagi think, went TO some other town in Canada
ose up the type and to get the constitution printed,
winch he completed before no returned TO Cleveland We
remained in Cleveland for weeks ai which place,
had had the plan Of the nsurrecton in contemplation
several yearsn fact told that had been the chief
aim OF his Life to carry out and accomplish the abolition Of
Slavery.
In his trip East hc did realize the amount Of money
thai be expected The money had been promised bona
fde owing to the ghtness Of the money market they
tailed to comply With his demands. The funds were
cessary to the Accomplishment Of his plans afterwards
learned that there was Lack Of confidence in the sue
cess Of lis scheme was therefore, necessary that
movement should be made in another direction demon
strate the praccahily Of his plan This he made about
yeaE ago by his invasion Of Missouri and the taking of
about dozen slaves, together with horses cattle, &c.
into Kansas in defiance Of the United States Marshal and
his posse. From Kansas he took them to Canada va
Iowa City and Cleveland. AT the latter place he
ed days, and think, disposed Of his there
seems thatthe United States Marshal was afraid
rest him and tbs was all that was wanting togve cont
dehce to the wavertng IN the practcabty Of his plan
ana its ultimate success He came TO Harpers Ferry
about the last Of June, though did him TIL late
Shenandoah street Harpers Ferry, opposite Tcarncys
store. 90 Bct know who his ai,crs abettors,
but have heard him nieatoa in connection win tue
names al Gerr Smith, OF Nex York. Howe, of Boston,
and Stubborn aad Thaddeus Hyatt OF New York city.
What connection, ana how far connected with his plan,
do not know, bs | know he letter few weeks
previous BIS attack gentlemen Boston which
read, a near as ean rccoaeci, as follows
specie Providence Fverythin is working we'll shah
want al the funds you prouised in few days Yours.
truly, CALM SILL,
In the time the who had engaged to 60 with
hin, had most Of them arrived at Chambersburg, Pa,
and been sent 10 the place which he had rented in Wash
ngton county, Md about five miles from Harpcrs Ferry
The greater part OF the men kept out OF sight during the
day for fear OF attracting attention The arms munitions,
&c, carted from Cnambersburg his rendezvous
The spear heads and guards strong boxes and the
shafts passed for fork handles They put together by
at the house where OF them found.
Letters OF Importance came TO the Chambersburg Post
Office and were Sent by some four party headquar
The letters OF minor Importance 70 the Ferry to
j Smith Sons All illusions to business made in
such blind way that they would not have been under
stood by any outside parties should they have been
miscarred The attack was made than it was in
tended owing TO some friends in Boston writing letter
finding fault with the management Of Captain B. and what
them seemed his unnecessary delay and expense do
not who those persons were, how far they
cognzant of his Captain 81 plans but do know that
DR.. Howe gave Captain Brown brecch loading carbine
and pair Of muzzle loading pistols all OF government
manufacture. They left either the house Of Cap
tain Brown at the schoolhouse where most Of the
were conveyed. AT what time and for what purpose
they were given to Captain Brown, do not know. 1t
supposed that Colonel Hugh FORBES dead. was
told by Captain Brown that when East he had been
told by Thaddeus Hyatt, OF New York, that some of the
negroes at that place bad informed him Hyatt that
Forbes had 'gone upa phrase which Captain and the
rest % our company understood mean that he had been
killed | do think that Forbes had any cogniznce
OF plans from the time of leaving Podee year
ago last April Previous 10 his quarrel with Capt Brown
considered that he would hold place next Brown
in command do not know the present whereabouts of
Luke f. Parsons Charles Moilet The last heard OF
Parsons was through Capt. Brown, who Informed me
that Parsons had started for Pixies Peak, and that he
Brown thought he would be pretty tolerably peaked
before he got there short time before the attack
Hafper's Ferry, Capt Brown requested to find in
some way, without creating suspicion, the number of
male Slaves the roads leading from the Ferry
for distance of eight ten miles, and to make such
moranda that would he unineiibe to others, but in
such manner that could make plain TO him and the
rest of the company He gave two dollars to pay my
expenses with took the road from Harpers Ferry
Charlestown under the plea OF gaining statistics for a
work to be published by John Henri, and =, decide a
other road few days after this Capt Brow his
wagon by his Oliver and Jereaiutt 4 ,,-e~un
to bring my wife and myself TO his house an. gave
note from him, which, as le,. s,s,.,4.t,
read follows
Mn. cooxE-pesr Sir: You win oi@n.r 4,ersthine
wasSn VIE iH %a S o your & MY
burg and shall start early tomorrow i"' he as expe
which vii awaken KEN any saspe.oa t.p your wife Is
Yours, &c, J. SMITH.
My wife and myself accordingly LETT Harper's Ferry
that night, accompanied ny 0.iyer Brown and Jeremiah
Anderson, for Captain thowns house in Washington
county, Nd
The next day, after dinner Captain B. and his son
ny W lie cd for
Chambersburg. When Captain B. returned he told me
that he had got her good boarding place in Chambers
burg al Mrs Rtterer and that she liked her boarding
place very well.
There were six in our party who did not
know anything Of our constitution, and as have since
understood were also ignorant Of the plan Of operations
until the Sunday morning previous to the attack. Among
this number were Edwin COppe Barclay Coppie Francis
j. Merriam, Shields Green, John Copeland and Leary.
The constitution was read to them by a. D. Stephens,
and the oath afterwards administered by Capt Brown
sunday evening previous to our departure Capt Brown
made his final arrangements for the capture OF Harpers
said -
MINDS You all know dear lie is to you and how dear
your lives friends and remembering that
YOU; DO ,hsrsore The ile any You can
oa agS Y s = wa % take life in order
After taking the town was placed under Capt. Ste
phens who received orders to proceed to the house of
Col Lewis Washington and TO take him prisoner, and to
bring his slaves, horses aud arms, and back
TO take Mr. Astad and his slaves, and to bring them all
~ Sipt brOWu III Tue dIHOTy. Wien VIC FctuIHeu,
! stayed short time in the engine house to get
warm, as was chilled through After got warm,
Capt Brown ordered to go with G. p Tidd,
who TO take William Fl. Leeman, and,
think, four slaves with him. in Col Washingtons large
wagon the river 10 take Terrence Burns and
his brother and their slaves prisoners Ny orders to
hold unrs and brother prisoners at their house.
while dd and the slaves who accompanied him were to
to Capt browns house and TO load in the arms and
bring them down to the school house. stopping for the
Burnses and their guard William H. Ieeman remained
with to guard the prisoners On return of the wagon
in compliance with ORDERS all started for the school
house. When we got there, was to remain, by Capt
Browns orders, with one Of the slaves to guard the
arms, while Tdd, with the other negroes, was TO go
back for the rest OF the arms and Burns to be sent
with William H. Ieeman to Capt Brown at the Armory.
1t at this time that William Thompson came up from
the Ferry and reported that everything all right aud
then hurried to ovcrtake William H. Leeman short
time after the departure of Tdd heard good deal Of
firing, and became anxious TO know the cause,
but my orders strict to remain at the
school house and guard the arms, and obeyed the
orders to the letter About four O'Clock in the even
ing c. p. Tdd with the second load /
then took Of the negroes with me and started
for the ferry. met negro woman short distance be-
,nfor Nrh