Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-11-07
The Battle Of Black Jaek4Gross Misrep-
RESERVATIONS Concerning it--Capt.; IL
Clay Pate'S Account.

Clay Paie's Account.
Capt. Pate, whosissnow resident
Of Petersburg, Va. furnishes The
following to the Press, Of the 22d
ult. AT this time, when Old Ossa.
>wattamie Browns filling 50 large a
Space in the public mind. Capt. r. L
ace onnt possesses far more than ordi.
nary interest, and will no doubt be
universally read:
I'M the latter part of May, 1856,
John Brown and his sons murdered
five pro-sl;tvery meIton Pottawotanie
Creek, in Kansas, in one night they
were old Mr.. Doyle and two. sons.
Allen Wickerson, a member of the
first Legislature of Kansas, and u Ger
man named Wm. Sherman. These
murders were done in cold blood,
without any. excuse, except that the
victims were lin favor Of slavery for
Kansas and their only Justification
was Gerrit Smiths doctrine, that
I" Slavery must 60 ont in. blood.'1 H
slI took the field with my company
of 20 men, and joined The u. s. Dep
uty Marshall, T.4W. Hays, who was
in search of Brown and his sons, to
arrest them for their atrocions crimes.
committed on Pottawotamie Creek
Search was made for him inI the
neighborhood Of Paola, his house
found but not himself. En- his honse
were arms, and evidences oflawless,
Hess, like those found in his honse
near Hafper,s Ferry.
On discovering that Brown had
left his home and haunts, the Mar.
shal dispatched troops iii various di,
reetionss III search OF the mnrlerers
was sent toathe tneighborhood o.
Prairie City, APPOINT on the Santa Fe
road about 45 miles from the Ms,
souri, line, and on Saturday night. The
last day of May, camped Mt BLACK
Jack, where there was q spring Fand
other collvenienees for cooking, t.
rest over Sunday. Squads were sen
dut to scour the country, and fine
traces OF Brown. | had been asshred
that honest free State meh all5over The
Territory would assist in Brown,
capture, in which, was deceived. q
am sorry to say. however, that some
Of my scouts transcribed their orders
and under the Influence Of liqnor
perhaps, committed senie indiserG
fions. at least i aking advantage >
these, Brown, who was concealed il
the IIeighborhood, excited all the in
habitants against my coinlnand, en-
listed them in lis service, and il
t4orty-eight hours, had banded togkth
Ter some hundred and odd persons t,
EoverPower I'LL II
asas attacked at sun rise. Monday
morning the I'd Of June, by conpa
my eqnaIin number to my own, uudel
hcomlIland of Capt. Shore. whotff#,yi.
| put to flight, and who afterwards leti
The field and incurred the censure y
Brown, who charged the Captain viii
cowardiee, in the New York Tibssae
Five ofmy men were wounded |ant
disabled III the, early part Of the fight
rs many more deserted, and afterFre,
sisting the attack for over three hour;
aud almost exhansting our amnuni
ktion7 seeing reihtorcelLsnts sef thu
enemy arriving every hour-and
knowing Ne were surrounded, 1 de
Etermined te seek aninterview Within
Icomniander2Hot dreaming he was
Brown, Or / should never have done
kso,a My object was two fold. 1stt ]
Hooked forllelp to arrive every tho
fmellt, and wished to gain fine. 2a
III desired to apologize for and aisclaiu
/ any understandable conduct of my
scouts, feeling that duty required II,
apology and disclaimer for the sam,
-labove all wished to be right.
expected TO die, and possibly te#lgt
down with every gallant fellow VIII
stood lynne; and it would have beer
a consolation totknow tfatI had don,
salf IL ms power 10 avoid bloodshed
| audi fno honorable compromise coalf
| be effected, after making proper con
Iceptions, Iwas ready and willing tc
! die iii defence ot5niy country and III
maintenance of the trust It had con
lfided TO my Keeping. ] never har
j'bored the stllonght of surrender. Ii
addition I'd this. my men had no
1eaten ANYTHING since the previous at
]ternoon, and two of tire wounded
j whom i supposed dying, needed at
ttention they begged, in tonehins
tones, fer water aud help. It wa
under these circumstances and viii
! the object Just stated, that l5sent %
ia flag of trdce and asked an inter
view. It was granted. i went on
under the flag. BIZ the request 0
Capt. Brown, who would hear n'
proposition or explanation, but de
linanded my surrender. ] stold hin
The must wait fifteen minutes for ID,
answer, and moved with file intention
of returning 70 renew the defence
when he told me / was bis prisoner
land Iii that moment his sons rose %
from the grass whereEthey were con
4aaalnd and farcihlv tatek me. Will