The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-27

bring out the prisoner, Thompson. He was
drought out on the bridge, and there'sho down.
He fell into the water, and some appearance OF
life still remaining, he was riddIed With balls.
At this time the general charge was made
down the street from the bridge toward the Ar
mory gate by the Gharlestown and Shepherds
town troops and Ferry people. From behind
the Armory wall a fusilade was kept up, and
returned by the insurrectionists from the Ar
mory buildings. N ~
While this was going on, the Martinsburg
levies arrived at the upper end of the town,
and, entering the Armory grounds by the rear,
made an attack from that side This force was
largely composed Of railroad employees, gath
cred from the tonnage trains at Martinsburg,
and their attack was generally spoken OF as
showing the greatest amount of fighting pluck
exhibited during the day. Dashing on, firing
and cheering, and gallantly led by Captain Al
burtis, they carried the building in which the
Armory men were imprisoned, and released the
whole Of them.
They were, however, but poorly armed, some
with pistols and others with shot-guns and
when they came within range of the engine
house, where the elite of the insurrectionists
were gathered, and were exposed to the rapid
and dexterous use of Sharpe's rifles, they were
forced to fan back, suffering pretty severely.
!
| killed instantly, and Conductor George Rich
ardson received wound from which he died
during the day. Several others were wounded,
among them son of DIR. Hammond of Martins
burg.
a guerilla warfare was maintained during
the rest Of the day, resulting in the killing of
two of the insurrectionists and the wounding
of third. One crawled out through culvert
leading into the Potomac, and attempted to
cross to the Maryland side, whether with the view
of escaping, or conveying information to Cook,
is not known.
He was shot while crossing the river, and
fell dead On the rocks. An adventurous lad
waded out and secured his Sharpes rifle. The
body was afterward stripped of part of its
clothing. In one of his pockets was found a
captains commission, drawn up in full form,
and declaring that the bearer, Captain Leh-
man, held that commission under Major Cen
eral Brown. A light muatto was shot just out
side of the Armory gate. The ball went through
the throat, tearing away the principal arteries,
| and killing him instantly. His name is not
known, but he is one of the free negroes who
came with Brown. His body was left in the
street until noon yesterday, exposed to every
indignity that could be heaped upon it by the
excited populace.
At this time, tall, powerful man, named
| Evans Stephens, came out from the Armory,
| conducting some prisoners, it was said. He
was twice shot-once in the side, once in the
breast. He was then captured, and taken to a
tavern, and after the instruction was quelled
was turned over to the United States authori-
ties in a dying condition. During the after
noon, a sharp little affair took place on the
Shenandoah side of the town. The insurrec-
tionists had also seized Halls rifle works, and
a party OF their assailants found their way in
| through a mill-race, and dislodged them.
In this rencontre, it was said, three insurrec-
tionists were killed, but we found but one dead
| body that of negro, on that side Of the town.
Night by this time had set in, and operations
ceased. Guards were placed around the Arm
DRY, and every precaution taken to prevent es-
cGpes.
At eleven O'Clock, the Monday night train,
with Baltimore military and marines, arrived
at Sandy Hook, where they waited for the ar
rival Of Col. Lee, deputized by the War De-
partment to take the command.
The reporters pressed on, leaving their mill
tary- allies behind; they found the bridge in the
possession of the military, and entered the be-
sieged town without difficulty, the occasional
report of gun or singing motion Of a Sharpe's
rife ball warning them that it was advisable to
keep themselves out Of the range ofthe Armory.
! The first visit was made to the bedside OF
Aaron Stevens, the wounded prisoner; they
found him to be a large, exceedingly athletic
man, perfect Samson in appearance. lie
was in a small SOON, filed with excited armed
men, who more than once threatened to shoot
him, where he was groaning with pain, but an
swering with composure and apparent willing
ness every question in relation to the fray in
| which he was engaged
He said he was a native of Connecticut but
had lately lived in Kansas, where he knew Cap
tain Brown. He had also served in the United
States army. The sole object of his attempt
was to give the negroes freedom, and Brown
had represented that as soon as they seized the
Armory, the negroes would flock to them by
thousands, and they would soon have force
/ enough for their purpose-one for which be
would sacrifice his life-but he said he thought
Brown had been greatly deceived. He said
that preparations had been making for some
months for movement, but that the whole
force consisted Of seventeen white men and five
free negroes.
This statement was repeated without varia-
ton by all the prisoners with whom we con.
versed. All agreed as to the number in the
movement and as to its objects, which some
called the work of philanthropy.
Lewis Leary, negro shot at the rife mill
stated, before he died, that he enlisted with
Capt. Brown for the insurrection at fair held
in Lorraine county, Ohio, and received the
money to pay his expenses. They all came
down to Chambersburg, Pa, and from there
they travelled across the country to Browns
farm.
The night passed without any serious alarms
but not without excitement. The marines were
marched over Immediately after their arrival
: when Col. Lee stationed them within the Arm
DRY grounds, so as to completely surround the
engine-house. Occasionally, shots were fired
by country volunteers, but what for was not es
certained. There was only one return fire from
the insurgents.
: The broken telegraph was soon repaired
through the exertions of Superintendent Yves
tervelt and faicott, who accompanied the ex
petition. The announcement chat commun
cation was opened with Baltimore gave the
press representatives abundant employment
There was no bed TO be had, and daylight was
awaited with anxiety. Its earliest glimpses
we're aVailed Of TO survey the scene.
A visit to the different localities in which the
corpses of the insurrectionists were lying stark
and bloody, peep close or far off, according
to the courage of the observer, at the MalakoA
. of the insurgents was the established order o.
, sightseeing, varied with discussion of al
sorts of terrible rumorS.
The building in which the insurgents hac
made their stand was the hre-engine-house, anC
no doubt the most defensible building in the
; Armory. 1t has dead brick walls on three
sides, GRd on the fourth large doors, with win
dow sashes aOogs, some eight feet from the
ground.
1 A dead stiffness surrounded the buildings
and, except that now and then a man might be
. seen peeping from the nearlyclosed door, ant
/ dogs nose slightly protruding, there was ne
> sign of life, much less of hostility, given.