Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-11-29
The Confession of Cook.

The confession Of John f. Cook, one Of
John Browns accomplices, now uuder sem
tence Of death has been published. AS we
have heretofore stated, it does not disclose
any new fact of Importance, nor implicnte
any persons whose names have not already
been mentioned in connection with the llar-
per's Ferry affair. Iu regard 10 the more
prominent citizens at the North he disclams
all knowledge which could implicate them.
The story Of their journey from Kansas
across the country with supply Of Sharpe's
rifles and anlmunlri N, hating here and there
and finally settling at lIarper's Ferry, is re-
lated, but developes nothing new Of import
. zee. The outsiders who had any knowledl .
OF Browns operations were "a few radical az
nlitionists, such as Fred Douglas, and a
Cook thinks. Gerrit Smith. All that Cook
says apparently duplicating them is rs fol-
lrwS:
lie BROWN came 10 llarper's Ferry
about the last Of June. though did not see
him TIL late IN July or the early part Of Au
| gust; when we met on Shenandoah street,
llarper's Ferry, opposite Tearney's store. /
do not know who were his aiders or abettors,
but have heard him mention with il the
OF Boston, and Sanborn, and Thaddeus Hy-
at, Of New York city.
| The attack ut llarpers Ferry was made
sooner than it WAS intended, owing to some
| friends in Boston writing Il letter finding
ault with the management Of Captain H.,
and what 10 them seemed his unnecessary
delay and expense do not know who
those persons were, or how far they were
cosnzant Of his Capt. B.'>) plans. But |
d" know that Or. Howe gave Captain Brown
breech-loading carbine and u pair of muz-
zle.ioading pistols. all of government manu-
facture. They were left either Ut the house
OF Captain Brown. or at the school-house,
where most of the arms were conveyed.
= y
A short time before the attack on Harper $
Ferry. Captain Brown requested me TO find
out in some way, without creating sus-
picion, the number OF male slaves on or near
tic roads leading from the Ferry, for dis
lance Of eight Or ten miles, ana 10 make such
memoranda that il would he uninteIgible To
others, but in such manner that | could
make it plain to him and the rest of the COM
panY.
The remaiude: of the confession relates
DfIHCipullG u lllt aUDTl!Nc attach WI iiuI pei y
Ferry. Of his own participation in the ght,
, he saws:
After going down opposite the Ferry, |
assembled the mountain IN order to get bet
ter view Of the position Of our opponents. |
saw that our party were completely sur
rounded, and a. | saw 4 body OF men on
High street firing down upon them they
were about half mile distant from me-
thought would draw their fire upon my
self: therefore raised my rifle and took the
best aim could and fred. 1t had the de
sired effect, Tor the very instant the party re-
turned IT, Several shots were exchanged.--
The last one they fired at me cut small
limb had hold OF Just below my hand. and
gave me a fall Of about fifteen feet. by which
| was severely bruised and my flesh some
what lacerated.'
lie then narrates his subsequent move
ments, after despairing of rescung Brown
and his conlederates. With Merriam and
others they slept on the side Of the noun
, tain beyond Browns house, until three o.
clock next ,rnins when they went to the
top of the noun tain. and in a few hours pas
sed over to the opposite side, remained until
dark, and then escaped.