, 1859-03-24
e OLD RK0WN.ss

1t is not much Of 4 secret III these parts that
The person whose name forms the caption Of
this article, otherwise known as "Figlliu.
Brown passed through Northern Illinois and
Southern Michigan, a couple of weeks since
with fourteen "eEattels" al Of whom were
placed on terra yfrnla, somewhere i'll Her Maj
csty's North American Provinces Their n,lm-
der had bscn increased by one in a 1latural
way, since leaving tho commonwealth Of Mis-
sori-t!,at ono being some shades wl,iter thai,
its mother. The interest which has attached
to the movements Of Brown and his corpa i1l-
dnces us to give stlccnct history Of tho tra1ls-
action, Which We obtain from disintcrcstcd
lslrtics III kansas
After the campaign Of 1886, witt, its wrongs
md ahomnations, la,niliar to all readers, Brown
lett the Territory with a price on lis head,
though not sufficiently tempting 10 warrant
any ono iii claiming it. He remained with lis
friends i'll New York and Ohio tho following
year. Early in 1858 1e returned to Kansas
and took a claim in Bourbon county, some dis.
lance south Of Osawatomic, where l,c had for.
mcslv lived, where Ills house had },ccn burned
and his son murdered. He remained on lis
1cw location some wccks or months. n,lrs1inc
the avoclt'ons Of i pioneer ,tnmolcsted. 1t he
came noiscd abroad in Missouri however that
"old Brown had returned. and reports were
dispatched to tic country through the St Louis
Repah1ic0n and other truthful sheets, that he
had three CT four hundred mrn under his COM
maud Ill armed will, Shar1,e's rifles, small
park Of artillery and no cnl Of ammunition.
NobDdy on tho border believed these stories,
rs il shown in the fact that Missouri Sheriff
with a Missouri posse Of twenty or thirty men,
Ret out to capture him and Montgomery.
Brown WAS duly notified Of the proposed can
turc, and though sick with the aguc, mustered
seven Of Ills friends and ncighbors and took
position in log house, where he awaited tho
capturing party. The posse came ,1p and or
dcrcd tho inmates to surrender. Tic l,ttcr
replied no decidedly. The Sheriff then called
4 council Of war and, after debating several
plans Of attack executed q rctrograde move
mcnt with an appearance Of disorder and mo-
e1pitation-a rumor having bcen started that
Brown Ind gut tired waiting and wus about
doing something on his own account.
The general events Of tho Fort Scott War
Tho Narias des Cygncs massacre, the night
attack Oh Montgomery, tile forcible liberation
Of Ben Rice at Fort Scott, and tic killing of
young Little, ote--are fresh in tho public
recollection. Shortly after these events, or
during their progress, Brown conceived the
IDEA Of carrying tie war into Africa, and teach
s''g tho fighters on the other side Of the border
That continuance Of the war would imne,i1
the silety of all tic slayes in Western Nilsson.
II. While rcflecting on this plan a negro camo
ac4oss tue line in the night imploring assist
ancc for lis fani! y and fellows who wcro
about, to lc separate aud sold to the cotton
aud rice plantations of the South. Tho first
persons lie met wt1o isrown and half dozen
Of his ncigl.bors WHO VIC ne discussing the enter
prise thus singularly thrown in their way.
Summoaing dozen t,r more assistants they
moved Immediately to the border, and dividing
into two parties they made night of it, with
tie deliberate purpose Of taking all the slaves
they could find who Ind au INCLINATION to 1,c
free, and making prisoners Of MI WHO should
interfere with their design. The result Of the
excursion was the liberation If thirteen NO.
groes, the capturo Of several white men, and
the killing Of one person who WIS making
vigorous resistance. The homicide was not
committed ly The division Of tho party to
which Brown belonged, but the responsibility
Of it attaches to linn in Il degree as the moTing
actor Of the whole proceeding. Both parties
then returned to the border with ue proceeds
Of their foraging, Tho captured Nissourian.
were then Ret at liberty, and told to 80 home
sad sasse rescaing force-Brown L Co