The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-10-29
The Negro Insurrec ion in Virginia.
DETAILED NARRATIyE.
From The Baltimore American.

vicinity of Harper's ferry more than yeal
ago, accompanied by his two sons, the
whole party assuming the name of Smith.
He Inquired about land in the vicinity
and made investigations about the probabil.
itY of finding ores, and for some time board
ed at Sandy Point, mile east of the Ferry
After an absence of some months he reap.
peared in the vicinity and rented or leased
a farm on the Maryland side, four miles
from the Ferry. They bought large num-
Der of picks and spades, and this confirmed
the belief that they intended to mine foI
ores. They were seen frequently in and
about Harper's Ferry, but no suspicion
seems to have existed that Bill Smith was
Capt. Brown, or that he intended embark
ing in any movement SO desperate or extra
ordinary; yet the developments of the plot
leave no doubt that his visits to the Ferry.
and bis lease of the farm. were all parts OF
his preparation for the instruction, which
he supposed would he successful in extir-
minating slavery in Maryland and Western
Virginia. Browns chief aid was John E.
Cook, a comparatively young man, who
has resided in and near the Ferry for some
years. He was first employed in tending a
lock on the canal. afterwards taught school
on the Maryland side of the river, and after
brief residence in Kansas, where, it is sup
posed, he became acquainted with Brown,
returned 10 the Ferry and married there.
He was regarded as a man of some intel
ligence, known to be anti-slayery, but not
so violent in the expression of his opinions
as to excite any suspicious. These two
men, with Browns two sons, were the only
white men connected with the instruction
that had been previously about the Ferry.
All were brought by Brown from distance.
and nearly all had been with him in Kansas.
The first active movement in the insurrec
ton was made about half-past ten Sunday
night. w. N. Williamson, the watchman
on the Harper's Ferry bridge, whilst walk
ing across towards the Maryland side, was
seized by number Of men who said that
he was their prisoner and must come with
them. He recognized Brown and Cook
among the men, and knowing them, ne
treated the matter as a joke, but enforcing
silence they conducted him to the Armory,
which he found already in their possession.
He was retained till after daylight, and then
discharged. The Waterman who was to
relieve Williamson at midnight found the
bridge lights all out, and was Immediately
seized. Surprising it an attempt at robbery,
he broke away, and his pursuers stumbling
over he escaped. The next appearance of
the insurrectionists was at the house of Col.
Lewis Washington, large farmer and slave
owner, living about four milesfrom the Fer
ry. A party headed by Cook proceeded
there, reused Col. Washington, and told
him he was their prisoner.
They also seized all the slaves near the
house and took away carriage and horses,
and large wagon with two horses. When
Colonel Washington saw Cook, he immedi-
ateiy recognized him as a man who had
called upon him some months previous, to
whom he had exhibited some valuable arms
in his, possession, including an antique
sword, presented by Frederick the Great to
George Washington, and pair of pistols
presented by Lafayette to Washington,
both being heirlooms in the family. Before
wing, Cook wanted Colonel Washington
to make trial of skill at shooting, and ex-
hibited considerable certainty as marks
man.
When he made his visit on Sunday night,
he alluded to his previous visit and the cour-
tesy with which he had been treated, and
the necessity which made it his
duty to arrest Colonel Washington. He,
however, took advantage of the knowledge
he obtained by his former visit, to carry off
all the valuable collection of arms, which
Colonel Washington did not re-obtain till
after the final defeat of the instruction.
From Colonel Washington's the party
proceeded with him as prisoner in his own
carriage, and twelve of his negroes in the
wagon, to the house of Mr.. Allstadt, anoth
er large farmer on the same road. Mr.. All
stadt and his son, lad Of sixteen years of
age, were taken prisoners, and all the me-
groes within reach being forced to join the
movement.
They returned to the Armory at the Fer
ry. All these movements seem to have
been made without exciting the slightest
alarm in the town; nor did The detention of
Capt. Phelps train at the upper end of the
town, attract attention. 1t was not until
the town was thoroughly walked up, and
found the bridges guarded by armed men,
and guard stationed at all the avenues,
that the people found they were prisoners.
A panic appears to have Immediately en-
sued. and the number of the insurrection-
lists at once increased from fifty, which was
probably their greatest force. including the
slaves who were forced to join, to from five
to six hundred. In The meantime, num-
Der of workmen, knowing nothing of what
had occurred. entered the Armory, and were
successfully taken prisoners, until they had
at one time not less than sixty men confined
in the Armory. Among those thus en-
trapped were Armisted, Benz. ills, Master
of the Armory, and J. L. 2. Dangerfeld,
Paymaster's Clerk. These three gentlemen
were imprisoned in Il e engine house. which
became the chief fortress of the
insurgents, and were not released until after
the final assault.
The workmen were imprisoned in a large
building farther down the yard, and were
rescued by brilliant Zouaye dash made by
the railroad company's men. who came