The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-10-27
The night passed without any serious

The night passed without any serious
alarms, but not without excitement.
The building in which the insurgents had
made their stand was the fre-engine house,
and no doubt the most defensible building in
the Armory. 1t has dead brick walls on
three sides, and on the fourth large doors,
with window sashes above, some eight feet
from the ground.
The cannon could not be used without
endangering the safety of Col. Washington,
Mr. Danserfeld, Mr.. Ball, and ether citizens,
whom they still held prisoners. The doors
and walls of the building had been pierced
for rifles, but it was evident that from these
holes no range could be had, and that with
out opening the door they would be shooting
in the dark. Many thought that the murder
of the prisoners held was determined upon,
and that fight to the death would be the
ending of their desperate attempt ~
Whilst the people thus looked and specu-
lated, the door was opened, and one of the
men came out with a flag of truce, and de-
livered what was supposed to be terms OF
capitulation. The continued preparations
for assault showed they not accepted. Short
ly after seven o'clock, Lieut.. e. B. Stuart, of
the lst Cavalry, who was acting as aid for
Col. Lee, advanced to pariey with the besieged
Samuel Snider, Esq, an old and respectable
citizen, bearing flag of truce. They were
received at the door by Cant. Cook. Lieut..
Stuart demanded an unconditional surrender,
only promising them protection from imme-
diate violence and a trial bv law Cantain
demanded, which were substantially, THAT
they should be permitted to march out with
their men and arms, taking their prisoners
with them that they should proceed unpur-
sued to the second toll gate, when they would
free their prisoners the soldiers would then
be permitted to pursue them, and they
would fight If they could not make their es-
cape" OF course, this was refused, and
It. Stuart pressed upon Brown his desperate
position, and urged surrender. The ex-
Jostula:ion, though beyond ear shot was
evidently very earnest, and the GOODNESS of
the Lieutenant, and the courage Of his aged
flag bearer won warm praise. At this mo-
mcnt the interest Of the scene was most in
tense The volunteers were arranged all
around the building, cutting off an escape
in every direction. The marines, divided in
two squads, were ready for a dash at the
door.
Finally, Lieut.. Stuart, having exhausted
all argument with the determined Brown
walked slowly from the door.
Immediately the signal for attack was
given, and the marines, headed by Col Har-
ris and Lieut. Green, advanced in two lines
on each side Of the door. Two powerful
fellows sprung between the lines, and with
heavy sledge hammers attempted to batter
down the door.
The doors swung and swayed, but appear
ed to be secured with a rope, the spring OF
which deadened the blows. Failing thus,
they took hold of a ladder, some forty feet
long. and, advancing at run, brought il
with tremendous effect against the door
At the second blow it gave way, one Leaf
falling inward in a slanting position. The
| marines immediately advanced to the breach
Major Russell and Lieutenant Green leading
A marine in front fell. -
The firing from the interior was rapid and
sharp. They fired with deliberate aim, and
| for moment the resistance was serious and
desperate enough to excite the spectators to
something like pitch offrenzy. The mex,
moment the marines poured in, the firing
ceased and the work was done; while cheers
rang from every side, the general feeling
being that the marines had done their par,
admirably.
When the insurgents We're brought out
some dead and others wounded, they were
greeted with excavations, and only the pre-
cautions that had been taken saved them
from immediate execution. The crowd, nearly
every man of which carried gun, swayet
with tumultuous excitement, and cries o
''Shoot them ~ "Shoot themr' rang from
every side. The appearance of the liberated
prisoners, al ofwhom through the steadiness
of the marines, escaped injdry, changed :ht
current of feeling, and prolonged cheers tool
the place of howls and eXecrations.
The lawn in front of the engine house afte
the assault presented a dreadful sight. Lay
ing on it were two bodies of men killed OF
the previous day, and found inside the house
three wounded men, one of them just at tn,
last gasp of life, and two others groaning il
pain. One of the dead was Browns son
Driveway, the wounded man, and his sol
Watson, were laying on the grass, the fathe
presenting CORY spectacle. He had sever,
bayonet wound in his side, and his face ant
hair were clotted with blood.
A short time after Captain Brown wa
brought ont, he revived and talked earnestly
to those about him, defending his course, ant
avowing he had only done what was right
He replied to the questions put to him, sub
stantially as follows: "Are you Captain
Brown of Kansas +? 81 am sometimes called
So" "Are you Ossawatomie Browns" 81
tried to do my duty there" "What wa