Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-11-01
The Hattie of Black Jack.

a3 The Hattie Of Black Jack.
The following narrative by Capt H. Clay Pate,
now of Petersburg, Va, will be interesting to
our readers as It gives some of the antecedentt
of Capt. Brown of Harper's Ferry notoriety.--
It is dated Petersburg, Oct. 81, 1859: ~
oaIn the latter part of May, 1865, John Brown
and his sons murdered five pro-slsvery men on
Pottawotamie creek, in Kansas, in one night
they were old Mr.. Doyle and two sons, Allen
Wilkerson, member of the first Legislature oi
Kansas and German named Vim. Sherman
These murders were done in cold blood, without
any excuse, except that the victims were in fa-
yor of slavery for Kansas and their only justi-
fication was Gerrit SMITHS doctrine that slavery
must 20 ont in blood"
7 took the field with my company of % men
and joined the q. S. Deputy Marshal, 7. w.
Hsys. who was in search of Brown and his sons,
to arrest them for their strocious crimes, COM
mitted on Pottawotamie creek. Search was
made for him in the neighborhood Of Paols his
house was found, but not himself In his house
were arms, and evidence of lswlessness, like
those found on his place near Harper's Ferry.
On discovering that Brown had left his home
and bsuuts, the Marshal dispatched troops in
various directions, in search of the murderers.
was sent to the neghborhood of Prairie City,
point on the Santa Fe road, about 46 miles
from the Missouri line, and on Saturday night,
the last day of May, camped at Black Jack,
where there is spring, and other conveniences
for cooking, to rest over Sunday. Squads were
sent out to scour the country, and find traces of
Brown. / had been assured that honest free
State men all over the Territory would assist
in Browns capture, in which was deceived
ann sorry to say, however, that some of my
scouts transcended their orders, and under the
influence Of liquor, perhaps, committed some in
discretions at least. Taking advantage of these,
Brown, who was concealed in the neighborhood,
excited all the inhabitants against my command,
enlisted them in his service, and in forty.eight
hours, had banded together some hundred and
odd persons to overpOwer 1t. @ " a7
/ was attacked at sunrise Monday morning,
the 2nd of June, by company equal In num-
bers to my own, under the command of Captain
Shore, whom we put to flight, and who after
wards left the field and incurred the censure Of
Brown, who charged the Captain with coward
ice, in the New York Tribune.
Five of my men were wounded and disabled
in the early part of the fight, as many more de-
serted, and after resisting the attack for over
three hours, and almost exhausting our ammu-
nition-seeing reinforcements of the enemy ar
irving every bour--and knowing We were sur
rouned, determined to seek an interview with
the comlnander-not even dreaming he was
Brown, or should never have done so. My OBJ.
ject was two fold. 1st looked for help to ar
rive every moment, and wished to gain time
End. desired to apologize for aud disclaim any
unwarrantsble conduct of my scouts, feeling that
duty required my apology and disclaimer for the
sane-above all, wished to be right. eX-
pected to die, and possibly 60 down with every
gallant fellow who stood by me; and it would
have been q consolation to know that had done
all IN my power to avoid bloodshed, and if no
honorable compromise could be effected, after
making proper concessions, | was ready and
willing to die in defence ofmy country, and in
the maintenance of the trust it had confided to
my keeping. never hsrbored the thought OF
surrender In addition to this, my men had not
eaten anything since the previous afternoon, and
two of the wounded, whom | supposed dying,
needed attention; they begged, in touching
tones, tor water and help. 1t was under these
circumstances, and with the object just stated,
that | sent out q flag of truce and asked an in-
terview. 1t was granted. went out under
the flag, by the request of Capt. Brown, who
would hear no proposition or explanation, but
demanded my surrender. | told him he must
wait fifteen minutes for my answer, and moved
with the intention of returning to renew the de-
fence, when he told me was his prisoner; and
ut that moment his sous rose up from the grass
where they were concealed, and forcibly took
me, while the white flag was still floating over
my head Not content with this act Of treach-
cry, and my gallant aid, Henry James, were
put in front OF squad of men, 80 that my COM
pauy could not fire and protect themselves with
out killing US, and seeing no alternative but in-
stant death, being utterly surrounded, they threw
down their arms. ! never gave the command
to surrender, and never would have done it, al
though it was demanded of me uuder penalty
was prisoner and did not intend to open my
mouth, preferring "to die and make no sgn." =
did not compliment Browns bravery, for
could not consider him truly brave who would
take one treacherousy, when be had four to one,
and every imaginable advantage on his side; fof
we we're in settlement of soilers exclusively,
with an exception or two, and as it turned out,
thirty or forty miles from any assistance.
This is as correct statement as l can make
in brief-there being enough matter in the affair
for a book, which am in no spirit to write now,
and would not have come before the public at
this time, but that the misstatements OF North
ern have been copied into Southern papers.
expect SANDER and injustice from the Abolition
press as long as live, judging from the past
but when they come home to me, no one can
Justly impute blame to myself for defending my
fair fame, which ever intend to do "withou,
favor or affection"
THE CAKE Fowl BUsINHss.-1n an article
descriptive of the business of q noted gsme'cock
raiser in Pennsylvania, the Oharlestown Mercu-
ry communicates the following information:
"AnDually, the Doctor tests his strains by to
king fowls one year old, putting short steel gsftt
ON zach thew ara than nermitted To FIGHT unit