Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-10-27
The War at Harper's Ferry.

re the seat of Il small war. The bellgcrents
were John Brown of Kansas notoriety, and a
/ few other crazy men on the one side, and the
Federal and State governments on the other
! The details OF the various engagements, the
bravery of those who perilled their lives in the
imminent deadly BREACH" to rescue tho pc
culiar institution from this painfully dreadful
attack of seventeen white men and five negroes,
and the list of killed, wounded and missing
will be furnished at length IN all the Demo
cratic papers in the county, where it can be
read by any who may be curious to learn the
precise disposition of the opposing forces, and
the actual amount of blood-letting in this last
achievement of John Brown. The account
which we give below, from the Boston Journal,
is substantial statement of the occurrence
Passing by the preparatory movements of the
insurrectionists. which are but family known
at present, the first open demonstration at Har-
pers Ferry occurred on Sunday night, last
At about half past ten on that night, the watch
man at the Harper Ferry bridge, VIM. Will
| hanson, was seized by a number of men, and
shortly afterwards carried to the Arncry, which
he then found was in possession Of the insurgents
The man sent to relieve him at the bridge was
also seized, but made his escape Within an
hour or two, some Ofthe insurrectonists appear
ed at the house Of Col. Lewis Washington, who
lived four miles distant, took him and twelve of
his negroes prisoners, proceeded to another
gentleman house, took him. his son, and all
the negroes at hand, and returned to the Armo-
ry. In the meantime (about clock III the
morning) the passenger train on the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad had been stopped, but was
finally allowed to 60 on, with the Understanding
| that it was to convey the announcement that no
more trains would be suffered to pass through.
of all this the people Of Harper Ferry knew
nothing. Their first knowledge came with the
terror Of discovering, or imagining, that armed
men Were guarding the bridge and all the
avenues. But before the conviction that they
were prisoners became general, the working
men repairing to the Armory, as usual We're
taken prisoners successfully, until at ona time
sixty were said to be confined. By this time it
was broad daylight on Monday morning, when
Cook, one Of the leading insurgents, with two
white men and several slaves, crossed the bridge
and disappeared III the direction of .Pennsylya-
MIA. They have not been heard from to the time
of writing.
They left behind them an insurrectionary
force comprising in all fourteen white men and
four negroes. Thus it appears that tcenty-One
men had taken the U. S. Armory, captured over
sixty prisoners, and held for u time undsputed
possession of the town OF Harper Ferry. They
We're reported to the public ON Monday us num-
Jering' $50 whites, aided by II gang of
negroes, and before night reached to between
500 and 700 in ALL" Luther Simpson, IL bag
gage master, states (Which statement flies over
the wires on Monday,) that he visited the in.
surgents in person, and "saw from 500 to 600
negroes all having arms, and there were from
200 to 300 white men with them" But one of
the latest accounts admits that no slaves joined
the insurgents will ingly, and says distinctly
that -" but one instance is related Of slaves who
made public appearance with arms in their
hands. The force, then, which was in the
active service of Capt. Brown, was as we have
stated above
AS the morning of Monday wore away, the
true state of the case began to discover itself.
People began to flock round the armory, and
promiscuous firing set in. The Insurgents who
were outside, and who had killed two persons
one a colorcd man who had refused to Join their
movement, mostly withdrew to their confcderates
in the arnory, choosing for defense large brick
building with dead walls on three sides, and
large doors and high window sashes on the
fourth. About noon the Charestown troops
came on the ground, anu were soon succerdtJ
by another company: Desultory firing was
maintained the rest of that day, resulting in
the loss of two insurgents and the wounding Of
q third. Nothing occurred on Monday night
except the arrival of the Baltimore military and
other companies, who poured in thick and fast
Att o'clock on Tuesday morning the first
operations began with parley with the be-
sieged, which was ruitless. An attack wal
ordered, as further regular firing was thought
to be more dangerous to the prisoners within
1t was promptly executed, with the loss of two
or three marines, for the accounts differ. The
doors were demolished, the building entered
and all resistance was at once cxtinguished. Thu
prisoners were found unharmed. Capt Johr
Brown, the instigator of this singular tragedy
was badly wounded, and his son shot dead
There were in all twenty-one killed during thu
trouble-flteen insurgents and six ctizens-ant
three wounded, all insurgents.
The surviving insurgents are now in jail
awaiting leggl proceedings. Such is a bre
record of the prominent events at IIarper's Fer
ry from Sunday night to Tuesday morning
, without reference to motives, antecedents O.
5 collateral circumstances.
There is no apology, and no excuse that ca
avail tho men who have thus attempted by fore
to release few slaves from bondage. Thei
course is reprobated and condemned everywhere
They took the sword, and they have alread
nearly all persisted by the sword, and no mere
: can be expected for the survivors Their actio
was criminal in double sense it was a viola
ton of law, and it will work an injury to th
) slave. That slave has right to escape from
his master, resisting unto the shedding of blood
: if need be, in defence of his Freedom is a trutl
!, we learned at the foundation of our govern
e ment. That John Brown had right to stir u
s a servile instruction among the subject race il
: Maryland and Virginia, where property in hu
e man chattels has an existence by local law,
an entirely different proposition. None but
t crazy man could have attempted it.
1t is amusing to read the Democratic press OF
this war. Harpers' Magazine literature, which
of late has occupied their attention to the ex
clusion of almost all other secular topics, (the,
still keep up their interest in reigioussubiects
is obliged to stand aside for Harpers Ferr
bulletins. They hold up their hands in hol
horror. Seward they cashier, and John Brow
is made Captain of the great Republican party
The " irrepressible conflict they announce, ha
= already begun. Gov. Wise intends to cho
' Browns head off, and thus put an end to hin
and his party Now we have no sort of objection
-, to the Democrats making just as much out 0
: this as they can. They have been little short o
eectioneering capital for some time, and tn
greediness with which they snap up this morse
proves the sharpness of their appetite. W