New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-19
II reported that many have fed and are slcreted
in the mountains.


vices were no longer required al Hapers Ferry th'
Government and Virginia troops being amply suGi
Gent for al emery
The report Of Tie american commences with
netice Of the o,iginators. The principal originator o
THE short but bloody resurrection was unioub.sil y
Cant. John Broen, whose connection with scenes Of
violence in TIE border warfare a. :. -"Sal then made
his rame famiiary notorious tarous chou. the whC.-
country. Brown made bis frat appearance in Hs,
pers Ferry more than year ago, accompanied By
his two sons-all three Of them Assuming the name Of
Smith. He inquired sbou, land in the vicinity and
made Investigations 10 the probability of folding
ores there, and for tine boaIoed at Sandy Point
a mile east # the Ferry. After an absence OF
come months The elder Brown reappeared in the
vicinity, and rented leased arm on the rylsnd
side, about four miles from the Ferry Tbey bought
a large number Of picks and ipadea, and this con-
frmed the belief that they intended to mine for ores.
They were frequently seen in and about H.rpers
Ferry, but DO suspicion seems 10 have existed that
"Bll Smith" was Capt Brown, or I'll st he intended
embarkipg in any movement so desperate or extra
ordinary. Yet the development OF the plot leaves
doubt that bis visits to Perry and his lease Of the
farm al parts Of bis preparation for en- Insured
ton, which he supposed would be successful in exter
gnipetpg Slavery in Maryl.no and Western Virginia
Browns chief aid was John L. Cook, a compare
lively yourg mar who 80 resided 10 and near Perry
some years. lie was fret employ ed in tending lock
on the canal, AID afterwsrd taught school on the
Maryland side Of the river aud after brief residence
in Kansas, where, i, is supposed, be became &C
quainted with Brown returned TO Perry, and msrriet
there. He was regarded as man of some intel-
gence, and known 20 be Anti Slavery bu, was not
valiant in the expression Of his opinions TO excite
any suspicious.
These two men, with Browns two sons, were the
OILY whitemen connected with the nsuuection that
had been seen about Perry. All were brought by
Brown from distance, and nsarly all had been with
him in Kansas.
The first active movement in the nsurrectiOn was
made az about l0J o'clock on Sunday night. William
Williamson, the Waterman at Harpers Ferry Bridge,
while walking across toward the Maryland side, was
seized by number of men, who said he va: their
prisoner and must come with them. He recognized
Brown and Cook among the mep, and knowing them,
treated the mater as joke but enforcing silence,
they conducted him to the Armory, which he fund
already in their possession. lie detained till
after daylight, and then discharged. The watchman
who was to relieve Williamson at midnight found the
bridge lights all ont. ard was immed ately seized.
Surprising it an attempt at robbery, he broke away
and his pursuers stumbling over him. he escaped.
The next appearance Of the nsurectoniss was at the
house Of Col Lewis Washington, q large farmer and
slaveowner, living about four miles from the Ferry
party headed by Cook proceeded there, and rOuaiug
Col. Washington, told himbe was their prisoner. They
also seized all the slaves the house. took carriage
horse and large wagon with two horses. When Col.
Washington saw Cook be Immediately recognized him
az the man who had called upon him months pre-
vious and to whom he had exhibited some valuable
arms in his possession including antique sword pre-
eentei by Frederick the Great to George Washington
ar. pair OF pistols presented by Lafayette to wash
ipgton both being heir-looms in the family. Before
leaving, Cook wanted Col Washington to engage in
p trial of skill at shooting AMI exhibited considerable
certainty as marksman. When he made the Visit on
Sunday night he alluded to his previous visit and the
courtesy with which be had been treated aud regretted
the necessity which made it his duty to arrest Co.
Washington He, however, took advantage of the
knosedre he had obtained by his former vie to carry
off all the valuable collection Of arms which the owner
did not reobtain till after the final defeat Of the insur-
rec,On.
From Col. wasbington's he proceeded with him as
prisoner in the carriage aud twelve of his negroes
in the wagon to the house of Mr.. Alstsdt. another
large farmer on the same road. Mr.. ADstsdt and his
SON a lad of sixteen were taken prisoners, and all
their negroes within reach forced to join the move
ment He then returned TO the armory ST the Ferry.
All these movements seem TO have been made with
out exciting the slightest alarm in town. nor did the
detention of Capt Phelps train at the upper end OF
town attract attention.
TWAS not until the town, thoroughly walked up
and found the bridge guarded by armed men, and a
guard stationed at all the avenues, that the people
saw that they were prisoners. a panic appears to
have Immediately ensued, and the number OF iasur-
rectonists was at increased from fifty (which
was probably their greatest force Including the slaves
who were forced TO ion) to from five to Elk hundTes
In the mean time a number of workmep, not knowing
ANYTHING of what had occurred, entered the Armory
and were SUCCESSFULLY taken prisoners until at on-
lime they had not less than sixty confined IN the
Armory Among those thus entrapped were; Arm
stead Ball. Chief Drsughtsmsn Of the Armory; Ben
iAmin Mills, Master of the ArInory, aud J. L. r. Dan
gerfeld, PaymasteIs Clerk. These three gentlemen
Were imprisoned in the engipehouse, which aterwaTd
became the chief fortress Of the insurgents and were
not released until after the final assault. The work
men imprisoned in large builirng further dowr
the yard, and were rescued by brilliant Zousvf
dash, made by the railroad cOnpanys men who
same down from Martnsburg.
This was the condition of things at daylight, abou
which time Capt. Cook, with two white men, accom-
papied by thirty slaves and taking with them Col
Washit gon's large wagon, went over the bridge am
struck up the mountain-road toward Pennsylvania.
twas then believed that large wagon wss use'
20 convey away the Psymasters safe, cont aoiog ~
200 Government funds, and also that II was hIed VIII
mimic aes, taken out TO supply other osnes IN IN
mountains, who were to come down upon Hsrpei