The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-10-28
The Plan Of the InsurrectionfSts.
New York. Octobar 97

NEW YORK, October az.
The Herald publishes o series of letters of
Col. Forbess, the author of the instruction
books for a guerrilla warfare found at Browns
house, to various Republicans, principally to
F. B. Sanborn, Secretary of the Massachusetts
Emigrnnt Aid Society, and DR.. S. G. Howe. of
Boston. One letter addressed to the latter,
dated May, 1858, is prefaoed by the following
memorandum: "Please show to Messrs. San.
born, Lawrence & Co. Copies will be sent to
Gov. Chase, who found money, and Gov.
Fletcher, who contributed arms, and to others
interested, as quickly as possible"
The letter gives the plans of Forbes and
Brown for an insurrection. FOrbes's plan ia
as follows: With carefully selected colored
and white persons to organize, along the north
ern slave frontier Of Virginia and Maryland
especially, series Of stampedes of slaves, each
one Of which would carry of, In one night,
and from the same place, some twenty to fifty
slaves, this to be effected once or twice month,
and eventually once or twice week, along
contiguous parts of the line, fposSible without
conflict, only resorting to force if attacked.
Slave women accustomed to field labor would
be nearly as useful as men, everything being
in readiness to pass on the fugitives. They
could be sent with such speed to Canada that
pursuit would be hopeless. In Canada prepar-
ations were to be made for their instruction
and employment Any disaster which might
befal stampede would at the utmost
compromise those only who might be engaged
in that single one; therefore, we were lot bound
in good faith to the aboitionists. Asw we did
not prejudice that INTEREST," to consult more than
those engaged in the very project against the
chance of loss by occasional accidents, should
be weighed the advantages of series of sue
oessful runs.
Slave property would thus become untenable
near the frontier. That frontier would be
pushed more and more southwark, and 1t
might reasonably be expected that the excite
ment and irritation would impel the pro-
slaveryites to commit some stupid blunders.
The Missouri frontier being so far from the
habitable part of Canada, and the political
parties anti and pro-alavery being in that State
80 nearly balanced, suggested peculiar action
in that quarter, which would depend In great
measure on affairs in Kansas.
Brown had q different scheme. He proposed,
with some twenty five or fifty colored and
white men, well armed and bringing with
them quantity of spare arms, to beat up n
slave. quarter in Virginia. To this was
objected that no preparatory notice having
been given to the slaves, no notice could with
prudence be given them. The invitation to
rise might, unless they were already in state
of agitation, meet with no response, or q
feeble one. To this he replied that he was
sure of response. He calculated that he
could get on the first night from two to five
hundred. Half or thereabOuts of the first lot
he proposed to keep with him, mounting one
hundred or so Of them, and make dash at the
Harper's Ferry mandatory, destroying what
he could not carry of. The other men, not of
this party, were to be sub divided into three,
four, or five distinct parties, each under two or
three Of the original band, and would beat up
slave-quarters, whence more men would be
sent to join him.
The burden Of Forbes's letters are grevious
complaints for not receiving the aid promised
for his services, which was to be sent to Paris
for the support Of Forbes's family.
In one letter he says: On the first of Nav,
1858, I had an interview with Senator VIM. Ii.
Seward, of New York. won't fully into the
whole matter, 10 all its bearings. He expressed
regret that he had been told, and said that he,
in his position, ought not to have been in.
formed Of the circumstances. In part agree
with him, and in part differ. Irspret that
the misconduct of the New Englanders should
have forced me to address myself to him, but
being now enlightened on the subject, he can
not well let this business continue in its pres-
ent crooked condition.
A cotton speculation was devised by Brown,
but objected 70 by Forbes. Brown told him
that Amos Lawrence, Of Boston, had promised
him 81 900 whom hostilities had actually oom-
menced.
All these letters were written in 1858.