The Shasta courier., 1859-11-19
SHASTA COURIER.
The Harper's Ferry Insurrection.

hiSutj tHC lOlH vi OClOOeT last, a
band ofinsurgents, numbering twenty y-two men,
headed by old Capt John Brown, more exten-
siVely known. as old Ossawottamie Brown"
VINO played SO conspicuous part in the Kansas
troubles quietly took possession of the town of
Harper's Ferry, in Virginia, and the United
States Ariaory and Government works. While
this vas going on party had gone to the resi-
denre ot Col. Washington, four miles distant,
wh1mthcy took prisoner. They then proceeded
to sAlstadts residence, aud forced himself
belonging to Col W. and Mr.. A. to accompany
them to town. In the mean time the night train
10 Baltimore was stopped. All this was effect
ed without arousing the suspicious of the cti-
zens of the town, and it was only after the town
was thoroughly walked up, and the bridge found
to be guarded by armed men, and a guard sta
toned at all the avenues, that the citizens
found they were prisoners.
panic Immediately ensued, and the number
of Insurgents at once increased from fifty
which was probably their greatest force includ-
ing the slaves who were forced to join-to from
FIVE to six hundred. In the meantime number
o. workmen, not knowing anything of what had
occurred, entered the armory and were success
sively taken prisoners until at one time they
had not less than sixty men confined in the Ar
mory. Those thus entrapped were Armstead
Ball, Chief Draughtsman of the Armory Benja-
min Mills, Master of the Armory, and j. E. p
Daingerfeld, Paymaster'S Clerk. These three
gentlemen were imprisoned in the engine house,
which afterwards became the chief fortress of
tba, ,oJo e..
the final assault The workmen were imprison-
ed in large building further down the yard.
This was the condition of things at daylight
on Monday morning, when a general warfare
commenced, chiefly led on by man named
Chambers, whose house commanded the Armo-
ry yard.
The object of old Brown and his crazy fol-
lowers was the commencement of an insurrec-
ton, which would extend throughout the South
ern States and free the slaves.
At noon volunteer company from Charles
town arrived, and crossing the Shenandoah riv-
er, dashed into the bridge from the Maryland
side clearing it of finsurrectonsts, who retreated
rapidly down toward the Armorv. Troops from
Shepardstown having just arrived, then Joined
| those from Charlestown, and made a general
| charge down the street towards the Armory-
from behind the walls of which fusilade was
kept up, and returned by the insurrectionists
from the Armory.
While this was going on, the Martinsburg
levies arrived at the upper end Of the town, and
entering the Armory grounds by the rear, made
an attack from that side. This force was largely
composed of railroad employees, gathered from
the tonnage trains at Martinsburg, and their at
! tack was generally spoken of as showing the
greatest amount of fighting pluck exhibited
during the day. Dashing on, firing and cheer
ing, and CALAMITY led by Captain Alburtus, they
carried the building in which the Armory men
were imprisoned, and released the whole OF
them. They were, however, but poorly armed
some with pistols and others with shot guns
and when they came within range of the engine
house, where the elite of the insurrectionists
were gathered, and were exposed to their rapid
and exterous use of Sharpe's rifles, they were
forced to fall back, suffering pretty severely
4 guerilla warfare was maintained during the
rest of the day, resulting in the killing of two oil
the insurgents, and the wounding of third
Night setting in, operations ceased, and
guards were placed around the Armory so as to
prevent escapes. At IL o'clock the Baltimore
military and United States Marines arrived and
were placed within the Armory grounds SO as
to surround the engine house-in which build
ing were the insurgents with all their prisoners
But for the presence of Messrs. Washington,
Daingerfeld, Ball, and ether prisoners in the
engine house, but little difficulty would have
been found in bringing the insurgents to instant
terms, by means of cannon.
On Tuesday morning an unconditional sur
render was demanded of old Brown, who re-
fused to comply, he requiring
"That they should be permitted to march out
with their men and arms, taking their prisoners
with them that they should proceed unpursued
to the second toll gate, when they would free
their prisoners; the soldiers would then be per-
mitted to pursue them, and they would fight if
they could not escape"
An attack was then ordered by Col. Lee,
when the Marines broke down the door and cap
tured the whole party In the assault two Ma
rines, one MORALLY were wounded, and two of
the insurgents were killed and two Wounded
One of the killed was old Browns SON. One of
the wounded was old Brown himself All the
prisoners most miraculously escaped unhurt.
On the 18th Gov Wise arrived at the ferry
with two companies from Richmond.
The five prisoners, including old Brown, were
placed in the Charlestown Jail. Brown has
made full statement, duplicating Gerritt Smith,
Joshua Giddings, Fred Douglass, and other Alb
oitionists aud Black Republicans.
Brown had been living on rented farm in
Maryland, near Harpers Ferry, since June last.
A dispatch from the Ferry, dated on the 18th,
says:
Brown is better, and has made fuller state
ment, in which he says be rented the farm from
DR.. Kennedy six months since, and the rent is
paid till next March. He never had over twen-
ty-two men at the farm at one time that belong
ed to the organization, but he had good reason
to expect reinforcements from Maryland, Ken
lucky, North and South Carolina, and Canada.
He had arms sufficient for fifteen hundred men.
He had two hundred revolvers, two hundred
Sharpe's rifles, and a thousand spears. He left
them at the farm. He had abundance of pow
der and other ammunition. He brought all the