Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-10-26
INsURREcTIoN IN VIRGINIA.

Harper's Ferry, Virginia. 1t is somewhat diff
| fcuit to get full and clear understanding of
the affair. The gist of it seems, however, TO
! be this Capt. John Brown, of Kansas noto-
| rety, who was last heard Of On his way from
Missouri to Canada with band of runaway
slaves, now turns up as the leader of the in
surrection of a few infatuated whites and de-
luded negroes at Harper's Ferry, where he
seems to have been for some months plotting
and preparing for general stampede of slaves.
There is an opinion current that this out
break was the premature explosion of a wide
spread plot for exterrninating slavery in Mary
land and Western Virginia that there was to
be general rising of negroes in that region,
on the 24th of this month, and that the seizure
OF the government arms and stores at Harper's
Ferry was to be the first step, though preced-
ing the general movement only by few hours.
The whole affair seems the work of madman,
which was madly designed and mady manag-
ed Still it turled out a sanguinary affair, for
OF the twenty-five Insurgents, fifteen were kill
led and two nlortally wounded. The following
details are taken from the Baltimore american ::
s'The principal originator of the short but
bloody existence of this insurrection was, un-
doubtedly, Capt. John Brown, whose connec-
tion with the scenes of violence in the border
warfare of Kansas, then made his name fami-
larry notorious TO the whole country. Brown
made his first appearance in the vicinity of
Harper's Ferry more than year ago, accom-
panied by MS TWO SONS. the WnOie party aSSu-
ming the name of Smith. He inquired about
land in the vicinity, and made Investigations
about the probability of finding ores, and for
some time boarded at Sandy Point, mile east
OF the Ferry. After an absence of some months
he re-appeared in the vicinity, and the elder
Brown rented or leased farm on the Mary
land side, about four miles from the Ferry.
| They bought large number of picks and
spades, and this confirmed the belief that they
intended to mine for ores. They were seen
| frequently in and about Harper's Ferry, but
no suspicion seems to have existed that s'Bill
Smith, was Capt. Brown, or that he intended
eInbarkiDg in any movement so desperate or
extraordinary. Yet the development of the
plot leaves no doubt that his visits to the Fer
ry, and his lease of the farm, were all parts of
his preparations for the insurrection, wh ich he
supposed would be successful in exierminat-
| ing slavery in Maryland and Western Virginia.
Browns chief aid was John +. Cook, COM
paratlveiy young man, who has resided in and
near the Ferry for some years. He was first
employed in tending lock on the Canal, af-
terwards taught school on the Maryland side
OF the river, and after brief residence in Kan
sas, where il is supposed he became acquaint-
ed with Brown, returned so the Ferry and
married there. He was regarded as man of
some intelligence, known TO be anti-slayery,
but not so violent in the expression of his O.
pinions as TO excite any suspicious. These
two men, with Browns two sons, were the on
ly white men connected with the inSurrecton
that had been seen previously about the Ferry.
All were brought by Brown from distance,
and nearly all had been with him in Kansas.
The first active movement in the insurrec-
tion was made about half past 10 O'Clock on
Sunday night. William " iliamson, the watch
man on the Harper's Ferry Bridge, whilst walk
ing across towards the Maryland side was seiz-
ed by number of men who said that he was
their prisoner and must come with them. He
recognized Brown and Cook among the men,
and knowing them he treated the matter as a
joke, but enjoining silence, they conducted
him to the armory, which he found already in
their possession. He was retained until after
daylight and then discharged. The watchman
who was to relieve Williamson at midni ght,
found the bridge lights all out and was imme-
diately seized. Supposing it an attempt at
robbery he broke away and his pursuers STUN
bling over, he escaped.
The next appearance of the iuSurrectionists
was at the house of Col. Lewis Washington,
large farmer and save-owner, living about four
miles from the Fairy. A party, headed by
Cook, proceeded there, aroused Col. W. and
told him he their prisoner. They also
seized all the slaves near the house, and took
the carriage and horse, and large wagon with
two horses. When Col. Washington saw Cook
he Immediately recognized him as a man who
had called upon him some months previous,
to whom he had exhibited some valuable arms
in his posse ssion, including an antique sword
presented by Frederick the Great to General
George Washington, and pair of pistols pre-
sented by Gen. Lafayette to Washington, both
being heirlooms in the family. Before leav-
ing, Cook challenged Col Washington to
trialaof skill at shooting, and exhibited consid-
cradle certainty as marksman. When he
made his visit on Sunday night he alluded to
his previous visit and the courtesy with which
he had been treated, and regretted the neceS-
sity which made it his duty to arrest Col. W.
He, however, took advantage of the knowledge
he obtained by his former visit, to carry off all
the valuable collection of arms, which Col. w.
did not re-obtaia till after the final defeat of
the insurrection. From Col.W ashingtons the
party proceeded with him, as q prisoner, in
his own carriage, and twelve of his negroes in
the wagon, to the house of Mr.. Alstadt, ano-
ther large farmer, on the same road. Mr.. ALL
stadt and his son, q lad of l6 years of age,
were taken prisoners, and all the negroes with
in reach being forced to join the movement,
they returned to the armory at the Ferry. All
these movements seem to have been made
without exciting the slightest alarm in the
town, nor did the detention of Capt. Phelps
train at the upper end of the town attract at
tention. 1t was not until the town thorough
ly walked up and found the bridge guarded by
armed men, and guard stationed at all the
avenues, that the people found they were pri-
soners. panic appears to have Immediate
ly ensued, and the number of the insurrec-
tlonists at once increased from fifty (Which
was probably their greatest force, including
the slaves who were forced to Join them), to
from five hundred to six hundred.
In the meanwhile a number OF workmen,
knowing nothing of what had occurred, enter
ed the Armory and were successfully taken
prisoners, until they had at one time not less
than SIXTY men confined in the Armory A
mong those thus entrapped were Armistead
Ball, Chief Draughtsman of the Armory Ben
jamin Mills, Master of the Armory and j. e.
Da ClerL