The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-11-16
Old John Brown.

OLD John Brown. |
Of him, we might say with truth, his
wrongs have made him mad There vas
a time when John Brown, the Penusylva-
mia farmer, and his sons, were as peacea-
ble and peace-loving citizens as could be
found in our country. He came to Kan.
sas early, and loving the cause of free
dom, was an earnes. Free State man.
For this he suffered. He saw his home
invaded and destroyed; he mourned the
death of a beloved son. And these great
wrongs crazed the old man, and made
him fanatic, a monomaniac, with but
one thought, one idea, one impulse
vengeance on The slave power, which had
destroyed his peace; revenge on the men
| who had murdered his kindred and friends.
1t is said that he took an awful oath that
while life remained, his land should be
raised against this power, he would war
against it to the death.-Atchiso,, Cham
pion.
The first thing the people of Kansas
heard of Old john Brown was in the
summer of 1855. A meeting of Ultra
Abolitionists was held at Cazenovia, n.
Y, if we recollect rightly. While in
session, Brown, who ia native of Essex
county, N. Y, appeared in that conven-
ion and made o very fiery speech, during
which he said he had four sons in Kansas,
and he had three others who were desi-
rous of going there, to aid in fighting the
| ho Of IL
sent to 60 unless he could go armed and
he would like to arm all his sons, but was
not able 10 do so. Funds were contrib.
uted on the spot principally by Gerritt
Smith.
The four sons had located on Pota-
wattomie creek, in Lykins county, and in
the fall of 1855 were joined by the father
and other brothers. When the Wakarusa
war was pending the old man and four
sons arrived in Lawrence, the ba'ance he
reported sick. As they drove up in front
of the Free State Hotel ,hey were all
standing in a small lumber wagon. To
each of their persons was strapped a
, short heavy broadsword. Each was sup.
piled with goodly number of FIRE arms
, aud navy revolvers. and poles were
standing endwise Ground the wagon box
, with fixed 5ayonets pointing upwards
They looked really formidable and were
E received with great eclat A small mill
/ tary company was organized at once, and
! the command was given to Old Brown
From that hour he commenced fomentine
q difficulties in camp, disregarding the com
0 mands of superior officers, and trying to
induce the men to 60 down to Franklir
Q and make an attack upon the Pro-slavery
D forces encampeG there. The COMMITTED
0 of Public Safety were called upon severu
? times to head off his wild adventure, al
e the people of Lawrence had planted
themselves on the law, claiming that they
t had not been guilty of its iufraction, ant
Y that no armed body of men should ente
! the town for any purpose whatever, ant
that they would not go out Of town v
Il attack any such body. Peace was estab
;, lished, ard "Old Brown" retired in dis
"a gust.
- When the news of the threatened sieg
!. of Lawrence reached John Brown, Jr
y, who was a member of the Topeka Leg
"a islature, he organized company of abou
;. sixty men and marched towards Law
% renee. Arriving at Palmyra he learne
A of the sacking of the town, and the posi-
n ton of the people. He reconnoitere
n for time in the vicinity, but inall
- marched back towards Ossawattomie
" The night before reaching that place
when only few miles awa-, they campe
for the night. Old John Brown, who W
- believe was with the party, singled ou
i with himself, seven men. These he marcel
&c ed to point eight miles above the mout
2 of Pottawattamie creek, and called frol
their beds at their several residences, {
H. the hour of midnight, on the Gath {
re May, Allen Wilkinson, VIM. Sherman
IS VIM. P. Doyle, VIM Doyle, and Drur
Id Doyle. All were found the next morniu
by the roadside, or in the highway. SON
ID with cash in their heads and sides. an
10 their throats cut: others with their skull
is split open in two places, with holes in the
n- breasts, and hands cut { #; and others ha
I'd holes through their breasts with the
~ fingers cut off. No man in Kansas ha
S. pretended to deny that Old John Brow
n led that murderous foray, which mass'
,e cred those men. Up to that period nj
ID hair of Old Johr Browns head, or th,
ID of any Of his sons, had been injured t
I'd the Pro-slavery party.
e. 1t was not until the 30th Of Angus
he three months after the Pottawattam
i'd massacre that the attack was made c
st. Ossawattomie by the Pro- slavery fore
er and Frederick Brown, a son of Old JoI
it.; was killed.
a The truth of history requires this stat
i'd ment. If Brown aoas a monomaniac,
ne dates back anterior to his first visit
,g Kansas. Herald Of Freedom.
It,