Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-11-30

BILE idea that such 1, no longer needed am now
able to send you an exact copy IL from Cooke
himself, and il read in Court 10y Mr.. Andrew
| Hunter.
| CONFESSION.
became acquainted with Capt John Brown In his
camp on Middle Creek Kansas Territory just after the
battle of Black Jack. and with him in said camp un-
I'll was broken up and his company dsbanded by Col
Sumner, OF the lst Cavalry L. :. Army. next
him at the Convention at Topeka which the 9Th
OF July, 1856 next met him DAYS afterwards in
Lawrence. Did him again until the fall OF 1857
when met him at the house OF T.. Il. Whitman, about
four miles from Lawrence, X. T.. which, think was
about the LIST of November following 1 told that
he intended to organize company for the purpose
putting stop To the aggressons of the proayery
agreed to join him, aud asked II knew OF any
young men, who were perfectly reliable, who thought
would Join also. j recommended Richard Reaf l.. =.
! Parsons and X. j. Hinton 1 received a note the next
Sunday morning while breakfast in the Whitney House
from Capt. Brown requesting Inc TO come up that day
aud to bring Realf Parsons and Hinton with Reaf
aud Hinton not in town, and therefore could not
extend TO them the invitation. Parsons and self
and had long talk with Capt Brown.
few days afterwards / received another note from
Capt Brown, which read / can recolect, as
| follows:
| Carr. COoKE-DEAR SIR: You will please get every
thing ready to Join at Topeka by Monday night
Come to Mrs Sherdan's two miles south of Topeka
aud bring your arms, ammunition, clothing aud other
articles you may require Bring Parsons with YOU if he
get ready time Please keep very quiet about the
matter. Yours, &c,
"Jonx BnOwsn
made all my arrangements for starting at the time
appointed Parsons, kealf, and Hinton could get
ready. left them at Lawrence and started in carriage
for Topeka. Stopped at the hotel night and left
early the next morning for Mrs Sherdans meet Capt
Brown. Staid day and half at Mrs s. then left
for Topeka, at which place joined by stephens
Mohet and kasi. Left Topeka for Nebraska City and
campcd at night ON the prairie northeast of Topeka
Here Tor the first time learned that were TO leave
Kansas to attend military school during the winter /,
was the intention of the party 90 Ashabua coun-
ty Ohio Next morning was sent back to Lawrence to
get draft OF eighty dollars cashed and to get Parsons
Reaif, and Hinton TO go back with got the draft
cashed. Capt Brown had given me orders to take boat
to ST. Joseph, No. aId stage from there TO Tabor Iowa
where he would remain for few days. ! had to wait
for Rea for three four days Hinton could Lot leave
at that time. started with Rca and Parsons on stage
for Leayenworth. The boats had stopped running on
account of the ice Staid one day in Leavenworth
then left for Weston where took stage for St Joseph
and from thence to Tabor found c. p Tidd and Lee
man at Tabor.
! Our party consisted Of Capt John Brown Owen
Brown, \. d. Stephens, Chas. MOnet C. T. Tild Rich
| ard Robcrtso on, Col Richard Reaf L. F. Parsons WIN
| Ieeman and myself. We stopped some DAYS at Tabor
making preparations Here found that Can't
BrOhr',s ultimate dssiiaaiio tie State IF Trynid
Some words passed between him myself in re-
gard to the plan, which had supposed be couin
ed entirely to Kansas aud Missouri RealI and Parsons
were ofthc same opinion with me. Alter good deal
OF wranging We consented TO 20 on, lad the
means return aud the Of the party were SO anx
ious that VIC should 20 with them.
At Tabor procured teams for the tran portaon of
about two hundred Sharps rifles which had been taken
on far as Tabor year before which place they
had been eit awaiting the orders of Capt Brown There
alsS OLucr consisting OF blankets clothing
boots ammunition, and about hundred rcyo!ycrs OF
the Massachusetts patent all of which transport
ed across the State of Iowa TO Sprngsdalc and from
there TO liberty at which place they shipped for
Ashabua county Ohio where they remained till brought
TO ChambersLurg, Pa, and from there Transported
to house in Washington county Maryland, which Capt
Brown lad rented for six months, aud which was stu-
| uated about five miles from IIarper's Ferry.
IL was the intention OF Capt Blown sell his teams
in Sprnglale aud with the proceeds go on with the
rest of the company to some place in shtabua county
Ohio, where to have good military instructor
during the winter; but he disappointed in the sale
As he could not get cash for the teams it decided
should remain in the noghborhood of Sprugdac and
that our instructor, Col H. Forbes should be sent on-
We stopped in Pcdee, Iowa winter Mr. Maxson's
where We pursued course of Military studios Col H.
Forbes and Capt Brown had some words, and lac (Col
F) did not come on; consequently A. ID. Stephens was
our drill master. The people of the ncighborhood did
| not know of our purpose. We remained Pedee till
about the middle of April, when left for Chatham,
Canada, via Chicago and Detroit We staid about two
weeks in Chatham; of the party said six or seven
weeks. We left Chatham for Cleveland and remained
there until late in June
In the meantime Capt. Brown went East on business;
but previous to his departure he had learned that Col
Forbes had betrayed his plane TO some cStont. This
gethcr with the scannes of his funds induced him to
delay the commencement OF his work, and the
for the time being Of dsbandng the party He had also
received some information which called for his mmcdi.
ate attention in Kansas wished 90 with him but he
said that too well known there and rruucstcd tn,
and some Others TO go IIarpcrs Ferry Virginia TO
see how things were there and to gain Information
While We were In Chatham he called Convention the
purpose OF which was 10 make complete and thorough
organization lie issued written circular which he
sent to various persons in the United States aud Canada
The circular near a recollect read follows
"CHAruAu, NAY, 1855
"Mr. -: Dear Sir-Wc have issued a call for very
qni'f Convention at this place, TO which shall hap.
py any true friends Of freedom and TO which Won
are most earnestly invited to give your attendance
VERY respectfully JoHN BRowNn
As the names were left blank do not know to whom
! they were sent, though I wrote several Of them |
learned, however that was sent TO Frederick Doug
| giv.Nn
the others were TO / do not know Neither Doug.
lass nor Smith attended the Convention. / suppose
some twenty-five thirty Of these circulars were sent
but as 'hcy directed by Capt. Brown or J. H. Ra.
g. do not know the names Of the parties whom they
we're addressed. do know however that they we're
sent TO none save those whom Capt Brown knslr 10 be
radical dboiitonisis. think IL was about ten davs
from the time the circulars that the Convention
met. The place Of meeting in Of the negro
churches IN Chatham. The Convention, l. think was
called TO order by J. H. Kagi Its object was then
stated, which to complete a thorough organiza.
ton and the formation Of Constitution The first husi.
ness was 70 elect President aud Secretary. Elder Mon
roe colorcd minister elected President and j. IT.
kag Secretary. The business was to form n Con.
| stitutiOu. Capt. Brown had already drawn up one
which, on motion, read by the Secretary. On mo.
ton, t ordered that each article Of the Constitution
be taken up and separately amended aud passed which
vas done On motion, the Constitution was then adopt
ed as whole The next business to nominate
CommandcriuChio Secretary OF War and Secretary Of
state. Captain John Brow unanimously elected
Commander iu-Ohicf: y. ". kaCi Secretary Of War
| and Richard Rcalf Secretary Of State Elder Monroe
was 10 act as President until another chosen AN
Chapman. think was to act as Vice President Dr. W.
H. Delaney was ono Of the Corresponding Secretaries Of
the organization There were some Others from the Uni
| ted states. whose names do not remember Most
OF the delegates TO the Convention were from Canada
After the Constitution adopted the members took
their oath to support h Il then signed by al pres
| cnt
During The interval between the call for the Convcn
ton and its assembling regular meetings we're held a
b'tbours Hotel where we we're stopping bv those who
were known to be true 10 thc cause NO which meetings
plans wore laid and discussed There were no white
men at the Convention The members Of our compa
ny Men and money had. both been promised from Chat
i ham and other parts Of Canada
When the Convention broke NJ news was received that
| Col ". Forbes Who had joined IN the movement bad
given information the Government This of course
delayed the time Of attack. A day or two aftcrward
most Of our patty took the boat Cleveland Ino IT.
kagi, Richard Rcaf VIM. II. Lecman Richard Robert
son and Capt Brown remaining. Capt r.. however
started IN day or two for the Fast Kag think went
70 some other town IN Canada M The type and 20