The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-10-27
From the Baltimore American.
Origin and History of the Harper's Ferry
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The report of the american COM
mences with notice of the originators.
The principal originator of this short
but bloody instruction was undoubted-
ly Capt. John Brown. Brown made
his first appearance in Harper's Ferry
more than a year ago, accompanied by
his two sons-al three of them assum-
ing the name of Smith. He INQUIRED
about land and vicinity, and made in
vestigations as to the probability of
finding ores there, and for some time
boarded at Sandy Point, mile East
of the Ferry. After an absence of
some months the elder Brown reap
peared in the vicinity, and rented or
leased farm on the Maryland 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 frequently seen in and about
llarper's Ferry, but no suspicion seems
to have existed that "Bill Smith, was
Captain Brown, or that he intended
embarking in any movement so
desperate or extraordinary. Yet the
development of the plot leaves no doubt
that his visits to the Ferry, and his
lease of the farm, were all parts or his
preparation for an Instruction, which
he supposed would be successful in ex-
terminating slavery in Maryland and
Western Virginia
Browns chief aid was John E. Cook
comparatively young man, who has
resided in and near the Ferry some
years. He was first employed in tend
ing lock on the canal, and afterwards
taught school on the Maryland side of
the river ;'and after brief residence in
Kansas, where, it is supposed, he be-
came acquainted with Brown, returned
to the Ferry, and married there. lie
was regarded as a man of some intelli-
gence, and known to be anti-slavery.
but was not so valiant in the express
sion of his opinion as to excite any sus-
picion.
These two men, with Browns two
sosn, were the only white men connec-
ted with the Instruction that had been
seen about the Ferry. All were bro't
by Brown from a distance, and nearly
all had been with him in Kansas.
The first active movement in the in
surrection was made at about IOJ o.
clock on Sunday night. William Will
Hanson, the Waterman at Harper's
Ferry Bridge, while walking across to-
ward the Maryland side, was seized by
a number of men, who said he was
their prisoner, and must come with
them. He recognized Brown and Cook
among the men, and knowing them,
treated the matter as joke, but en-
forcing silence, they conducted him to
the Armory, which he found already
in their possession. He was detained
till after daylight, and then discharged.
The Waterman who was to relieve
Williamson at midnight found the
bridge lights all out, and was immedi-
ately seized. Supposing it an attempt
at robbery, he broke away, and his
pursuers stumbling over him, he es-
capped. The next appearance of the
lnsurrectlonists was at the house of
Col Lewis Washington, a large farmer
and slave-owner, living about four miles
from the Ferry. a party headed by
Cock proceeded there, and rousing Col.
w ashlngton, told him he was their pris-
oner. They also seized all the slaves
near the house, took carriage horse
and a large wagon with two horses.
When Col. Washington saw Cook he
Immediately recognized him as the
man who had called upon him some
months previous, and to whom he had
exhibited some valuable arms in his
possession, including an antique sword
presented by Frederick the Great to
George Washington, and a pair of pis-
tolls presented by Lafayette to Wash
ington, both being heir-looms in the
family. Before leaving Cook wanted
Col. Washington to engage in trial
of skill at shooting, and exhibited con-
siderable certainty as marksman.
When he made the 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. Washington. He, however, took
advantage of the knowledge he had
obtained by his former visit, to carry off
all the valuable collection of arms,
which the owner did not re-obtain till
after the final defeat of the insurrec-
ton.
From Col. Washington's he proceed
ed with him as prisoner in the car
riage, and twelve of his negroes in the
wagon, to the house of Mr.. Alstadt,
another large farmer on the same road.
Mr.. Allstadt and his son a lad of six
teen, were taken prisoners, and all
their negroes within reach forced to
join the movement. He then returned
to the armory at the Ferry. All these
movements seem to have been made
without exciting the slightest alarm in
town, nor did the detention of Captain
Phelps train at the upper end of town
attract attention.
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 saw that they were prisoners.
A panic appears to have Immediately
ensued, and the number of the Insured
tionists was at once increased from fifty