Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-10-21
lNsURRECTION IN VIRGINIA!
The Jnssien,v Ordered OUT
4 BLOODY GHr-ossAwoTToMIE
BROWN xoRrALLY woUNDEDI

=
Great excitement and bloody work has
been oceasioned At Harper's Ferry, Virginia,
~ an instruction, under command of the
noted Capt. John Brown, formerly Of Ossa-
wsttomie, Kansas. From the reports which
have reached us by telegraph, it seems that
The Hrst demonstration Of the insurrectionists |
Vas to take possession Of the U. s. Arsenal.
They next attacked the express train running
east ON the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The lights on the bridge over tho Potomac
were put out and, when the bridge-keeper
went to ascertain the cause, he was pursued
and fred upon. When the train arrived, it
was attacked, and the colored assistant
was shot and MORALLY
and Conductor Phelps was threat
ensd that the train should not proceed. He
waited tillafter daylight, and was then detained
six hours by the mob. The iAsurrectionists,
during the night, took possession Of the
streets, and barricaded all the roads leading
to the town. Every light in the town was
extinguished, and all the hotels and stores
closed. Men were seen in every quarter,
armed with muskets and bayonets; they had
arrested the citizens and pressed them into
service, including many negroes. They still
held possession of the United States Arsenal
and Government Playhouse, in which there
is said to have been q large amount of money.
Some were of the opinion that the object was
entirely ono Of plunder-to rob the Govern
ment Of the funds deposited on Saturday at
the Playhouse. During the night, the mob
made demands on the Mayer Hotel for pro-
visions, and enforced their claims by body
Of armed men. The citizens were in terrible
state Of alarm, the insurgents having threat
ened to burn the town, until the arrival Of
military companies from Charleston and
Va, and Frederick City, Md,
before daylight, Tuesday morning, who at
once took possession of the town. The rioters
entrenched themselves in the arsenal and rail-
road engine-houss, from which they could not
be dislodged by cannon, for fear of injuring
the prisoners they held. The military COM
panies were soon reinforced by U. S. troops
ordered out by President Buchanan from Old
Point and Washington Barracks, with three
military companies from Baltimore. After
some severe and bloody fighting, the rioters
were captured, as we learn by the following
dispatch:
HARpER's FERRY, Oct. ls-sA AN.
The armory has just been stormed and
taken, after determined resistance. Col.
Shut approached with flag of truce, and
demanded the surrender of the armory. After
expostulating for some time, the rioters
refused. The marines then advanced and
made charge, endeavoring to break open the
door with sledge hammers, but it resisted all
their efforts. A large ladder was then used
as a battering ram, and the door gave way.
The rioters fired briskly, and shot three of the
marines, who exchanged shots through the
partly broken door. The marines then forced
their way through the break, and in a few
minutes the resistance was at an end. The
rioters were brought out, amidst tho most
intense excitement, many of the armed militia
present trying to get an opportunity to shoot
them. Capt. Brown and his son were both
shot. The latter is dead, and the former
dying. He lies in the armory enclosure. He
talks freely, and says that he is the old Ossa-
wottomie Brown whose feats in Kansas had
such wide notice lie says his whole object
was to free slaves, and justifics his previous
actions; says he had possession of the town,
and could have murdered all the people, and
had been murdered in return. J. G. Ander-
son was also shot down in the assault. He
was from Connecticut. The dead body of q
man shot yesterday was found within the
armory. Brown declares that there were no
more engaged in the plot but those who
accompanied him. The prisoners are retained
within the armory enclosure.
The original party Of insurrectionists is
said to have consisted of not more than 20
white men and free negroes. Capt Brown
had been about the town, and rented farm
four miles off, which was the rendezvous of
the rioters. Capt. Cook, his principal officer,
has also lived at that place, and at one time
taught school. All the other white men are
working men. They are supposed, however,
to be men who have been connected with
Brown in Kansas. No attempt was made to
pillage the town or insult females. Allen
Evans, one Of the insurgents, who was NOR.
tally wounded, says the whole scheme was
got up by Brown, who represented that the
negroes would rise by thousands, and Mary
land and Virginia would be free. Another
rioter, negro, named Lewis Leary, who has
since died, confessed to the particulars of the
plot which he said were concocted by Brown,
at Fair held in Ohio, two months ago.
During the difficulty, some le persons are
known to have been killed. The arsenal was
aiken possession Of about 9 o'clock on Sunday
night, and so quietly was it done that the
,itizens knew nothing of it till the train was
stopped.
It is reported on good authority that, some
weeks ago, Secretary Floyd received an anony-
nous epistle, stating that, about the 18th Of
october, the abolitonists, negroes, and other
lisaffected persons, would make an attempt
o seize the arsenal and hold the place, but |
he statement was so indefinite and improba-
lie as to cause no fear of such an outbreak. !
LATER.
We have dispatches of yesterday Q9th)
rom Harper's Ferry and Baltimore, giving
urther particulars of the instruction. Capt.
Brown was still living, and had revived suf-
iciently to converse freely. He talked ear
estly to those about him, defending his
curse, and avowing that he had only done
that was right. He replied to the questions
ut to him substantially as follows: |
Q.-Are you Capt. Brown, of Kansas9
Al am sometimes called so.
Q.--Are you Ossawottomie Brown?
Al tried to do my duty there. Z /,