The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-12-21
EFrc1s the 81 Louis hepublican1
VERY INTERESTING LETTER FROM
MISS f0UkE, OF HARPER'S FERRY.

We received by mail yesterday the following
letter from Miss Fouke, of Harpcr's Ferry, .
lady whoss name has been widely published in
connection with a Thrilling incident in the Har
per's Ferry tragedy:
HARPEn's FFRA4, Nov. q, 175s.
Mr. Editor: / anticipate your surprise when
your eye shall rest on the signature attached
to this sheat; but that surprise shall vanish
when you shall learn the why and wherefore /
have taken the liberty of writing you a few
lines. / have learned from the Daily Missouri
Republican that you were under the impression
that I saved Thompson, the insurgent, when he
was taken captive. he was brought into the
public parlor of the hotel before I knew that
he and Stevens we're captured. When I FIRST
saw Thompson he was seated In an armchair,
with his hands tied behind him, guarded by
some of the citizens. Several questions were
put to him in regard to his motives and cx-
pectaions when he enrolled under the "Pro-
visional Government" His answers were in
variable the same That he had been taught to
believe the negroes were cruelty treated and
would gladly avail themselve of the first oppor-
tunity to obtain their freedom, aud that all they
had TODD was come TO Harper,s Ferry, take pos.
session of the armory and arsenal; which would
be an easy matter-and then the colcred people
would como in amass, backed by the non-slave-
holders in the Valley of Va. Some one remark
"I imagine you regret that you did not succeed
in running off the darkies." He replied that
he regretted having engaged in the attempt and
If it were to do over again he would decline.
Very soon after, Mr.. Beckham, one of our
most esteemed citizens; wasshot down, un arm
ell as he was. I wentinto the parlof and heard
one of the guards ask T. if he was married
man, his answer was that he had been married
only six months.
/ walked. DIP to where tie prisoner sat, and
said to him. "Mr. Tompson, you had much
better have staid at home and taken care of
your wife, and uhsued some honest calling, in
stead of coming here to murder our citizens and
steal our property that their first act was to
kill q free colored man, because he wonld not
join them in their wicked scheme" He said
that I spoke truly; but they had been basely
deceived.
While / was talking to Thompson, several of
the friends of Mr.. Beckham, who were justly
enraged at his cold-blooded murder, came in,
with the ayoWed determination to kill Thomp-
son on the spot. As they appeared with level
ed rifles, T stood before T.. and protected him;
for three reasons: First, mysister-in-law was ly-
ing in the adjoining room very i'll, under the
influence of a nervous chill, from sheer fright,
and if they had carried out their design, it
would have proved fatal to her, without doubt.
In the second place, / considerable an Outrage
to;kill a man in the house, however much he
deserved to die. Thirdly, I am emphatically a
law and order woman, and wanted the s~elf-eon-
demned man to live, that he might be disposed
of by the law. Isimply shielded the terribly
frightened man; Without touching him until
Col. Moor (think it was) came in and assured
me, on his honor, that he should not be shot in
the house. That was all I desired. The re-
suit everybody knows.
Respectfully yours, c. c. FoUKE.