Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-10-26
Details of the Insurrection at uarper's
Ferry.


lars Of this extraordinary servile insurrection,
which has produced such unprecedented ex-
element in all the Southern country, so far
as heard from. To the exclusion of much
other less important matter, we annex the
suIioiaed intensely interesting details:
MILO ORIGINATED IT.-The principal origl-
major Of the insurrection, and the chief leader,
in its short but bloody existence, was undoubt-
edly Captain John Brown, whose connection
with the scenes Of violence and border warfare
in Kansas then made his name familiarly no.
torious to the whole country. Captain Brown
made his first appearance in the vicinity Of
Harper's Ferry more than a year ago, accom-
panied BY his two sons, the whole party as
suning the name of Smith. They inquired
about land in the vicinity, made Investigations
Us to the probability of finding ores, and Tor
some time boarded at Sandy Hook, one mile
East of Harpers Ferry. After IN absence OF
some time tLey re.appeared in the vicinity, and
the elder Brown rented or leased farm on
the Maryland side, about four miles from Har
per's Ferry. They bought large number Of
picks and spades, and thus confirmed the be.
lief that they intended to mine for ores. They
were seen frequently in and about Harper's
Ferry, but no suspicion seemed to have existed
that !" Bill Smith was Captain Brown, or that
he intended enabarking in movement SO des-
peratc or extraordinary. Yet the development
Of the plot leaves no doubt his visits to the
Ferry and his lease of the farm were all parts
of his preparations for IN iasurrection, which
be supposed was to be successful in exte-min-
ating slavery in Maryland and Western Eir,
ginia.
Captain Browns chief aid was John +. Cook.
a comparatively young man: who has resided
in and near Harper's Ferry for some years.
He was first employed in tending lock OH
the canal. He afterwards taught school or
the Maryland side. and after brief residence
in Kansas, where it is supposed he became
acquainted with Brown, returned to the Ferry,
and married there. Hc was regarded as a
man of some intelligence, known to be enti'
slavery, but not so violent in tue expression
Of his opinions rs to excite .ny suspicious
These two men, with Browns two sons were
the only white men connected with the lnSur
rection that had been seen about the Ferry
Ali were brought by Captain Brown from 8
distance, and nearly all had been with him III
Kansas.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE OrTBREAH.-Tht
first active movement in the insurrection wa:
made about half past 10 o'clock, OH Sunday
night. Vim. Williams, watchman on Harper:
Ferry Bridge, whilst walking across toward:
tae Maryland side, was seized by number
OF men, who said he was their prisoner ant
must come with them. He recognized Brown
and Cook among the men, and knowing them
treated the matter rs 4 joke: but eniurcin:
silence, they conducted him to the armory
which he found already in their possession
He was retained till after daylight and then
discharged. The watchman who was 10 relieve
Williams at midnight, found the bridge lights
all out, aud immediately was seized. sup
posing it an attempt at robbery, he broke
away, and his pursuers stumbling over the
track, he escaped.
The next appearance of the insurrectionist
was at the house Of Col. Lewis Washington, {
large farmer and slave owner, living abou
four miles from the Ferry. A party headct
by Cook proceeded there, reused COL W., ant
told him he was u prisoner. They also seizec
all the slaves near the houses, took carriage
and horse and q large wagon with two horses
When Col. Washington saw Cook, he imme
,,;ntely recognized him as man who hat
called upon him some months previous, tt
whom he mad exhibited some valuable arm!
in his possession, including an antique swort
presented by Frederick the Great to Genera
Washington, and a pair Of pistols presented
by Lafayette 10 Washington, both heir-loom
in the family. Before leaving, Cook invited
Col. Washingt gton TO trial of skill at shooting
and exhibited considerable certainty as {
marks,nan. When he made bis visit on Sun
day night, he alluded to his previous visit ant
the courtesy with which he had been treated
regretting the necessity: which made it his dut,
: TO arrest Col. W. He, however, took advan
tage of the knowledg. ne obtained by the
former visits to carry off all the Coloncl's
valuable collection OF arms, which ne did not
re.obtain until after the final defeat of the In
snrrection.
From Col. Washingtou's they proceeded
with him prisoner in his carriage, aud twelve
of his negroes in the wagon, to the house oi
Mr.. AllStadt, another large farmer on the
same road Mr.. Al!s,adt, and his son, a lad
of sixteen, were tasea prisoners, all their ne.
rrocs within reach forced to Join the move
mcnt and they returned to the armory at the
Ferry. All these movements seem to have
been made without exciting the slightest alarm
i:l the town, nor did the detention Of Captain
Phelps train at the upper end Of the town
attract attention. 1t was not until the town
thoroughly walked up and found the bridg"
guarded by armed men. and q guard stationed
at all the aYcracs, that the people found they
were prisoners. \ paEic appears to have inl-
m.diatciy ensued, and the number of the IN.
surrectionist, 1T once magnilicd from fifty.
which was probably their greatest force, IN
clu,ing the slaves forced to join, to from five
To six hundred. In the meantime, 4 number
of the workmcn, knowing nothing of what
had occurred, entered the armory, and were
instantly taken prisoners, until at one time
they had not less than sixty men confined.
Among those thus cntrapped were Amistead
Ball, chief 'lraughtsman Of the Armory, Ben.
jamin Mills, master Of the Armory, and J. +.
p. Dangericld paymastcrs clerk. These
three gentlemen were imprisoned in the engine
house, which afterwards became the chief for.
trcss of the Insurgents and were not released
until after the final assault. The worl;mcn
were imprisoned in building farther down
the yarl, ard were rescued by the brilliant
Zouave dash made BY the railroad company's
men who came down from Martinsburg.
This was tn, condition ofthinss at daylight,
about which time Capt. Cook with two white
men, and accompanied by thirty slaves, and
taking with them Col. Wasaingtou's large
wagon, went over the bridge and struck up
the mountain road toward Pennsylvania. 1t
was then believed that the large wagon was
used to convey away the paymastcrs safe,
containing $1,000 in government funds, ana
also that it was filled with Mimic rifles taken
out to supply other bands iu the mountains
who we're to come down upon Harpcrs Ferry
in overwhelming force. These suppoSi.ions
both proved untrue, as neither money nor
arms were disturbed.
5EGINSISG OF TILE FIcHr-A PRISONER