The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-11-02
NUMBER Al

y 1. All OF these came with Brown from
Cambersburg, Penn.
Brown confessed that he had 20 boxes of
Sharpe,s rifles, and number of Colts revol
VeIs There had been found also, POO Sharp's
rifles, ], 900 pixies, and 200 reyolvers These
were brought in on Thursday night, together
with spades, pick-axes, tents, blankets, one
military field spy-glass, 500 to $500 in cold
and silver, and a call whistle
Brown said he had arms and ammunition
tor l,50O men, but he expected the assistance
of 5000 men.
All the arms and ammunition were from
abroad, and not from the ArmOry at Harpers
Ferry. The arms of the arsenal were not
molested.
Company F., from Richmond had very little
to eat, and no sleep. Some few, who were
promenading around Harper's Ferry, were
invited into private residences, and treated
with great kindness and lberaIity. Governor
Wise was received by the citizens of HarpeTs
Ferry with the greatest gratitude and regard.
From the Baltimore Exchange.
| CONFESSIONS OF THE INSURGENTS
On gaining the Virginia side found Colo
mel Baylor in chief command, and after hear
! ing from him a short account of the state Of
affairs he took me to a room where lay one Of
the insurgents, who had been shot and cap
tured during the afternoon. He was stretch
ed out on bed, and surrounded by more
than 70 persons, some demanding that he
should be shot where he lay, others that he
should be dragged from his bed and hung
| The mans name was Stevens, and he appear
| ed to be suffering severely from his wounds,
| there being two one in the head and the other
in the abdomen, both having been made by
small rifle balls. | approached him and had
the following conversation:
what is your name o.
Stevens he replied.
"Where are you from?'
From the State Of Connecticut
'Tell me how many there are of you, who
are the leaders, and what your intention was"
There were twenty-five Of US and we
were all under Capt. John Brown. We came
here to free the negroes Brown made us be-
lieve that we had only to strike the blow and
thousands of negroes would join us. | have
found that he deceived u.s. and if had known
what | know now l would not have been
here. We were not to receive any money for
this work, and we had no design to rob the
paymaster's department. | feel very bad,
and 1t hurts me too much to talk"
l left this man still surrounded by the
SIo"d vi "IlOD were lOF
his life.
When the Marines brought out their pris-
| oners an immense cry Of Hang them" filled
| the air. and young men with rifles jumped
from the walls and the bridge into the Armo-
ry yard, and were pressing to where they
were, fully intent on killing them, but the
Marines were ordered to protect them, and
drove back those who were eager for their
| blood Tho hO1ias of fbn NJ I,-;y
men were brought and laid on the grass, and
it was impossible to keep the crowd back
Capt. Brown told the crowd not to maltreat
him, that he was dying, and that he would
soon be beyond all injury. Major Russelthad
hm conveyed into room Of one Of the De-
| partments, and kindly ordered all attention
to be paid him. Brown looked up and recog-
nizing Major Russell, said, You entered first
could have killed you, but spared you"-
In reply to which the Major bowed and said
81 thank you"
Major Russell kindly admitted me'to the
room where Brown was lying, and held the
following conversation with him. asked
YsWhat Is your name-where were you
born and how old are you p
MY is ohm Brown. / am wen
Known: fhave been known as old Brown Of
Kansas Pm from Litchfield county, Connec-
ticut, and have lived at divers places. Two
of my sons were killed here to-day, and am
dying too. / came here to liberate slaves,
and was to receive no reward. | have acted
from a sense of duty, and am content to await
my fate, but think the crowd have treated
me badly. I'm an old man, and yesterday |
could have killed whom | chose, but had no
desire to kill any person. and would not have
killed man, had they not tried to kill me and
my men. could have sacked and burnt the
town, but did not; | have treated the persons
whom took as hostages kindly, and appeal
to tlrem for the truth of what | say. am
63 years old.''
RepOrter.-"When did you first conceive
this move?
Bro1oa.-While in Kansas. After my
property was destroyed one of my sons kill
ed and my happiness destroyed by the slave
party of Kansas, determined to be revenged
also was moved in this matter by a hope to
benefit the negroes"
Reporter-"Where did you get all your ri
ties and the pixies that are here? Who fur
nished you with them ?"
B,0o0a-"My own money. did not re-
ceive aid from any man. Cooke is not a son
OF mine If | had succeeded in running OF
slaves this time, | could have raised twenty
times as many men as have now, for sim
liar expedition. But have failed. did not
intend to stay here long but they (the citzens)
deceived me by proposing compromises which
they had no intention Of carrying out | am
not in any mans employ
Brown complained that the crowd who were
clamorous for his blood were treating him
unklndly and unfairly, after the kindness and
lenlency he had shown the citizens and the
town. He also said that he was fully con
vinced that he was dying in a righteous cause.
1t Is not, however, probable that he will die
until he has been tried by jury
Ed. Cope states that he is from Iowa. He
made the acquaintance of Brown last winter
IN Iowa, where Brown told him of this scheme
and asked him to join the expedition. Copie
states as fo.lows:-"Wc were to be well paid
for our time and trouble. We never made a
direct bargain as to how much we were to re-
celve. Old man Brown was not to pay us.
but don't know who was The rifles were
furnished us by the Massachusetts Aid Socie-
ty. They were first sent to Kansas, but the
excitement having died away, they were of no
use, and Brown got the rifles for this expedi-
ton. They were sent from Kansas to Cham
bersburg, Franklin county; they were then
hauled from there to Browns house by man
who lives in Greencastle. l don't know who
made the pixies. have said all the PRAYERS
L have to say, and am ready to die"
Ihls man was in excellent spirits, perfectly
unconcerned in regard to his fate, and said
that he was ready to swing, if the laws OF the
country ordered it.
The negro's name is Gains He saws that
he lived in Harrisburg, Pa, and that Brown
had induced him to come over to MARYLAND
and work for him; that he did so, and was m.
duced to go into the Instruction.
Gains is a bad fellow and no truth in him
tie told several paipable lies while telling his
story.
OLD BROWN AND GOV WISE.
In an interview which Gov. Wise had with
old Brown, the latter said in reply to oues-
tons
Il never had more than % men about the
place, but | had it so arranged that | conId
arm, at any time, 800 men with tbe follou,-
ing arms: 200 Sharpe's rifles, 200 Mavnard,s
revolvers, 1000 spears and tomahawks
would have armed the whites with the rifles
and pistols, and the blacks with the snaars
they being not sufficiently familiar with the
other arms.
Il had plenty Of fixed ammunition and
enough provisions, and hada good RIGHT toe
pect the aid of from 1000 to 5000 men at
any time wanted. Help was promised me
from Maryland, Kentucky, North on 1 Sopth
Carolina, Virginia and Canada. The blow
was struck a little too soon. The passing of
train phelps, on Sunday night did the work
against us-that killed us. Ishould not hovn
let it pass. But only regret have failed in
my designs, but have no apologies to make
Or concessions to ask now Had we succeed
ed, when our arms and funds were exhausted
by an increasing army contributions would
have been levied ON the shareholders and their
property appropriated to defray expenses and
carry on the war of freedom. Had known
government money was in the safe here |
would have appropriated it."
"Oid Brown here appeared quite exhausted,
and leaned back in his bed, looking calmly
around. Gov. Wise told him he had better
be preparing for death, to which Brown res
ponded, that he, (the Goyernor,) though he
might live fifteen years, would have good
deal to answer for at last, and had better be
nreparing now too,