The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-08
LrrrER OF GOV. WISE no NRs. nRows.

"nfic IN l. hliaueipn1a, VINO naQ written 10 MIN,
asking for the body of her husband, after the
execution, as well as the remains of her sons
who lost their lives at Harper's Ferry: 81
"MADAM: Yours of the 2lst inst, addressed
to me from Philadelphia, came to my hand this
morning. Believe me, madam, that sadly
thank you for your trust in my feelings as a
man. Your situation touches those feelings
deeply. Sympathizing as do with your Attic
ton, you shall have the exertion of my authority
and personal influence to assist you in gathering
up the bones of your sons and your husband
in Virginia, for decent and tender interment
among their kindred.
81 am happy, madam, that you seem to have
the wisdom and virtue to appreciate my position
of duty. Would to God that public considera-
ton could avert his doom, for the Omniscient
knows that take not the slightest pleasure in
the execution of any whom the laws condemn.
May He have mercy on the erring and afflicted.
Enclosed is an order to Maj. Gen. VIM. B.
Taliaferro, in command at Charlestown, Va, to
deliver to your order the mortal remains of
your husband when all shall be over, to be de-
livered to your agent at Harper's Ferry, and if
you attend the reception in person, to guard
you sacredly In your solemn mission.
with tenderness and truth, am, very
respectfully your humble servant, 81 3c
HENRY A. WISE"
While at Harper's Ferry, Mrs. Brown, accom-
panied by Col. Barbour, DR.. Murphy, and other
citizens of that place, proceeded to the spot
where her two sons we're buried. 1t was, how
ever, ascertained that the body Of Watson Brown
had been carried off by surgeons for dissection.
They found two bodies, one supposed to be
that of Oliver Brown, but far gone in decompo-
stion, and Mrs. Brown thought herself unequal
to the task Of recognition. So the bodies will
be inferred.
REMAINS OF JOHN BROWN.
About three o'clock, the body of Brown,
which after the execution had been placed in
coffin and reconveyed to the Jail, was exam
ined by General Taliaferro and several phys-
cians 1t presented some remarkable phenom-
ena. The eyes were fully Enclosed, and pos
sessed almost all their natural lustre, retaining
even something of the peculiar glazing express
sion which had characterized them in life. The
limbs were plant and flexible, with nothing of
the rigidty of death about them, and, with the
exception of the nose and feet, which were COW
cred with two pair of woollen socks, the body
was quite warm. A consultation of all the
physicians present in Charlestown was immedi.
ately held-both DIR. Mason and General Tala
ferro declaring that the body should not, under
the circumstances, leave Charlestown until it
was proven life was entirely extinct, and various
tests resorted to- for the purpose of determining
whether the doomed traitor yet retained any
Pickering Of existence Liquid ammonia was
applied TO his eyes, and, strange to relate, they
exhibited immediate indications of congestion !;
lighted candle was then held near the nose,
for the purpose of ascertaining its effect upon
the sensitive mucus membrane of that organ,
but no evidence of life could be discovered. A
number of other tests were applied, with like
effect, and he was finally pronounced quite
| oil nh in affan
Nevertheless, when, at six o'clock, the corpse
. was again examined, just prior to its departure
on the train for Baltimore, the eyes and cOun-
tenance presented the same lile-like appear
ance before observed, although the body had
then become quite cold and stiff. The physi-
clans confessed their inability to account for
the phenomena, though several similar cases
are recorded in medical works.
| A Charlestown correspondent of theyc3alti-
more San gives the following as another last
will of John Brown:
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JOHN BROWN.
! /, John Brown, a prisoner, now i'm the prison
of Charlestown, Jefferson county, Virginia, do
hereby make and ordain this as my last will
and testament
| will and direct that all my property, being
personal property, which is scattered about in
the States of Virginia and Maryland, should be
carefully gathered up by my executor, hereafter
appointed, and disposed of to the best advan.
tage, and the proceeds thereof paid to my be-
loved wife, Mary A. Brown.
Many of those articles are not of warlike
character, and trust as to such and all other
property that / may be entitled to, that my
rights and the rights of my family may be re-
spected.
And lastly, 1 hereby appoint Sheriff James
w. Campbell, executor of this my true last will
hereby revoking all others.
Witness my hand and seal, this I'd day of De-
cember 1852 JOHN BBowN.
Signed, sealed, and declared to be the true
last will of John Brown, in our presence, who
attested the same at his request in his presence
and in the presence of each other.
JOHN AVIS.
ANDREW HUNTER
Codica.-I wish my friends, James W
Campbell, sheriff, and John Avis, jailer, as
return for their kindness, each to have a
Sharpe's rifle of those belonging to me, or il
no rifle can be had, then each pistol.
Witness my hand and seal, this ID day Of
December, 1859. JOHN BROwN.
Signed, sealed, &C., same as above.
From private advices and an examination Of
the judicial records, it appears that Stevens
His trial will take place at the next term of the
Jefferson county court.
Whatever ofsympathy the fate of John Brown
awakens will be occasioned by his bearing
through an ordeal so trying, rather than any
completely of feeling in his lawless enterprise
Upon the question whether he had any right
to go into Virginia with such intentions, OF
whether, when taken, he ought to be punished
there is no general difference of opinion OF
sentiment. Though we would that all men
were free, we should as readily go into Virgins
to run off their horses and cattle their slaves
By the Constitution and laws, Slavery is recog
Missed and tolerated. 1t was q compact made
by our fathers, and one that binds their heirs
We will oppose both its extension and its en-
croachments. Thus far, and no farther, goes
our sense Of duty to Freedom.
John Brown seems to have counted the cos
of his enterprise; and, like q brave man, il
prepared to meet his fate. Since the day thai
Paul spoke to Agrippa, we have read nothing
more truly sublime than John Browns response
to the tribunal before which he stood to receive
sentence Of death. The "pomp and circum
stance of war with which the execution Of
Brown is to be surrounded was wholly unneces
sary. The rescue rumors were entirely un
founded albany Ere. Journal.
CARD FROM THE ONO MERCHANTS ARRESTED
AT HARPER's FERRY.-BdltimOre, Dec. 2.-Tht
following letter is furnished by the Ohio mer
chants who were arrested at Harpers Ferry:
BALTIMORE, December 2, 1859.
To the Public: i.7a Il
We, the undersigned, having been arrested
by the military authorities of the State of Vir
ginia on the morning of Wednesday last, while
: proceeding over the Baltimore and Ohio rail
| road as nassenoers FOR the East were disnosed