Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-11-24
a PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN


Mr.. Tilton furnishes the Iudcpen lent sketch of
Mrs Brown and of the visit OF lady to John Brown in
Charestown prison. We make few extracts -
brown.
Ten minutes acquaintance Is enough to show that she
is woman worthy TO be the wife of such man She
is tall large and muscular, giving the impression first
sight of frame capable of great strength and long en-
durance. Her face is grave and thoughtful wearing
even in this hour of her trial expression OF sobcrness
rather than Of sadness.
She is a native of Whitehall near Lake Champlain and
has been the mother of thirteen children but nowth
standing the OF her family and her many
prvatons and struggles independent OF household bur
deS she still appears fresh and hale if she were
only now in the prime and yigor OF life
The conversation, of course of the scenes of ar
per's Ferry-boh those which have already been enact
ed and those which shortly to follow. She alluded
with subdued though evident emotion to the wounds of
her husband, aud to the loss OF her sons Watson
and Oliver who fell in the struggle. But she made no
such remark that recently attributed her in New
England newspaper that four Of her had already
been slain, aud she would bc willing that all the rest Of
her family should be made sacrifice if necessary the
of freedom
These words she said to me- could never possibly have
fdcn from her lips; for she had already felt too many
grcis 20 any fresh sacrifices and she could not
think without pain, Of any dcathsifOkc to her fam
lily. She would not shrink from any necessary trial or
struggle when the hour for IT, but she could not
look forward with compOsure to any further essenng Of
her family already too sadly broken She regretted that
such remark should have been put in her mouth "or
as she oh @ W. ], they were u1motherly word
She said that she had been so long accustomed 10 sor
rows that she had been trained to bear them While
living in Ohio, four OF her children died. from dysentery
within eleven days, three of whom were carried TO the
grave together on the day She mentioned in this
connection that her husband had always been watch
u nurse aud the chief carotakcr Of the children and
herself during periods of sickness.
CAPr. nRowN's RELIGIOUS CHARACTER
adyerted, in audinE to Captain Browns religious
opinions, TO the common report that he was and Old
School Presbyterian. She replied that he had been
church member ever since he was bow that lac united
nt eVtn Ofa urifl
Hudson, Ohio aud that removing 20 PENNSYLVANIA,
thirty years ago he transferred his membership to the
Presbyterian church. with which he had since remained
connected She said that the religious element Of his
nr or had always bee the ruling motive Of his life
lie had always observed religious exercises in his
household with exemplary regularity II had been for
many ycar the custom Of the family read the Bible
every morning, in regular Of chapters each mem.
Der reading IN turn She said that her husbands
familiarity with texts Of Scripture great that he
could detect almost the slightest misuuotation OF any
passage and that If portion Of in almost any
part OF the Bible were read or repeated 10 him. he could
Immediately repeat the remainder. His conversation
frequently abounded With Scripture texts and his letters
we're always filed with them.
toSo vrprrTrp prsiov
referred incidentally TO the design upon Harper's
Ferry o. having been prcmcdiatcd for two years to
which she Immediately replied
Not for h-o years. Jnf f,r t,rpiyf
lie had been waiting for twenty years for some oppor
tuuiiy TO free the slaves; had a been waiting with
him. the proper time when he should put his resolve into
action, and when % last thc enterprise Of Harper Ferry
planned all thought that the time had now come
Mr. Brown was sanguino Of success all we're equally
confident; he had no idea nor did any of the family
that the experiment would result IN defeat we a look
ed to Il a. fulfilling the hopes Of many years
fsHE INSANE.
then put the question which had been cIieav soil
citoug 10 ask "it Is the common talk of the ncwsna
pers that Can't. Brown Is Insane what do you say 10
that opnionq7
~ never knew" she replied "oi his insanity until I
read it in the newspapers lie IL clear headed man
lie has always been aud now is entirely in his right
mind He is always cool deliberate and never ovcr.hss
ty but he has always considered that hs first perccp
tons Of duty and his first impulses 90 action were the
best aud The safest 90 he followed Hc has almost always
acted upon his first suggestion. No he Is not insane
lie reason j. clear. Ills last act the result as an his
other acts have been Of his tucst and strongest con
sccntous convictions"