The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-10-20
Rlfh1munn Qispatrb.
THURSDAY MORNING !. J. ocr 90 ,sse
| n s q II r L CrIO N
HARPnR's FERRY.
FU LII 1CULARS.
THE BATTLES ~ THE ToWN-sToRsf.
ING THE Arsenal.

fsN IVWA-sIOhM-
ING THE ARSENAL.
The History Of the Orig inn tor.--rhe Seixnr.
." thc Town by the Insargents-Approuch
OF thr 9~ffe, SON county tva.,Treeps-Arrf-
val OF the Mary land ry-Dorum ent.
OF the lnsurrec,ionfsts-The Anonymou.
Letter, Ac.. &c.
The insurreetion at Harper's Ferry is over
and the mails bring in full particulars of the
bloody tragedy. The Virginia military have
returned TO their homes, the last--eo,npany +
OF Riehmond-having arrived here Yesterday
afternoon. Among the companies who went
on were the Alexandria Rifiemen, Washington
Guard OF Fredericksburg, and Monticello
Guard of Charlottesville From the Ra,ti-
more American we take an excellent history
of the insurrection, and some additional par
ticnlars from the Sun of that city:
IT'S oRtelSAToRs
The principal originator OF the insurrection.
and she chief leader in its short but bloody
existence was undoubtedly Captain Tohn
Brown, whose connection with the scenes of
violence and border warfare in Kansas then
made his name familiarity notorious 10 the
whole country. Captain Brown made his first
appearance in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry
more than year ago, accompanied by his two
sons, the whole party assuming the name of
Smith. They inquired about land in the
vicinity, made Investigations as TO the proba-
bility of finding ores. and for some time
| boarded at Sandy Hook, one mile east of Har-
| per's Ferry. After an absence of some mon tbs
| thew re-appeared in the vicinity, and the elder
| Brown rented or leased farm on the Mary
/ land side, about four miles from Harper's
| Ferry. They bought a large number of picks
| aud spades. and TINS confirmed the belief that
! they intended TO mine for ores. They Were
| seen free equentiy in and about Harper's Ferry,
but no suspicion seems to have existed that
| 'Bill Smith Captain Brown. or that he
| intended embarkng in movement so desper-
| ate and extraordinary. Yet the development
| of the plot leaves no doubt that his visits 10
| the Ferry and his lease of the farm were all
| parts of his preparation for au insurrection
| which he supposed was to be successful in ex-
terminating slavery in Maryland and West
ern Virginia.
Capt Browns chief aid was John E. Cook,
| Il comparatively young man, who has resided
| in and near HaTpers Ferry for some years.
| He was first employed in tending n ack on the
| canal He afterwards taught school on the
| Mary land side, and after brief residence in
| Kansas where it is supposed that he became
| acquainted with Brown, returned to the Ferry,
| and married there. He was regarded as q man
of some intelligence known to he anti-slayery
/ but not violent in the expression of his
opinions as to excite any suspicious. These
two men, with Browns two sons, were the
| only white men connected with the insurrec-
| tion that had been seen about the Ferry, All
were brought by Capt. Brown from distance
| and nearly all had been with him in Kansas.
|
The first active movement of the insnrrec-
ton was made about half-past ten o'clock on
Sunday night VIM. Williams, watchman on
Harper's Ferry bridge, whilst walking across
towards the Mary land side, was seized by a
number of men, who said he was their prison
er and must come with them. He recognized
Brown and Cook among the men, and know
ing them treated the matter as jake, but en-
forcing silence they conducted him to the ar
mory which he found already in their posses
sion. lie was retained till after daylight and
then discharged. The Waterman who was To
relieve Williams at midnight, found the bridge
lights all out, and Immediately was seized
Supposing it an attempt at robbery, he broke
away and his pursuers stumbling over the
track he escaped.
The next appearance of the einsurrectionists
was at the house of Col. Lewis Washington, a
large farmer and slave owner. living about
four miles from the Ferry. a party headed
| by Cook proceeded there, reused Col. w. and
told him he was prisoner. They also seized
| all the slaves near the houses, took carriage
and horse and g large wagon with two horses
When Col. Washington saw Cook he immedi-
ately recognized him as man who had called
upon him some months previous 10 whom he
had exhibited some valuable arms in his pos
session, including an antique sword presented
| byFrederick the Great 10 General Wasling ton
!, and pair of pistols presented by Lafayette to
Washington, both heir-looms in the family
Before leaving, Cook invited Col. Washington
to a trial of skill at shooting, and exhibited
considerable certainty as marksman. When
he made his visit on Sunday night he alluded
to his previous visit and the courtesy with
which he had been treated regretting the ne.
| cessity which made il his duty to arrest Col. w
He, however, took advantage of the knowledge
, he obtained by the former visit to carry off all
! the Coloners valuable COLLECTION ofarms, w hich
, he did not obtain until after the final defea
of the insurrection.
From Col Washington's they proceeded with
; him a prisoner in his carriage, and twelve OF
his negroes in the wagon. to the house of Mr.
Ais tadt, another large farmer on the same
NJ Jolt hf- Inrt taf
teen, were taken prisoners. all their negroes
: | within reach forced TO join the movement, ane
they returned to the Armory at the Ferry
| All these movements seem to have been made
without exciting the slightest alarm in th'
| town, nor did the detention of Capt. Phelps
train at the upper end of the town attract at
tention. Itwas not until the town thorough
| ly walked up and found the bridge guarded by
armed men, and a guard stationed at all th
avenues, that the people found they We're pri
soners. panic appears to have Immediately
: ensued, and the number of the lnsnrrection
lists at once magnifed from fifty, which wa
probably their greatest force, including tn
slaves forced to join, to from five 10 six hun
dred. In the meantime, q number OF the work
| men knowing nothing of what had occurred
: entered the Armory, and were instantly takeI
r prisoners, until at one time. they had not les
than sixty men confined. Among those thu
, entrapped Were Armistead Ball, Chic
Draug gh tsman of the Armory, Benjamin Mills
Master of the Armory, and j. +. +. Danger
field Paymaster's Clerk. These three gentle
men were imprisoned in the engine house
which afterwards became the chief fortress
the insurgents. and were not released until af
| ter the final assault. The workmen We're i'm
| prisoned in a building farther down the yard
and We're rescued by the brilliant Zouaye dasi
made by the railroad company's men whs
came down from Martinsburg.
4 This was the condition of things at day
| light about which time Captain Cook will
two white men, accompanied by thirty slaves
!, and taking with them Col Washingtons larg'
wagon went over the bridge and struck III
the mountain road toward Pennsylvania. 1
was then believed that the large wagon wa
used to convey away the Paymasters safe
containing $1,000 in government funds, ant
also that it was filled with Minnie rifles taker
out to supply other bands in the mountains
who Were TO come down upon Harper's Ferry
in overwhelming force. These suppositions
both proved untrue, as neither money mol
arms were disturbed.
THE BEGINNING OF THE FIGHT-sHooTING Oh
PRISONER.
As the day advanced, and the news spread
around, and the people came into the Ferry
the first demonstrations of resistance wers
| made TO the insurreetionists guerilla war.
| fare commenced. chiefly led on by a man
| named Chambers whose house commanded the
! Armory yard. The colored man named Hay.
| ward railroad porter, was shot early in the
morning for refusing to join the movement
Next man shot was Joseph BnTley, a citizen o.
Harper's Ferry. He was shot whilst standing
in his own door. About this time, also, Sam
uel r. Young Esq, was shot dead He wa
coming into the town on horseback, carrying I
/ gun. when he was shot from the Armory, re.
ceiving wound of which he died during thu
day He was a graduate of West Point, anc
| greatly respected in the neighborhood for hi
high character and noble qualities.
1 The insnrrectionists at this time, finding
disposition to resist them, had withdrawn
nearly ali within the Arnory grounds. leaving
only u guard ON the bridge. About noon, fhs
| Chariestown troops under command OF Ooi