Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-12-16
John 5TowEs Tnvasion--Oonfesso ON Of
Gznf. Cookk-~ go '"

.s l became acquainted with Captain 10 !
Brown in his camp on Middle Greek, kansa
Territory, just after the battle of Black ia, I
"a and vas with him in said camp until it /. " .
is broken up and his company disbanded, by c, j
s Sumner, of the lst Cavalry, U. S. A. NexI
saw him at the Convention at Topeka, WHICH
was on the 4th of July, 1856. l next. net
him some days afterwards in Lawrence. Did
, not see him again until the fall OF 1857, when
met him at the house Of E. B. Whitman.
about four miles from tawrencs, K T.. which.
! think, was about the lst of November follow.
ing. | was fold that he intended to organize
ta company for the purpose of putting a stop
p to the aggressiohs of the Pro-Sayery men, /.
agreed to join him, and was asked if knew,
OF any other young men, who were perfectly,
i. reliable. whom l thought would join also. 1,
recommended Richard Realf, L. f. Parsons
and r. j. Hinton. ! received note on the.
: next Sunday morning, while at breakfast in
; the Whitney House, from Capt Brown, re-.
questing me to cemeup that day. and to bring,
Reaf Parsons and Hinton with me. Realf
and Hinton were not in town, and therefore r
could not extend to them the invitation,-
Parsons and myself went and had long talki
with Captain Brown. 40 ~
A few days alt,rwlrd I received anotbef
note from Capt. Brown which read, as near
as l can recollect, as follows '-.74i 7"'
/ "a. ls...f-. ....... s..s. " DArE----=
| carr. CooKE---Dear Sir: You win please
get everything ready to join me at Topeka bys
Monday night next. Come to Mrs. Sheridan y
| two miles south of Topeka, and bring vout,
| arms, ammunition, clothing and other arti-
| cles You may require. Bring Parsons with you
/ if he can get ready in time Please keep YerSf
quiet about the fnafter. s-. ~ !, :. lg.fr,fr,
:. Yonr. .c, TOrJA- pro1r-N4 !.
/ j made all MY arrangements for starting ~
the time appointed Parsons, ReaIf and Hin
ton could not get ready. left them at, Law,
renee and started ina carriage for Topeka.--ls
Stopped at the hotel over night, and left early,
next morning for Mrs. Sherdons to meet,
Capt. Brown. staid day and half at Arss,
S.'s-then left for Topeka, at which place we,
were joined by Stephens, Mofet, and Kagi.---l
Left Topeka for Nebraska City, and camped{
al night on the prairie northeast of Topeka,
Here, for the first, learned that we were to,
leave Kansas to attend military school dliGr
ring the winter. 1t the intention OF the,
party to go to Ashtabula County, Ohior--1
Next morning was sent back to Lawrence TO,
get draft Of $50 cashed. and to get Parsons
Realf and Hinton to go back with me. Il got
the draft eashed. Capt. Brown had given me,
orders to take boat for st. Joseph, No., and
stage from there to Tabor, Iowa, where ,he
would remain for few days / had to wait
for Realf for three or four days; Hinton could,
not leave at that time. | started with ReaiK
and Parsons on stage for Leavenworth.--s
The boats had stopped runhing on account Of
the ice. Staid one day in l.eayenworth ard,
then left for Weston, where We took stage,foT,
st. Joseph and from thence to Tabor. l found
c. z. l'dd, and Leeman at Tabor. Our party
now consisted Of Captain John BroEnA
Owen Brown, a. ID. Stephens, Chas. Mofett.
G. Z. 'I'idI Richard Robertson, Col. Richard
Realf, l.. F. Parsons, Wm. Leeman and my.
self. We stopped some days at Tabor making
preparations TO start Here ue found hsot
Capt. BroWnS ultimate destination srGs The
State Of T1rginia. Some warm words passed
between him and myself in regard to the plan,
which | supposed was to be confined entirely
to Kansas and Missouri. Reaf and Parsons
were of the same opinion with me. After q
considerable of wrangiiug. we consented to go
on, as we had not the means to return; aud the
rest of the party were anxious that we should
go with them. AT Tabor we procured TEAMS
for the transportation of about 200 Sharp's ri-
hes which bad been taken as far as Tabor ona
year before, at which place they had been Left
awaiting the order of Capt. Brown. Tiers
were, also, other stores, consisting of blankets,
clothing, boots, ammunition, and about 200
revolvcrs Of the Massachusetts, Arms patent,
all of which we transported across the Stata
of Iowa to Springla'e, and from there to Lib
erty, at which place they were shipped for
Ashtabula County. Ohio, where they remained
till brought TO Chambersburg, Pa. and were
from there transported to house in Washing
ton County, Md, which Capt Brown had rem
ted for six months, and which was situated
about five miles from Harper's Ferry. 1t was
the intention Of Capt. Brown to sell his teams
at Springdae, and with the proceeds to go on
with the rest of the company TO some place IN
Ashtabula County, Ohio, where We were to
have good military instructor during the
Winter but he disappointed in the sale.
As he could not get cash for the teams, it was
decided we should remain in the neighborhood
of Springdale, and that our instructor, Col. II.
Forbes should be sent on We stopped In
Pedee, Iowa, over winter, al Mr.. Maxsons,
where We pursued course Of military studies.
Col. II. Forbes and Capt. Brown had soB.e
words and he Col. F. did not come on cop-
\, ID. Stephens was our drill mas
ter The people OF the ncighborhood did not
know Of our purpose We remained at Pedte
till about the middle of A pril, when we left
for Chatham, Canada, via Chicago and De
troit. We staid about two weeks in Chatham
some of tie party staid six or seven weeks.
We left Chatham for Cleveland, and remained
there until late in juno. In the mean time
Capt. Brown went East on business but pre-
vious 10 his departure he had learned that Col
Forbes had betrayed his plans TO some extent.
This, together with the scantiness of funds il
duced him TO delay the commencement Of his
work, and was the means, for the time being.
of disbanding the party. He had also receiy-
ed some information which called for his i'm
mediate attention in Kansas. wished to go
with him, but he said l was too well known
there, and requested me and some others to go
to Harper's Ferry, Va, to see how things were
there, and to gain information. While we
were in Chatham he called Convention, tie
purpose of which was TO make complete ard
thorough organization. He issued written
circular, which he sent to various persons in
the United States and Canada. The circular,
as near as | can recoect, read as follows:
"CHATnAN. May, 1858.
" Mr.-:---DEAR SIR: We have issued
call for very q'aet Convention at this place, to
which we shall be happy to any true friends
of freedom, and TO which you are most earnest
ly invited to give your attendance.
Yours, respectively, JOHN BROWN
As the name was left blank, do not know
to whom they were sent, though / wrote sew
eral of them l learned, however, that one
was sent to Frederick Douglas, and think
Gerrit Smith also received one. Who the
others were sent to do not know Neither