Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-10-26

tlOu u TeSlSC tuel nau WlLnuraWn nearly all "llil
the Amory grounds, leaving only guard on the /
bridge. About noon the Charleston troops under
command of Col Robert W. Baylor, arrived cross
ing the Potomac river some distance I'D and march .
ing down the Maryland side to the mouth of the !
bridge. Firing voey they made gallant dash /
across the bridge cle,ring it of the nsurreconists
who retreated rapidly down toward the Armory. In |
this movement one of the insurrectionists named !
VIM. Thompson, was taken prisoner. The Shep- |
herdStown troops next arrived marching down the |
Shenandoah side and joining the Charlestown forces
at the bridge desultory exchange of shots follow
ed one of which struck Mr.. Fountaine Beckham, |
Mayor of the town and agent of the Railroad Com
pany, in the breast, passing entirely through his
hody: the ball was large elongated slug. making
dreadful wound. He died almost Immediately. Mr.. |
Beckham was without arms and was exposed only |
for a moment whilst approaching the water station.
His assailant, of Browns sons shot almost
Immediately but managed to get back to the engine
house. where his dead body was found next day.
The murder of Mr.. Beckham excited the people
and the cry Immediately made to bring out the
prisoner Thompson lie was brought ont on the
bridge and shot down; from the bridge he fell into
the water and some appearance of life still remain
ing he was again riddled with balls.
SHARP FIGHTING COMMENCED.
At this time general charge made down the
street from the bridge towards the Armory gate by
the Charestown and Shephcrdstown troops and the
Ferry people. From behind the Arnorv wall flu
SHADE was kept up and returned by the insurrection
lists from the Amory buildings Whilst this was
gong on, the Martinsburg levies arrived at the up
per end of the town, and entering the Armory
grounds by the rear. made an attack from that end
This force was largely composed of railroad employ
ees gathered from the tonnage trains at Martinsburg
and their attack was generally spoken of as showing
the greatest amount of fighting pluck exhibited dll
ring the day. Dashing on, firing and cheering, and
calamity led by Captain Alburts, they carried the
building in which the Armory men were imprisoned
and released the whole of them. They were however,
but poorly armed some with pistols and others with
shot guns and when they came in range of the en-
CINE house, where the elite of the insurrectionsts
were gathered, and were exposed to their rapid dex
ferrous use of Sharps rifles, they were forced to fall
back, suffering pretty severely Conductor Evan
Dorsey of Baltimore. mortally wounded, and
Conductor George Richardson received wound
from which he died during the day. Several others
were wounded among them a son of Dr. Murphy of
iIarpcr's Ferry
guerilla warfare was maintained during the rest
Of the day, resulting in the killing OF three of the
insurgents and. the wounding of fourth. One Of
them crawled out through culvert leading into the
Potomac, and attempting to cross to the Maryland
'idc whether with view of escaping or of convey
ing information to Cookies party. was not known.
He shot whilst crossing the river, and fell dead
secured his Sharps rife and the body was aftcrwarG
stripped of portion of its clothing. In one of his
pockets was found captains commission, drawn up
in full FORM and declaring the bearer, Capt Lehman.
held that comvand under Major General Brown !!
\ light muatto also shot just outside the Ar
mory gate. The ball went through and through his
throat tearing away all the great arteries, and kill
ing him almost instantly His name was not known
but he was one of the free negroes who came with
Captain Brown His body was left exposed in the
street up to noon yesterday; exposed to every IN
dignity that could be heaped upon it by the excited
popuIace. At this time tall, powerful man, ma
med Aaron Stevens, came out from the Armory con-
Quoting prisoners. it was said, and was shot
twice. once in the side of the face and once in the
breast. lie captured and taken into the tavern,
and after the insurrection had been quelled, was
turned over, in dying condition. to the United
States authorities. Another man was shot in the
Arsenal yard
During the afternoon a sharp little affair took
place on the Shenandoah side of the town. The in
surrectionists had also seized Halls rifle works. and
party of their assailants found their way in through
the millrace and dislodged them In this rencontre
it said that three of the insnrrcctionists were
killed, but we found but one dead body, that of a
negro on that side of the city Night by this time
had come on and active operations ceased. Guards
were placed around the Armory and every precau-
ton taken to prevent escapes
ARRIVAL OF THE BALTIMORE MILITARY.
At 10 o'clock on Monday night the train with the
Baltimore military and United States marines ar
rived at Sandy Hook where they waited for the ar
rival of Col. Lee deputiscd by the War Department
to take command. The reporters pressed on, leav-
ing their military allies behind They found the
bridge in possession of the military and entered the
bcscged and beleagured town without difficulty, the
occasional report Of gun or the singing motion of
Sharp's rifle ball, warning them that it was ad-
v,sab!e to keep out of the range of the Armory.-
Their first visit to the bedside of Aaron Stevens
the wounded prisoner They found him large, ex-
ceedingly athletic man, perfect Sampson in ap-
pcarance lie in small room, filled with ex-
cited armed man, who more than once threatened to
shoot him where he was, gr0aning with pain, but
answering with composure and apparent willingness
every question in relation to the foray in which he
was engaged. lie said he native of Connect
cut, but had lately lived in Kansas where he knew
Captain Brown. He had also served in the United
States Army The sole object of the attempt was to
give the negroes freedom, and Capt. Brown had rep
resented that as as they had seized the Armory
the negroes would flock to them by thousands and
they would soon have force enough to accomplish
their purposes.
He believed that the freeing of the negroes was
proper purpose, one for which he would sacrifice his
life but thought that Capt Brown had been greatly
deceived in relation to the movement He SAID pre-
pafatOnS nttu Uccn lOT Soiut tOI
movement but that the whole force consisted of
enteen white men and five free negroes This state
ment was repeated without variation by all the pris
oners with whom we convcrsed. They all agreed
as to the number in the movement, and to its OBJ
jects which some Of them called the work of phan-
thropy.
Lewis Leary, the negro shot at the rifle mill, sta
ted before he died. that he enlisted with Capt Brown
for the instruction at fair held in Lorraine county,
Ohio, and received money from him to pay his ex
pcnses They all came Gown to Chambersburg, Pa,
and from there travelled across the country to
Browns farm. y
THE DEMAND FOR sURRENDER-THE ATTACK AND
CAPTURE.
Shortly after seven o'clock, Lieut.. j. E. B. Stuart
of the First Cavalry, who was acting as aid for COL
Lee, advanced to parley with the besieged, Samuel
Strier, ESQ.,, an old and respectable Citizen bearing
flag of truce They were received at the door 10y
Capt Cooke. Lieut. Stuart demanded an uncon