Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-10-28
The Leader of the Harper's Ferry In

from the New York Herald.

Capt. John Brown emigrated to Kansas
from Central New York, in the fall of 1885,
and settled in the township of Ossawattomie.
He was accompanied by seven sons, the young
est being old enough to earn his livelihood
He is about sixty years of age, medium hight,
slim, muscular, and possessing an iron c%onstitu-
ton. He has blue eyes, sharp features and
long gray hair, wearing a full beard.
In December, 1856, during the Shannon
war" Brown first made his appearance among
the free State men at Lawrence. His entrance
into the place at once attracted the attention
of the people towards him. He brought a wag-
on load of cavalry sabres, and was accompanied
by twelve men, seven of whom were his own
sons. He first exhibited his qualities at the
time the free State and pro-slavery parties, I'M
der the lead of Governor Robinson on one side,
and Governor Shannon on the other, met to
make a treaty of peace. After Governor Rob
inson had stated to the people who were gath
cred around the hotel the terms of the peace,
Brown took the stand, unlimited, and opposed
the terms of the treaty. He was i'll favor of
ignoring all treaties, and such leading men as
Robinson, Lane and Lowry, and proceeding at
once against the border rufian invaders, drive
them from the soil, or hang them if TAKEN
Gen. Lowry, who was chairman of the Commit
tee of Safety, and also commander of the free
State troops, ordered Brown under arrest
The latter made no physical resistance, but
it was soon discovered that he was altogether
too combustible a person to retain as d prison
er, and a comp Omise was made with him by
the free State men, and lie was released. He
was informed by the leaders of the party that
his remarks were intended to undo what they
were trying to accomplish by means of the
treaty that he was a stranger III Lawrence
and Kansas, and ought not by his rash remarks
to compromise the people of Lawrence until
he had known them longer, and knew them bet
ter.
One of his sons, who was elected to the Leg
%islature in February, 1856, was seized and
taken from Ossawattomie to L%ecompton in
chains, a distance of thirty miles. His feet
and hands were chained together with a large
heavy chain, the size of that used upon OK
teams. He was compelled to walk the whole
distance beneath a burning sun. The irons
wore the flesh from his ankles he was attacked
with the brain feaver, was neglected, and died
in two or three days. He was a companion of
Gov. Robinson, jenkins, (since shot by Lane)
and some eight or ten others. Another son of
Capt. Brown was shot at Ossawatomie by a
marauding party from Missouri. After the
death of his first son, occasioned by the tor
lures and fatigue of his forced march, Brown
swore vengeance upon the pro-slavery party,
and it was frequently observed by the more
prudent of the free State men that he was evil
IDENTIFY insane on the subject. He was always
ao.,,Jo~I H. 4la-, - =, l,,-,,,- ,a,,, 900
never taken into their councils, and never cen
suited by them with reference either to their
policy or movements.
The destruction of the free State Hotel and
presses at Lawrence. in May. 1856, melted him
anew to action, and he organized a small com
pany composed chiefly Of men who had been
robbed. or whose relatives had been murdered
by the pro-slavery party, and at the head of
this band armed with Sharp's rifles. bowie
knives, and Colts revolvcrs, he secured South
ern Kansas, and the name of ~Old Brown be-
came a terror to all who opposed his will in
that region. While he was thus marauding
five pro-slavcry men were taken from their
cabins at Pottawattomie Greek, ii the night
and shot down. The rro-s!avcry party charg-
ed this deed upon Old Brown, while the free
'Dtdlt ltIlA ttSSCiltN tiEtt ttIEN tbtItt PROVE I'M
in Lawrence, forty miles distant, when it hap
pcned and that tn. llorr:d deed was pcrpetrated
by "Bufords Georgia Ruflians,'' suppcsing that
the victims were free State men.
The news of this massacre reached West
port, Missouri. the place Of rendezvous Of the
border rufiianS." the sam evening that the
Kansas Commission sent out by the United
States House of Representatives arrived at
That place. The excitement was i~ntcESe, ard
was induced almost as much by the appear
ance of the Commission as by the news of the
massacre. Tie "raflians,' sworc vengeance
upon the members and officers of the Commits
sion, declaring that their blood shouid recon-
pense for the Slaughter at Potawattonia creek
and bat for the interccssion of Mr.. Oliver. the
pro-siavery member Of the Commission. and
others, it was believed that the Commission
would have been attacked. 1T was at this time
that the notorious II. Clay Pate organized a
band of men in the streets of Westport, Mo,
with the aYowed purpose of entering the Terri
tory and capturing "Old Brown lie raised
about thirty men, and went into the Territory
about twilight one evening, and was surprised
at sunrise next morning by "Old Brown who
was in command of nine men, armed as stated
above. Pate sent a flag of truce to Brown,
who advanced some rods in front of his COM
pany and ordered the flag bearer to remain
with him, and sent one of his own men to i'll
form Pate to lay down his arms. Pate refused
to give the orders to his men, when Brown,
drawing a revolver, informed him that he must
give the order or be shot Oh the spot. Pate
Immediately surrendered up himself and men,
and they were disarmed and marched into a
ravine near by, and kept until liberated and
sent back to Missouri, by Col. Summer, a few
days subsequently,, who also ordered "Old
Brown to disband and go home. The latter
agreed to do so if the Colonel would also agree /
to protect the settlers in that region Of the
Territory. This was the celebrated Battle of
Black Jack Point y made famous by the I'll.
G.. P" Kansas correspondent Of the st. Louis
Republican, who was the heroic commander of
the surrendering party. Capt. Browmwas not
much heard from again until the notorious
Captain Hamilton made his incursiens into
Kansas from Missouri in 1858, When
ne raised another company, and, with Capt.
Montgomery, drove Hamilton and his compan-
ions back to Missouri, and, marching his men
into that State, took possession of one of the
villages, shot one or TIVE men and liberated
slaves. This course of Brown was repudiated
by Governor Robinson and the leaders of the
State party, in and out of Kansas, which
caused Brown to publish a letter explaining
his position, in which he assumed the entire re-
sporsibility of his acts, and relieved the Free
State men from any share therein. The letter
called the 1.-Two Parallels, on account of
the peculiar distinction made by the writer.
Capt. Brown was a strong believer in the
doctrines of the Presbyterian church. He was !
on the subject of anti-slavery, and
to have the idea that he was specially
lenuted by the Rlmirhtv To liherata slaNes. !