Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-28
The Late Affair az Harper's Ferry.

COMMUNICATED.
The Late Affair at Harpers Ferry.
In Tie name Of common sense, public JUS
tic History. and the EHglish Language,
protest against the designation, "Insu,rec-
to0,' with which al the newspapers Of the
land-cyen here IN Nirginia-have heralded
t. the world the recent astounding and de-
plorablc affair ut llarpcr's Ferry. What
single feature or circumstance characterized
il a IN "j"swr,cfioa ?" To call it sueh
is actually u libel upon the very Negroes; one
Of whom was buried here, on Yesterday
with Military honors, and followed to the
grave by several thousand Of our citizens,
for having hraycly lost his life by his resis-
lance and refusal 10 cooperate with the
.ib"iifjon Mr"icrS: every one Of whom was
from the North, foreign TO the soil Of Vir
gina, and without one single abettor or
sympathizer in the State.
But il is not simply an imperious missioner
70 call il an MaMrection-it DISCUSSES land
SO far paliatrS) the great fragrant feature of
the ca~"--the enormous hUih-that lDyinia
has been invaded-actually, deliberately,
ana Systematically iaradSd, and her best
blood shed upon her own bosom, by an or.
gained band Of miscreants, white and
black. from the Free States, under the lead
.. Il Kansas desperate, az the Utstiyafion
dRd dpyoiati4Sntn a. influential anil wealhy
Aotis,n 4LoiitioaiStS.
Every one of the wounded wretches who
had breath enough lett 10 answer our que
rcs. ~ well as the survivors, said that they
had come 40 free the slaves; that they ex-
pcctcd large reiniorcemeuts; and that this
was not the last Of it." n"
The dress and general appearance Of most
Of them. indicated that they had not the
means Jr credit 10 have purchased Il quid of
Tobacco, ora clay pipe: yet they were each
am! AL armed with new and costly Shaypc's
Rl',s and Receivers, aud Knives, Belts and
Spears; and the heavy and complete arma-
mcut which was found ut their rendezvous
in the mountain. had been Expressed through
from .lboidiom Headquarters IN Me North.
These facts are sufficient to show the pre-
poStcrous and Historical injustice of desig-
mating as an bSwrrectiom, an occurrence
which signally lacks every characteristic of
the description, and is patented with every
feature OF a reasonable, bold and impudent
Htrosion Of tie peace and dignity Of Vir-
gnia \.
In the account taken from the Baltimore
American, which occupied four columns of
the Gazette of the 10Th. there is this para
graph About this time also, Samuel r.
louny. esq.,. was shot dead He was coming
into the town on horseback, carrying II gun,
when he was shot from the Armory, receiv
ing n wound Of winch he died during the
day He was graduate OF West Point.
and greatly respected in the neighborhood
ior hi, high character and noble qualities"
The description i accurate, but the name
should have been Gto,ye ". 7HrHer-a rep
rc>crtativc Of everything that Virginia has
To boa,t-hrr wealth. her education, and
her rhirohy' He lived at his ancestral
seat many miles away from the scene of
danger: but he paused not IN instant III
rushing 70 the rescue and. alas, poor lei
low 10 his death Colonel Baylor met
him. but the instant before hr was shot, and
urged him not H. expose himself 10 the Ger
tam death. but a few steps III advance he
replied that he would 20 to his friend. |
Lewis Washington, and rescue him, or share
has fate"
Another essential error in all the state
ments going the round Of the Press, invol-
yes injustice 10 the gallant promptitude Of
the soldiers and citizens of Winchester, in
speeding To the aid Of our fellow-citizens of
I1arprr'- Ferry. IL nowhere appears that
anybody went from Winchester: when the
truth j. that. III one half hour after receipt
Of the news here. nj noon, thirty miles dis
tant. Hy,, companies Of well armed men,
more than one hundred strong, were rn
route 10 iIarrcr's Ferry. under the command
Of t"i l. Z. Hoore, and marched into the
ArmOry before sunset, and were posted by
order Of Col baylor. the ranking officer. in
positions from which we were only relieved
by the t. ). Marines, after two o'clock that
ght. Although the morning light reveal
ed the fact, that there were only a handful
Of The S.oundrel> left. yet we marched in
under the excited information, given to us
NJ We approached the town, that they were
in large numbers. and securely posted all
through the .lrmory. In the morning, we
took and held tile position assigned by the
officer IN command III twenty PAGES of the
,tormin. party .; Marines; and only when
GJl Lee responded 10 our gallant Colonel
Moore, that the affair was ended, and no
further necessity existed for the presence Of
troops. did we return 10
October 22I $50 WINCHESTER.