The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-10-26

determined resistance. C0l. SMUT apr0aeh-i
ed with flag of truce and demanded sur
render Of the armory. Alter expostulating
some time, the rioters refused. The marines
then advanced and made charge, endeavor
ing to break open the door with sledge ham
mers. but it resisted all their efforts. a large
ladder was then used as q batteriDg ram, and
the door gave way.
The rioters fired briskly and shot three of
the marines, who exchanged shots through the
partly broken door. The marines then forced
their way through the break, and in a few
minutes the resistance vas at an end. The ii
oters were brought out aud admidst the most
intense excitement, many of the armed militia
present trying to get an opportunity 10 shoot
them. Capt. Brown and his son were both
shot, the latter is dead and the former is dying
He talks freely. and says that he is the 0ssa
wattomie Brown whose feats in Kansas ad
such wide notice. He says his whole object
was to free the slaves, and justified his actions
He Gays that be had possession OF the town,
and could have murdered all the people. and
had been murdered in return. j. g. Ander
son was also shot down iD the assault he was
from Connecticut The dead body Of man
shot Yesterday was found within the armory
Brown declares that there were none engaged
in the plot but those Who accompanied him.
The priSoners are detained within the armory
enclosure. ss,s,-H s
HARPER's FERRY, Noon-Soon after storm
ing the armory four dead bodies of the insur
gents who were shot yesterday were found
within the enclosure. Capt B-own and his
son are dangerously wounded. Only two of
the insurrectioEists are unwounded. viz Ed
win Coppich, (white) from Iowa, and Shields
Green, (coloreG,) also from Iowa. The party
,f e
whom fifteen are killed, two mortally wound
ed, two unhurt, and three escaped with the
slaves on Monday morning, soon after the as
sault on the armory. Some firing took place
from the hills on the Maryland shore suppos
ed to be parting salute from Capt Cook
who left on Monday morning The fire was
returned with general voley, but both par
ties were too dista 1t to do aoy damage. A
company of volunteers have gone in pursuit of
the fugitives- There are probably a thousand
armed men now congregated here. Reinforce
ments have been pouring in all night from all
quarters of the surround ng country.
The white insurgent wounded and captured
died In few moments in the arms of our in
formant. He was shot through the breast,
arm and stomach. He declared there were
only nineteen whites engaged in the insure
tion.
For an hour a running and random firing
was kept up bv the troops against the rioters
Several were shot down, while many manage
to limp away wounded Daring Tie firing the
women and Chi dren ran shrieking in every d.
Tection, but when they learned that the sold
iers were their protectors, they took good
courage and did service in the way of prepar
ing refreshments and attending to the wound
ed. Our informant who was on the bill when
the firing was going on, says all the terrible
scenes of a battle passed in reality before his
eyes. Soldiers could be seen pursuing singly
and in couples, and the crack of the musket
and rifle was generally fol o we'd by one or more
of the insurgents biting the dust.
The dead lay in the streets where they fell
the wounded we're cared for. Capt. Browns
wounds consist of sword cut in the forehead
and bayonet wound in the kidneys. An
other of the rioters killed was named Stewart
Taylor. j. @. Anderson, ring leader, who
stopped conductor Phipps yesterday, was
killed during the first attack by the Virgini
ans. Anderson was fine looking man with
flowing white beard. Some of the Mary
land volunteers are in pursuit of Capt. Cook s
party. A body of forty mounted men left
this afternoon for Harpers Ferry to pursue
the rioters. 1t is reported that many of them
have escaped and are secreted in the mount
aims. A negro named Green, who was con
spicuous in the fugitive slave riot at Harris
burg some years ago. was among the insur
gents. a4
A short time after Capt. Brown was brought
in he revived and talked earnestly 10 those
about him, defending his course. and avowing
that he had done only what was right. He
replied TO the questions put to him substan
italy as follows Are you Capt Brown ofl
Kansas am sometimes called So Are
you Ossawattonie Brown l tried to do my
duty there. What was your present object
To free the slaves from bondage. Were any
other persons but those with you now con |
nected with the movement ? No. Did you
expect aid from the North No There
was one connected with the movement but
those who came with me. Did you expec
to kill people i'll order to carry your point ?
/ did not wish to do so, but you forced US to
do it.
Various questions of this kind we're put to
Capt. Brown, which he answered clearly and
freely, and seemed anxious to yindicate him
self. He urged that he had the town at his
mercy-that he could have burnt and murd
cred the inhabitants, but did not. He had
treated the prisoners with courtesy. and com
planned that he was hunted down like beast.
He spoke of the killing of his son, which he
alleged was done while bearing flag of truce,
and seemed anxious for the safety of his
wounded son. His conversation bore the i'm
press of conviction that whatever he has
done to free the slaves was right, and that in
the warfare in which he was engaged, he was
entitled to be treated with all respect as
prisoner of war He seemed convinced that
he was badly treated, and had right to com
plain, Though he thought he was DYING
man. On examination, his wounds have prov
ed to be not necessarily fatal He expressed
q strong desire 10 live and be tried by his !
country. In his pockets were nearly $500 in
gold, and several important papers found in
his possession, were taken in charge by Col
Lee, and on behalf of the government.
He says that he made mistake in either
not OBTAINING the train on Sunday night. or
else permitting it to go on unmoiested. This
mistake he seems to infer exposed his doings
too soon, and prevented his reinforcements
from coming. The names of all of his party
at the Ferry on Sunday night, except three
white men whom he admits be sent away on k
an erraId, are as follows, with their proper
titles, under the provisional government = {
Gen. Jno. Brown, Commander-in-Chief, (
wounded but will recover; Capt Oliver Brown
dead; Capt. Watson Brown, dead; Capt Jno.
kagi, of Ohio, raised in Virginia. dead; Capt
Aaron g. Stephens of Connecticut, wounded !.
badly, he has three balls in bis body and can
not possibly recover; Lieut.. Edwin Coppic ofI
Iowa, unhurt; Lieut. Albert Hazlett of Penn
sylvania, dead; Lieut.. Jeremiah Anderson, ofI
Indiana. dead; Lieut.. William Leman of Maine s
dead; Capt. John Il. Cook of Connecticut, es. 1
capped. Prvates-SteW art Taylor of Canada, !
dead; Charles P. 1'idd of Maine, dead; VIM. 9
Thompson of New Y ork, dead; nolpe Thomp 7,
nj