New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-11-26
JOHN BROWNS INVASION.
COOKS CONFESSION.

The watchfuness with which the con 'ession Of Cool
was guarded at the frst has been relaxcd, with thu
possible idea that such care is no longer needed AN
row able to send you on exact copy, az it came from
Cook himself, and il was read in Court by Mr. An
drew Hunter. As record Of this extraordinary trans
action by one of The parties directly and prominently
concerned il possesses great interest; but will be
seen that the pretended implication of parties at the
North is Of little importance. OF this informed you
Immediately after the delivery Of the confession. The
only names mentioned IA eggplant Of Browns plan are
those Of Gerit Smith, Frederick Douglass, DIR. Howe
Of Boston, and Thaddeus Hyatt and Sanborn Of New
York. Even agaiIs, these Cook does not make very
powerful The spirit and the object of the con-
fessOn plainly to relieve the author from the
spOnsibiy Of his deeds, and TO cast the odum upon
Brown. As every one now knows this effort has been
without avail. Here is the confession;
became acquainted with Capt. John Brown in hi
camp on Middle Creek Kansas Territory, just afte
the battle of Black Jack, and was with him IN said
camp until it broken up and his company disband
ed, by Col Sumner of the LIST Cavalry, u. s. A.
next saw him at the Convention at Topeka, which
on the 4th Of July 1856 next met him some days
afterward in Lawrence. Did not see him again until
The Fall of 1857 when met him at the house of f. b.
Whitman, about four miles from Lawrence, X. T.,
which, think, about the LIST OF November follow
ing. Twas told that he intended to organize cOmpa-
ny for the purpose Of putting stop to the aggressons
Of the Pro.Slavery men. i agreed to join him, and
was asked If / knew of any other young men, who
perfectly reliable, whom ! thought would Join
.lsO. / recommended Richard Realf, l.. +. Parsons
and X. j. Hinton. received a note on the next Sun
day morning, while at breakfast in the Whitney
House. from Capt. Brown, requesting me 10 come up
that day, and to bring Ref Parsons and Hinton with
me- kealf and Hinton were not in town, and there
fore could not extend TO them the invitation Parsons
and myself went and had long talk with Capt.
Brown.
few DAYS afterward received another note from
Capt. Brown, which read, can recolect,
follows:
"CAPT CooKE-Dcsr Sir You win please get every thing
ready join Topeka by Monday night next Come to
arms ammunition clothing and other articles you may require
Bring Parsons with you he get ready in time Please
'''P very RD''' 'O0D Your" SS &C., JOHN BROWN"
made all my arrangements for starting at the time
appointed. Parsons, Reaf, and Hinton could not get
ready. left them at Lawrence, and started in "a car
rage for Topeka. Stopped at the hotel night and
left early the morning for Mrs Sheridan to meet
Capt. Brown. Staid day and a half at Mrs Sc
then LETT for Topeka at which place we were joined by
Stephens, MoiIet and Kag Left Topeka for Nebraska
City, and camped at night on the prairie northeast OF
Topeka. Here, for the frst, learned that we were
TO leave Kansas to attend military school during the
Winter Ii was the intention of the party to 90 to
Asbtabula County, Ohio Next morning | was sent
back to Lawrence to get draft of $50 casheG and TO
get Parsons, Reaf and Hinton to go back with me.
got the draft cashed Capt. Brown hadgiven me orders
to take boat to st. Joseph, No. and stage from there
so Tabor, Iowa, where he would remain for few
DAYS had to wait for Reaf for three or four days;
Hinton could not leave at that time. i started
with Realf and Parsons, on stage for
LeavenwOrth. The boats had stopped running
on account of the ice, Staid one day in Leaven-
worth and then left for Weston where we took stage
for St. Joseph, and from thence TO Tabor. l found
c. r. Tdd and Leeman at Tabor. Our party now
IF nj Holm Brown Owen Brown. A. ID.
Stephens Chas. Mofiet G. y. Iidd, Richard Robert
son, Col. Richard Realf, l.. +. Parsons VIM Leeman
and myself. We stopped some days at Tabor, making
preparations to start. Here ere foHRd that CaPf.
Br6gcn's ultimate destination the State Of P'r-
ggni0. Some words passed between him and
myself in regard to the plan, which had supposed
was to he confined entirely TO Kansas and Missouri.
Realf and Parsons of the same opinion with me.
After good deal of wrangng we consented to go on,
a. we had the means to RETURN and the rest OF the
party were 80 anxious that we should go with them
AT Tabor we procured teams for the transportation of
about 200 Sharps rifles which had been taken on as far
as Tabor one before at which place they had been
left awaiting the order of Capt Brown. There were,
also other stores, consisting OF blankets clothing,
boots ammunition and about 900 revolvers of the
Massachusetts Arms patent, all of which we trans
rorted across the State of Iowa to Sprngdale, ana
from there to Liberty at which place they were snip,
ned for Ashtabua County, Ohlo where they renamed
I'm broughtto Chambersburgh Pa, and were from there
transported to house in Washington County, Md,
which Can't Brown had rented for six months, and
which was situated about five miles from Harper YER
~ IL was the intention OF Capt. Brown TO sell Ms
teams in Sprpgdae and with the proceeds to go on
with d rest of the company 10 some place III Ash'd,
bula County, Ohio where we were TO nave good
military instructor during the WINTER ont ne W,ss dis-
nDonied i'm the SALE AS he could not get cash Tor the
teams il was decided we should remain in the neigh
borhood of Sprngdae, and that our instructor Vol H.
Forbes should be sent on. we stopped III reuee,
Iowa over Winter, at Mr.. MaxsoD's, where we pur,,
sned course of military studies. Col. III. Forbes and
Cant Brown had some words, and he Col FL did not
come on consequently A. ID. Stephens was our drill
master The people of the uelghborhood ga not Know
of our purpose We remained at Pedee till about the
middle of April when we left for chatham, Canada,
via Chicago and Detroit. We staid about two weeks
in Chathan-some of the party stad SIX or seven
weeks We left Chatham for cleveland, ana re-
manned there until late in June. nthe mean TIME apt
Brown went East business, but previous 10 MS 1e
he had learned that Col Forbes had betrayed ms
Mans IN some extent This together with the seantl-
ness of his funds induced him 10 delay the commence
mentofhs work, and was the means Tor the une perg,
of disbandng the party. He had also received some
inflammation which called for his Immediate attention IN
Kansas wished 10 90 with him, but he SAID thaI
was too well known there and requested me ana some
others TO 90 TO Harpers Ferry Va TO see now tnngS
were there and TO gain information. While we were
in Chatham he called Convention, the purpose OF
which was TO make complete and thorough organl1a-
ton He issued written CIRCULAR whch nc sem ~ ~
various persons in the United States ana OaiaS ino
circular as near as can recolect, reau rs loho"s.
"CHArHAE. May, 1883.
"Mr--DEAR ssR: We have issued call for very sss,
ior Al his place which shall be happy 10 see any
Tue friends Of freedom and to which you are most eAS
iH'"'o " s''' '"YouTs respectfully, JOHN BROWN
A the names were left blank, do not know 70
whom they were sent though wrote several OF them
Learned. however, that one was sent 10 fre9erlcA
Douglass and think Gerrt Smith also reeeiVsH one
WI The others were sent TO do not know. Neither
Douglas nor smith attended the Convention. | sup
some 25 or 30 of these circulars We're sent cut as
tbey were directed by Capt. Brown or d. H. hSsl l
,le of fhe parteS 10 Wnoln ulcY