The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-10-19
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The Insurrection at Harper's
Ferry.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.


The Secretary of War has tsIegraphed to
Col. Lee that Mr. 0ald, the District Attorney
for this District, will proceed forth with to Har-
per's Ferry to take charge Of the legal proceed
ings against the prisoners and bring them 10
trial. A train Is now getting ready to convey
horses and men from here to pursue the rioters
into any State or locality where they may nave
lied. This Is by order Of the President, at the
request Of Gov. Wise.
BALTIMORE, October Is.
The Directors Of the Pennsylvania Kaiirosd
and families left Martinsburg this morning ior
Baltimore. Travel Is now resumed and trains
are running regularly.
An eve witness, who has returned from
Harper's Ferry describes the scenes there as
follows: "The first attack was made by de-
tachment Of the Charleston Guards, VINO
crossed the Potomac river above Harper's Fer
ry and reached the building where the insur-
gents we're posted by the canal on the Mary
land side. Smart firing occurred and the riot
ers were driven from the bridge. One man
was killed here and another arrested.
The latter ran out and tried to escape BY
swimming the river. A dozen shots were fired
after him and he partially fell, but rose again
and threw his gun away. He drew his pistols,
both of which he snapped. He then drew his
bowie knife and cut all the heavy acquire.
msnts from his body and plunged into the
river. One of the soldiers was about ten feet
behind him. The man turned round, threw
IN his hands, and cried out, "don't shoot"
rho soldier fred and the man fell into the
water with his face blown away. His coat
skirts were cut from his person and In the
pockets was found Captains commission to
HCaptain F. H. Leeman, from the Provisional
Government of the United States" The COM
mission was dated October l5, 1859, and signed
by A. W. Brown, COmmander-in-Chief OF the
Army of the Provisional Government OF the
United States.
A party Of FIVE insurgents, armed with Minnie
rifles, and posted in the rife armory, was eI.
pelled by the Charleston Guards. Tney ali
ran for the river, and one, who was unable 70
swim, was drowned. Tbs other four swan OUT
20 the rocks in tho middle Of tho shsnandoah
and fred upon the citizens and troops as
sembled upon both banks. This drew upon
them the muskets of between two and three
hundred men, and not less than four hundred
shots were fred at them from Harper's Ferry,
about two hundred yards distance, one was
shot dead.
The second, o negro, attempted to jump
over the dam, but fell shot and was not seen
afterward. The third badly wounded, and
remaining, was taken unframed. The white
insurcent, wounded and captured, died in
few minutes in the arms Of our informant
He was shot through the breast, arm and
stomach. He declared there were only nine
teen whites engaged in this insurrection.
| For nearly an hour running and random
firing was kept up by the troops against the
rioters. Several were shot down, while many
| m a N cad IN linn aWay wounded,
During the firing the women and children
ran shrieking in every direction, but when they
learned that the soldiers were their protectors,
they took courage and did good service In the
way of preparing refreshments and attending
the wounded. Our informant who was on the
hill, when the firing was going on, says that
all tho terrible scenes of battle passed in
reality beneath his eyes. Soldiers could be
seen pursuing singly and In couples, and the
crack Of the musket and rife was generally
followed by one or more of the insurgents
biting the dust. The dead lay In the streets
where they fell. The wounded wero cared
for. . ....e... -
The following fragments Of letter was
found In Capt. Browns pocket. II occupies
page of fine note paper, straw tinted, and Is
written in pencil, evidently by 9 person of
| education. 1t is without date. The freight
alluded to was doubtless the sort usually carried
| IN the Underground Railroad:
"CApT. BRowN-Dear Sir: have been dis
appointed at not seeing you here ere this TO
take charge of your freight. They have been
here now for two weeks, and, as have had
to superintend the providing for them, it
has imposed on me no small task besides, and
| if not soon taken on, some Of them will have
to 20 back to Missouri. wish to know, def
nitely, what you propose doing. They can
not be kept here much longer without risk to
themselves, and if any of them conclude to
20 back to the State, it will be bad termi-
nation to your enterprise" No signature.
The following interesting narrative of the
events is CLEANED from the report Of the ed
tor of the American, who accompanied the
troops from this city and returned this even
ing. The principal originator OF the short
but bloody existence Of this insurrection, was
undoubtedly Capt. John Brown, whose con-
nection with the scenes of violence in the
border warfare of Kansas then made his
name familarly notorious to the whole
country.
Captain Browns wounds consist Of sword
cut in the forehead and q bayonet wound in
the kidneys. Another Of the rioters killed
was named Stewart Taylor. j. G. Anderson,
| TiuSio1uoI, WIN otVppou CVuuuCtor Z IuoipoI
yesterday, was killed during the first attack by
the Virginians. Anderson was fine looking
man, with flowing white beard.
Some of the Maryland Volunteers are In
pursuit of Captain Cooks party. A body Of
forty men, mounted, left this afternoon for
Harper's Ferry to pursue the rioters.
IL is reported that many Of them have es-
capped and are secreted in the mountains.
A negro named Green, who was conspicuous
in the fugitive slave riot at Harrisburg some
years ago, was among the insurgents.
Brown made his first appearance in tho Vi
clnity of Harpers Ferry more than year ago,
accompanied by his two sons, the whole party
assuming the name of Smith.
He inquired about land in the vicinity, and
made investigations about the probability of
| finding ore, and for sometime boarded ut Sandy
Point, mile east Of the Ferry. After the
absence Of some months he reappeared in the
vicinity and rented or leased farm on the
Maryland side, four miles from the Ferry.
They bought o large number Of picks and
spades, and this confirmed the belief that they
intended to mine for ore. They were seen fire.
qnently in and about Harper's Ferry, but nc
suspicion seems to have existed that Bill Smith
was Captain Brown, or that he intended en-.
barking in any movement so desperate or OK.
traordinary; yet the development of the plot
leaves no doubt that his visits to the Ferry, and
his lease Of the farm we're all parts of his pre-.
paration for the insurrection, which he sup.
posed would be successful In exterminatinp
slavery in Maryland and Western Virginia.
Browns chief aid was John E. Cook, @
comparatively young man, who has resided
1 4 ~