Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-12-09
Special Dispatch to the :, t,'i (saeata.r
Tzs :ution of Johr Hrcvvns 1fad
HIS last hours-46eaing Intsrpic~ Uah kts
Hge-Scenes and Incidents of the oeoasion--
His Last VII and Testament, mid
HARHER's FERRY, Dee. 2

al
His Last VIII and Teston,eni sFais
IS -. HARHER's FERRY, Dee 2.
/ left Baltimore this morning bound for tkf
: place, where met your REPORTER, who yisites
Charlestown TO gather the facts felstiys to III,
, execution of Ossawatomie Brown, fslI paStfeu.
lars OF which l send you. At Baltimore
f crowds endeavored to purchase tickets for Har.
f pers Ferry, among whom were number d
Northern editors, but the Company politely
refused to sell any tickets except to through
: passengers, or to those whose business and
character were known to the officers of the road
As consequence. many were disappointed In
the effort to CRAFTY their curiosity, and tho
number of passengers upon the road was an-
f usually small. At Washington Jauetion.
seven miles west of Baltimore two geptleruet,
got into the train, and were immediately an
preached by an officer of the Company, who
told them he must know who they were and
what was their destination. To this query
one of them dcmurred, when the following coli
loquv ensued: ~
OFFIcER--It is absolutely necessary that
you should answer me. fe ~
PAssENGER-W Why. am in Austria? a
OFFIcER-There is no time for argument
the State that grants us a charter has right
to proclaim martial law, and we must comply
with her requirements,
ID PAssENcER-I ann subject to her Brit
anic Majesty have through ticket. I'D
I lsT PAssESGER-I have ticket to Wheel
ing, Showing his ticket,) and am going to
Minnesota. My name and business / choose
to keep to myself. ~ pic
OFFIcER-All right gentlemen, you can
pass along. --- @af
! The passengers seemed good deal surprised
and irritated, but were modified when an ex-
p!anation was given by an official connected
with the Road. Some military gentleman be-
longing to the staff of Gen. VIM. B. Taliaferro
in command at Cbanest0wn, also got in at the
Relay House. They lived in remote part OF
Virginia, and had been unable to Join tbejr
Commander earlier.
At the various stations along the route be-
tween Baltimore and the Ferry, groups of peo-
pie were gathered, evidently awaiting the ar
rival of the down train, carrying news OF
Browns execution. Our train reached the
Ferry at a quarter before IL o'clock, and wo
found the platform carefully guarded by SOL
diers who closely scanned every passenger and
kept the space in front clear. Everywhere a.
bout the town soldiers were stationed, and the
Government buildings had been turned into
barracks, in which were quartered the U. S.
troops from Old Point Comfort
But few strangers were in the village, the
visitors consisting chiefly of the people of the
adjacent country, who had come to hear Of
Browns execution. A military company,
which had just been organized here, was being
marched through the streets, conspired to re-
mind one of the pomp and circumstance Of glo-
rious war.
learned that Mrs. Brown, with a lady a.d
two gentlemen friends, from Philadelphia, were
staying at the Wager, having arrived on
"Wednesday night | Immediately sought one
of the gentlemen, NAMED McKim, who was
loud in his complaints Of the manner in which
they had been treated by the military authofi-
ties and gave me the following narrative He,
says that last week Brown wrote to his wife
saying if she thought she could bear the meet
ing with calmness, he would be glad to tai,o
leave of her Ehereupon she determined to-
see him once more before he died. Mrs.
McKim, knowing the value of o. wofnaass
sympathy and companionship, under such try-
ing circumstances, volunteered to accompany
her, as also did Mr. Mex i'm and other gentle
men. The latter supplied themselves with the
best testimonials us to respectability and char
acter, and also with letters of introduction to,
Col. Lewis A. Washington and others. and
reached Harpcr's Ferry on "Wednesday night.
On, the next morning, they communicated
with the officer in command Of the Virginia.
military here, that Mrs. Brown had arriYed,r
and that they wished to accompany her to-
Charlcstown- The officer courteously respond,
ed, that he presumed there would he no difficul-
ty in granting their request, and Immediately,
teegraphed TO General Taliaferro. at Charles
town, who, in turn, tclegraphcd to Gov. Wise
FOR instructions. A great number Of messages
were then exchanged, aud finally it was order
cd that Mrs. Brown should be sent alone to
see her husband, under an escort OF military,
and the Others of the party should be detained
and watched. Mrs. Brown was greatly dis
tressed at being compelled TO GO without her
friends, but finally consented, and was taken
to Charlestown and allowed an interview er
two hours with her husband, but was not per-.
mitted to remain during the night. An an
ecdote is related of Brown in this connec ten,
which is eminently characteristic: when
Gen. Taliaierro had arranged for the visit of
Mrs. Brown, he called on the prisoner and in
formed him that his wife would come to see
him, and he wished TO know how Inug an in
terview he desired
Brown said" Three or four hours" to
which the General res ponded that that was too
long an hour he thought was enough, Brown
replied Very well, sir, obey your orders.
and do your duty. 1 have no favors to ask os
he State Of Virginia"
This indomitable spirit was manifested 10
he last. In his final interview with Cook. he
accused him sternly of falschood in represent
ing that he. Cook. had been misled hy him.
He shook hands with all the prisoners, and
handed each Of them twenty-five cents, rcu,arlS-
ing that the money was Of no further use TO
mir.
When parting from his wife, he asked the
as though it were the most casual aud
Indifferent question, "At what hour am | to
De executed ?" And on being told IL o'clock,
ne turned to his wife and said VERY well;
{ think Of anything else to say, viii write
I down and leave II for You"
On the scafIold, he refused to make the usn-
Il signal to the sheriff to let the drop fall, and
esolutely declined the services Of any clergy
nan. No one attended him but the Sheriff
md his assistants. He has left two wills--one
lisposng of some small landed property, and
he other relating to the disposition Of his
bikes and Sharpe's rifles.
OF the final interview between himself and
wife, it is too so n to speak. learn that she
s sleepless and nervous, but sternly reprepeen
External manifestations Of her &elipgv.