Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-10-28

sThssNasper'sFesry TieseAy.
srArEHssrs . THE r.lsoslRs.
A correspondent X the N. x. 7,m1 fur
ni'hss shat paper~isk the followips inter.
ssting ststsments ofprisonefs md iseldeuts
eonnsctsd with the aght at Haiper's Ferry !:
1 70. Mr.. Mills, Master of thesArmosy, who
was captured and kept in custody by brown,
this rinyleader said: -
TssWe are Abolitionists from the North |;
We acme TO take and release Your sIaves !;
our Organization is large and must succeed ;
! suffered much IN Kansas. sud expect to
suffer here in the cause Of humsn freedom !;
slave holders / regard e. robbers and muir.
derets, and ! have sworn to abolish slavery,
and liberate my fellow men," ss*" sa'''
Such are the purposes declared by Brown
himself to one Of his prisoners. 10 your
correspondent be stated, after bis capture,
that it was no part Of his, purpose to seize
the public arms he had arms and ammuni-
ton enough, furnished bypths Massachusetts
Emigrant aid Society. He only intended
to make the first demonstration at this point,
when he expected to receive rapid increase
Of allies from Abolitionists everywhere set.
tied through Maryland and Virginia, sufi
cient to have taken possession Of both States,
with all the negroes they could capture.
asked it he did not expect to encounter the
Federsl troops: saiae'H rss.eH tsf
SHOT il / had followed up my plans.
intended to remain here but q few hours,
but lenient feeling towards the citizens
led me into q parley with them as to COM
promise, and by prevaricu,ion On their part
was delayed until attacked, and then in
self defense was forced to entrench myself. y
"What course did you design taking from
this point ~ / asked. '' 81
Il had only a general idea on this point,
but do not wish to be too closely questioned,
lest l should say something which nigh,
compromise me hereafter. But to your
inquiry l answer, purposed b general
southwest course through Virginia, varying
as circumstances dictated or required"
This was the scheme, as developed by the
notorious outlaw himself, and is confirmed
by the other prisoners. He was adverse to
the shedding of blood, and during the whole
fight peremptorly forbid his men shooting at
any one unarmed and present from curiosity.
The demonstration made with % men was
only the signal tor action. The great body
Of his army remained to be enrolled, and
recruits were expected to pour in from all
directions.
Edwin Coppic, the only captive not
wounded, states: -... ...... ... -.
:" am from Cedar county, Iowa, and am
twenty -four years old I am philsnthro.
pist, and came here to aid in liberating ne.
groes; made the acquaintance of Capt
Brown in Iowa, as he returned from Kansas,
and agreed to join his company; Brown
wrote to me in July to come on to Cham.
bersburgh, where he first revealed the whole
plot; the whole company was opposed to
making the first demonstration ut Harper'a
Ferry, but Capt Brown would have it his
own way, and We had to obey orders he
promised large achievements as soon a
we made demonstration our rifles are
some of those furnished by the Massachusetts
Emigrant Aid Society and sent to Kansas
they were reshipped to Chamber, burgh,
and thence hauled, with ammunition, BY
teams to our 'head-quarters.'
When preparations had been completed
this N morning, by Col. Lee, for assaulting
the insurgents in the engine house where they
had taken shelter, Lieut.. Stewart, aid to
Col. Lee, proceeded with flag of truce to
consult on the terms e. surrender Brown
proposed that he and his men should be
permitted to leave with their arms, &c.
and carry their prisoners, Messrs Washing
ton, Danger6eld, Mills and others, as far Vi
the second lock on the canal, where he wou q
release the prisoners; after which, il thu
troops cho-e to attack him, he would be
ready to fight. .ts
Lieut. Stewart responded that an uncon
ditional surrender would be demanded, ir
which cA>e he and his men would be pro.
tscted until the President of the . tied
declined, the marines were ordered up, and
bravely did their duty.
Mr.. Washington, who was confined with
the other prisoners in the engine house, anc
all of whom, it was feared, would be shot in
the melee, reports that all the insurgents
wished to surrender but Brown; that he never
quailed, but exhibited GOODNESS and courage
seldom equalled He ordered and arranged
the portfolios drilled in the wall with as much
composure as if it had been an ordinary
transaction of everyday business. During
the firing, he never faltered. He also says
the prisoners were treated by Brown with
great consideration and kindness.
Capt. Anderson, on whose person the com
mission was found, had also letter from his
brother, John j. Anderson, Of Chillicothe
Iowa, urging him to remove there and study
law with an uncle. This officer, under the
provisional Constitution" seems to have
been quite poetical character, Judging from
his memorandum book. From quantity Of
verses, written in pencil, copy the following
lines: g-
look upon her as she stands
Free from ull womans tricks of art,
And in my own clasp her hands,
And lay them on my beating heart. H..
But that heart is now still in death, and his
body lies upon the grass, surrounded by those
of his dcluded and miserable companions, and
no more cared for than the carcasses Of SO
many dead swine. l
Watson Brown, the MORALLY wounded son
of the leader, has wife in Essex county,
New York. ...r ...g....-.
Ebert Haslett, one of the killed, had moth.
ing upon his person but an empty pocket.
book and lock of lady's hair.
Captain Brown had near $500 about him
when wounded. His money is now in the
Paymaster's s1ong box. He fell under two
bayonet wounds-one in the groin, and one
in the breast-and four sabre cuts on the
head. During the fight, he was supposed to
be dead, or doubtless he would have been
shot. He was not touched by ball, and will
probably recover. z' -" g.
Brown says he has no regrets to express OF
apology to offer for his conduct.
a. The Dubuque Herald, of the 23d inst,
in a lengthy article, portends the entire defeat