Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-26
Letter From Senator Mason
IL tie Editor offls G,ue,,,,,..

" ',ii''ti' uiiI'ENLbgi.
There was no uiSmreriioa IN ann.
whatsoever, on the part Of any Of tbs:,I ~"
tants or residents ofthe town orr. ''.,'''''
There Is little doubt thar such in.nr,a..'s'
was fully expected BY the leader n, i'''','0'
miscreants who came from tLe Il. "'',''
state ciandesthely, and under cover Us
INTO the town--an expectation In ul,;.J ~
were wofully disappointed. a fully s,i,,;. 10y
by themselves. The fact is uni,nlr.I l', ~
not nun, Jiuch' ~ wdit.. ..G,.I n wax
ter they came into Virginia, ar ..,. a.
ald or assistance in any form. ''s''
Ii Is true that after their cgrtur. >,
leader Brown stated that he hal ,,,'r '..'
expect such assistance, and had l.,,, .gI.. -
pointed. But this is FULLY dl>er.i,,.I
the following facts: First. ThA, he h,inE
disputed possession of the town tron .I.
midnight on Sunday until after mid .,,r '1'
Monday, when the people Of the aJ;Gn,."
country, learning the state 81 ,A,u,,,
together in armed bands AMI m.,J.
scent upon the town. Second Tina, jn.,,
this period they sezed and held N ,,,,,.t.a
besides the slaves Of Mr. Washington ani
Mr.. Alls,odt. taken in the nrisLL.r,' -'1
some five or six OTHER slaves bel n.,,,,. :.
residents ut liarpcr's Ferry. ana tsnI !,
the streets. IL Is stated that they ruf ,,,.,.r.
or lances IN the hands oi two or tIrr. - IL.
negroes and compelled them {. stand in -,
character OF sentlnels at the door u ,heen,,;n.
house occupied Ivy the incendiarr, Inn .1tb.
first assault made BY the citizen, Tie ,I.,..
threw away their pixies aud escaped Ia tbe,r
homes tor refuge. Third, They had IN r,,,.
! tinement in addition, some thirty ar t-,t,
other persons, who were tound unarmei i,
the streets in the early hours Of the m,nir,
but no adherent or SympatlliHer turned n,
amongst them. In addition t. all L,i,, ntr.r
careful inquiry ard investigation ~. the ,nt
| could not learn that any mlu II any ,n,y
/ (Save one. hereafter to b. noticed wa, cyan
suspected of being in any way accessory or
| privy to the plot. The exception was If +,
man named Cook, who came b. Iiarper, Fer
| ~ u year or two since in the character AZ
school-master. married there. aud who. After
the event, 1t appeared, WAS an emSSary Of
Browns, and had been associated with HIM
in Kansas. Cook impaired the plan, Of
Brown to none in Virginia. so tar "A, i.
| known; or, If he did, il IL certain that uone
acted on them. lie accompanied the party
to Mr.. Washington's which seized him and
his negroes and brought them Oh IN the
night, but none OF the latter cyinccd any
purpose TO follow his fortunes. On the con
trary, those that he carried on the same night
into Marlaud escaped from him there and
! returned.
think am warranted, on the FOREGOING
facts, that no engagements or promises 81 arl
from any, OF any race, We're giyc,t 10 Brown
inviting his descent. On the part Of the ne
groes, it is certain that the only emotion
evinced by them was of alarm and terror.
and their only refuge sought at their masters
homes.
Of the conspiracy, outside Of this STATE.
enough has transpircd, or been obtained from
papers taken with Browns effects H. show
that he acted from impressions made upon
HIM by abolition tracts, newspapers. and ur-
ators in the circles he ircqucntcd IN the
non -slayeholdlng States. Those impression.
were that it required only to PIT arms with.
i'll immediate reach to bring about immeii.
ate insurrection in the slayeholding States
doctrine openly inculcated, as is known.
by the abolition leaders. Thus impressed.
he embarked on this desperate enterprise
with but nineteen men, but he had arms anil
weapons secreted in the mountains AMI
thinly populated country on the Maryland
side Of the river, and within four or Two
miles Of the Virginia line ut llarper's Ferry,
with abundant ammunition. Ia haze placed
an effective weapon III the hand, of each Of
at least fifteen hundred or two thousand men.
N m IA If ma ,.,u or h..
ascertained. Is they were carried otf IN great
numbers when first discovered or brought IN,
by the citizens. AMI companies Of volunteers
who came from distance. and before l.s
session of them was taken by the regular
military authorities. Amongst them were
ow Thousand pixies or lanes. composed .!
steel blade sharpened at the point and a!
both edges. some six OF eight inches long,
and tapering from an inch or inch and n halt
t. the point, strongly and securely fixed on
uniform wooden handles. five or six lcrt 10
length most effective arm for hands m
skilled III military weapons leaving no
doubt for whom they We're destined.
The whole military equipment possessed
by Brown and seiaed after his capture. could
not have cost less than ten thousand dollar.
consisting, amongst other things ii soma
twohundrcd Sharpe, rifles, with Iikruum
Der Of inshooter pistols continued N n"
manufacturers boreS and Mt yet used,
propSrtionate supply Of fixed ammunition
for the rifles. with caps &c., III the Original
boxes; hospital stores, pick-axes and -h"sel'.
unstained with use, and larg" box contain
ing ten kegs Of powder.
4 grave inquiry remains, which vii he i"'
igently and, | trust, successful prosecuted, T.
ascertain whence the funds wery derived ~
this military expedition OF OUTLAWS agan'!
a State Of the Union, and who they were
aiding with money 70 furnish arm' 10 .nrA
leader Tor such purpose.
IL remains only 10 add, that. - Isr a
can be discovered, not one of the nineteen -.
capped. could not correctly ascertain tht
number killed ten or eleven Il y
known were killed were shot ~ a
tempting 10 escape across the rI'r, AMI
their bodies not recovered; FIVE only w'''
captured alive, amongst them their leader
Brown; two OF the five are negroes; one :
mulatto, reports that he came from unl'
b join this expedition; I'll" other, black,
says that he came from Harrisburg Pa, WIN
the like purpose, both allege that they "er'
deceived by Brown n to the Objects d u'
expedition.
Not a slave escaped ar attempted "-'ary
during the tumult OF the icw carried 81
by Cook across the river AL ESCAPED from 1tm
and came safely back but one, who, u ~
pears. was drowned whilst crossing 10" F!'c'
homeward bound. Very respectfully r."''