Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-02-01
REPORT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE LEG
STATURE, on THE HARPER's FERRY 0UTRA-


STATURE, ON THE HARPER's FERRY OUTRA-
GES.
The Joint committee of the two houses Of the General
Assembly of Virginia 20 whom was referred 30 much oil
the Governors message relates to the recent ouaSeS
committed at Harpers Ferry and ITS vicinity nave n"u
the same under consideration and submit the ioHo"ins
REPORT:
In the night Of the 10th ofOCober last band oil armed
couspirator from the Northern States IN iuiment oil
design which had been long entertained aud deloeratey
matured made incursOn into the State oil Virginia,
at Harper Ferry for the purpose OF melting our slaves
TO usurrecton, of placing arms IN their hands oil us
them in plundcrng the property OF Their masters oil muir
dering them and their families, and OF oYerthroWng the
Government Of the Commonwealth.
The number Of persons directly concerned IN TINS ne
arous conspiracy cannot be accurately asceraned oe
cause many of them escaped and fed TO the Northern
States and the British Provinces Their plan seems 10
have been conceived two years ago, and John brown
leader of the party, and his more active coneder"te
have been cautiously engaged for that length OIL the IN
procuring information by means OF secret emSsares cot
lecting money recruiting men, and obtaining supplies OF
arms and ammunition TO be used in the accomplishment
of their fendish purposes.
To give greater dignity and Importance 10 their move
meus the conspraOr met together at Ohatha III Jan
ada West in May, 1855 and formed what purpored to
Do constitution for provisional government which was
10 be substituted tor the fundamental law oil rgna "hen
Dc should have been subverted Under TINS instrument II
appears that W. g. Muuroe, free negro, was erected
President A. NJ Chapman, Vice PRESIDENT Jonh brown
COmmaudcr-in-Chei Richard Reut, Secretary OF SAFE
g. H. Kag Secretary Of War, Geo. b. Gill; Secretary OF
tdg Treasury; Owen Brown Treasurer, and NJ h. Della
uv Corresponding Secretary. Subordinate mltary ON
cers were appointed under the authority oil TINS alleged
constitution all Of whom were required 10 take oahs to
su7p1rtit
Having thus perfected their arrangements, Brown and
his associates established secret military rendezvous IA
Washington county, in the State OF MARYLAND, Shor.
distance from Harpers Ferry To TIN, polut they caused
90 bee conveyed 200 Shapes rifles wmth had been Iur-
uhed TO Brown bv the emCraut aid society OF AaSSi-
chu,ets to accomplish his bloody purposes in Kansas,
about the same number of revolver pistols with large
quantities of ammunition and clothing, aud 1900 pixies,
which had been manufactured 10 ms order 10y Charles
Blair of Colusvie Connecticut. These pixies are very
formidable weapons and peculiarly adapted for the use
of th, slave population who are unSkled in the manage
meut of firearms The heads are about fifteen inches
u length with sharp edges, and the handles are longer
hsu che ordinary musket with view 70 give those who
employ them au advantage IN hand 10 hand contest,
ai % troop, armed with the muSket and bayonet
Early iu October John z. Cooke one OF the conspira-
t1-. was duaichgd under false prcteuses into the iue
-or OF tine county of Jefferson, 10 ascertain the number
of ah-poded slaves In particular ueghborhOodS and TO
.. her l,n0Sitiuu towards their masters And Brown
.euovedgej that he himself had also visited different
parts OF the State tor similar purposes.
The town of Harpcr's Ferry, situated on the South
bank OF the Potomac in the county Of Jefferson is the
scat of an extensive amory of the United States and for
ui tIry guard
When every thing seemed ripe for the execution of
her scheme between 10 aud IL O'Clock OF Sunday night
the 10th Of October band of the cousprators, in num-
Der about p advanced >Jeahily the town. and find
M that the inhabitants had generally retired to sleep
0os possession of the armory, containing about 10000
stand of arms of different kinds.
Parties were then sent into the neighborhood who
broke into the dwellings OF unsuspectug citizens seized
them u their beds and carried them aud their slaves
capves Harper Ferry where they were held in close
custody
Al DAYLIGHT it was discovered that the armory was in
the possession Of body Of armed men, whose number
and purposes being alike unknown, panic very natural
is spread over the town aud yIcuage. The extreme au
ilerv of the act tended 20 increase the apprehension
which filed the public mind for no one supposed that
50 small a number were actually present would have
yeu.ured on such a demonstration unless they were as
-ur.i of assistance from quarter. The peculiar
character Of the population OF the town added 10 the
feeling Of distrus I'm other towns, having fixed pop
ua-i0u bound 20 each other by ties OF kindred social
,yrnplhy and common interests every feels that he
NAV safely RELY his ueighbcr for assistance in the de-
fence of his family and Preside but IN a community Ike
chat o. Harpcrs Ferry, where many mere tempo
-rv So0urers the OF security which springs from
mu.la, trls, and confidence is greatly diminished.
Early 90 the morning some ,kirmishug began between
the gzcus aud the bandits and several were killed and
wounded on boti sides Pressed 40 all points, the CON
,urlor were drvca 20 seek refuge in the armory
ana eucuchouSe. Tie lrmory from lbs structure amt
the number OF its windows, was much more exposed 90
,,t,.t tb,r tho cr.inr.honsa and those who sought
shelter u t Wysc promptly di-olgcd aud in the attempt
. s.,,. ,.r,.s ti, river were either killed or wound
"a .,I i-,..l Tbc.,ir the .r,ir,.boB.e wore s,ir-
.,.r.l,I and held I'm Close. s.ie.
iu d, f.y, La..- ,.-,l- H-., tte ',e,.l--L--i --''
.H,i BOO sJ..i. numbers 90 storm the engine mousse
w as many gjJz.u- of the county were held prisoners
. u th- citizen soldiers h,suiyd TO commence an as-
.u't which might eu1Iugrr the lives OF thelr friends
Thus matters stood un-l night, when body of ma
-.n., from Washington arrived under The command OF
.u' Robert f.. Lee. II was deemed advisable 10y ina.
.u and cons. ierlte officer 10 defer Tie attack until
DAYLIGHT Accordingly, aJ au hour of the morning OF
.e IS.I party otmaraes detailed for that service un,
.lr -ae immediate command OF Lieut. Green, >tormed
the cu.ucdoge and released the csptyes All the CON
-rators were either kilIed or taken prisoners, The
prisoners. among wlem was the notorious john brown,
e.c handed over to the civil authorizes for trial and
punishment
ul the marines engaged IN the assault one was killed
and another wounded
Uu-ir. the diminishing OF the preceding day four OF
tH. citizens o. Virginia were killed and ten wounded
Among the iu-mer "ege several gentlemen Of eminent
moral aud social worth
The names Of the prisoners were Brown, Stephens,
Coppoc Copeland and Green OF whom the two last
named were negroes All these eNee stephens whose
t was postponed, have been tried, convicted and exc
cufci.
During the frs. night OF the attIco aud before the
lens, ui e town were appraised of tine danger, band
Of t e7asf'rl'ors, among whom were tooN ANA ldHe''
y".. sent tc re rendezvous 1 Maryland, "Iih wagons
u Teams and several. slaves whom they had pressed I'M
tr-arier to bring of ,'a rides pistols and pixies "h.a
l b'e1 collected 300 tadi point hHi when i1y' re'eN-
rl .umauUu of tHe condition oil their confederate ~
Harper Ferry they abandoned Their purpose, aut "'I
to tae mountains and made their escape The slaves
t.'ui themselves ui te first opportunity 10 return 90
OIL .-r.fsr- and Cd bod. u trluu- semi tlr fllf purpose