The register., 1860-04-19
New Revelations About John Il
-utra,.. BrOvHM. p, fssis.f vi

A correspondent Of the Richmond Enquirer,
writing ftom 1Farper's Ferry, Expresses tue p,
pinion that tho true character Of the late inya-,
sion or foray Of John Brown is very impcrfect-
ly understood, even IN Virginia, where II os-,
Cured, and furnishes some curious Information,
in addition to what has already bccu made
public. This information, elicltcd partly du-'
ring the late trials Of Stevens aud llazlctt,
antl partly by -useNne Of otaer .iaveetig~
tious, leads to tho belief that the preparations
Thrown wcrc on much larger scale than
has been generally supposed amll the nuuiberi
Of his associates ,n0cl. greater. Tho apparent
folly and hopeless absur,ltty cf tue enterprise.
as attcmpted BY him, hNve all alonG b0cn ditt.i
cult TO reconcile with the shrcw,mess and in
tclligcnce which 10 manifested III other rcs-
poets, aud with the skill anu prn'lehce exhibit
cd by him during bis mischievous career in
Kansas. .
This difficulty can only be removed by sup
posing that Browns expectations were found
cd upon much broadIr basis Of Operations
than the little cbundlUl Of adhcrcats captured
with him in the arsenal at Harpcr's Ferry
would indicate, and tho writer iW tho "Entmir.
cr' gives several strong evidences In o0ntru,a:,
tion Of this belief Brown stated to one Of his
prisoncts-a gentleman OF great intelligence
aud perfectly cool and relablc-thAt lie would'
be reinforced in the course Of the day Ivy At
least 1900 men. Coppce MISC remarked, III thu
presence Of several Of tho captured cltiscns,q
thNt, although assistance hud been sent for
from Charlcstown, yet that they tho ihva,letsy
would be sufficiently reinforced 10 meet 'it, be-
fore It's arrivnl. It IL In evidence also, that
when u body Of armed men was FIRST seen on
the Maryland sldc OF the Potomac, coming
down tho tow-path Of tho canal there was "
consultation and dtiitrcnce Of opinion be-
tween Brown anil Stevens ns TO whether II was
II party of their own friends or not. Stevens
was sent out to ascertain, and 1t was then that
he was shot. ..iIra ...aul,l.r.,,p t.,,. e,f
The writer thus explains why Y harpcnsl
that these expectations Of tho marau,lcr werS
disNrpointed:l. Da n. p,.a .e.t,ea.u, fr,a
The question here may naturally he asked,
why did not these expected rciniorccnlehla
rcuch Brown, md what bcca,nc OF the men
suppos, d to he assembled; or, according to tho
plai, intended 10 have been assrmblcl in tho
vicinity of lIarpcr's Ferry? Tho first query
nuy be well answered by the f,ct, TINT the j0-
dlcioms movement OF two purtics Of onr eoln0-
tecrs and armed citizens, making together y
considerable body Of men ON the Maryland silo
Of the river, and ,hc occupation Of the Pnto-
mac bridge about thu middle Of the day, mn
ticlnatel nn,i ovcrnwcl the concerted tSndrg-
vous Mt the sehoOlthouac, where Tho arms weyb
placed as hctorc stated; and, Ms W the second,
u knowledge Of the locality, At the western
base Of the uninlnbltd Blue Ridge mountains.
will readily explain how n large number OF
men. approaching singly or In small squads,
from different quarters, Conl, have lurktd
there during the aitcr part Of the ,'ny, whe,'
the daring attempt had become horcless;. and,
during the night following, scattered and res
sumcd the character of harmless and uno!lrnt-
ing citizens.
In tacl, several guns. 6lAlikcts, and other inat-
cations of such An occupation Of the mountain
rcccsscs were afterwards found there
From all tho circumstances brought TO Hight
since the transaction, II is therefore concluded
that sold Brown" was neither n fool nor u
malman IA regarded the preparations mnde
for the execution Of his wicked design. lftho
writer Is correct, the n,',ir was not 80 ins'gnIs-
cant as II hns been supposed to have been. anti
Wise was not so unnecessarily fl,ssy about 1t
| after all ''