Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-07
Gen. h. 4. Lee and John Brown.

The following extract from II lIarpcrs
Ferry letter TO the Pittsburg Chronicle is be.
licycd 10 be in the main correct
1t was not known to me until Yesterday,
and may possibly be- unknown to YOU, that
/ Colonel Robert f. Lcc United States army
now Gen, Lee, Confederate forces, was one
oi the chief actors in the prologue TO the
tragic national drama, the different acts OF
which the whole country has been watching
with such exciting interest for the past three
years 1t is, nevertheless, the fact however
l.ct me tell you about it briefly, sold John
Brown had not only worked at the arsenal
at liarpcrs Ferry, but was intimately nc.
quanted with the details of the works, and
knew besides, what building among the
rulns ul somc may NOW remaining was the
strongest for defence
This was the engine house, and after ma.
king little raid to llalltown, and capturing
Col, Lewis Washington, among other slave
owners OF the Shenandoah valley, he moved
back to the ferry, and cnsconscd himsclfwth
his twenty followers in this engine house
The alarm throughout llarpcrs Ferry that
night was terrible, and during the whole of
the livc-long day Brown held his position,
and having made port holes through the
brick walls, shot several citizens who had
the temcrty to show themselves about the
building. The lookerS-on were terror strick-
en-, and the two thousand Virginia militia.
men, with their captains, colonies, and gen
erals who had assembled in the vicinity of
John Browns stronghold, not Knowing the
force that he really had, were completely
pnpIluss,l aud ,.n;t,l a.
government troops from Washington who
had been sent for.
BY 3 clock the following morning sixty
marines, under the immediate command Of
Lieut.. Green, but directly by Col Robert +.
Lee reached t-lc ferry by cars from the
capital Col. Lee ordered his detail to stand
under arms in the public street until sunrise,
when he conducted the mcn he himself
leading them, to the front Of the building
fortified and occupied by Brown The
lockers on viewed this soldicrly movement
with astonshment and awe, expecting to
see Col. Lee shot down as others had been.
But not shot was fired. Lieut.. Green was
ordered to demand asurrondcr. He knocked
at the door of the engine house. John /.
Brown asked, "Who goes thorcY Lieut.. .
'Iccll' lnllVu NlalcS Marines, VINO, DN au- /.
thorty of Col. Lee, demands an immediate
surrender u refuse il, said Brown, "un-
less !, with my men, are allowed 10 cross
tho bridge into Maryland, unmolcstcd after
which you can take Us prisoners if You can
He refused 10 allow, this and ,nrlnrnd /
l1eut brccn 10 renew hlS demand Tor an
immediate and unconditional surrender
John Brown refused these terms, and ten of
themarincs, who had got tremendous sedgc
hammers from the works, began battcring
at the door Of the engine house. The
engine had been moved against the door,
and it would not yield. "Tcn of You"
said Lee, "takc that ladder and break /
down the door Five on each side,
the soldiers drove the ladder against
the door, and at the third stroke it yielded
and fell back. Col. Lee and the marines
jumped in--onc man John Brown shot
through the heart-and then was overpow-
cred and surrendered. Col. Washington,
with the other citizens. was released, and
John Brown handed over to the civil au-
thyrtcS, after which Col. Lee took the
train to Washington again.
And such is the historical episode which 7
] listened to last night from Il citizen who
was himself Il witness Of it.