The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-28
BEFORE THE WAR.
Secret History of the John Brown Raid on
Harper's Ferry.

Secret History. of the John Brown Raid
Harper's Ferry.
John Brown and five of his men arrived in
Detroit with fourteen slaves from Missouri,
in the summer of 1858. One of the slaves
gave birth to male child on the way. The
boy was named j. Brown, and now lives in
Windsor. By strange coincidence, Fred.
Douglass happened to be lecturing in this
city the same evening that Brown arrived.
After the lecture, the leaders of the insur-
rectionary movement got together in the house
of VIM. Webb, on Congress street, near Antoine
street, and arraigned the plan for the raid on
the South, which broke out prematurely
at Harpers Ferry. Mr.. Webb was for years
manager of the tobacco factory on Jefferson
avenue, and was a highly respected man. He
is now dead. The leading colored people of
Detroit and Chatham were also present at the
meeting. Douglass objected to Browns plan,
which originally was to make raids on single
plantations until he had collected force of
about 1000 slaves, and then swoop down on
the large towns and cities, collecting force
and material as he progressed. Brown grew
wratby, and asked Douglass if he was a
coward, and referred to his success in Kansas
as an augury of the Virginia campaign. Mr..
Douglass replied that he was not coward,
and would give material aid to the
plan if he did not approve
of it, or did not go himself. George
de Baptiste also disapproved of the plan, but
proposed a gunpowder plot, in which some
fifteen of the largest churches in the South
would be blown up on a fixed Sunday.
Brown objected to the plan on the score of
humanity, asserting by his plans not hun
dred lives would be lost, his intention being
not to shed blood unless it became absolutely
necessary. De Baptiste still urged radical
measures, declaring that Browns plan would
| fail, and perhaps cause the loss of a million
| of lives before the troubles likely to ensue
would be ended. He cited in support of his
position the fact that the Nat Turner insur-
rection, in 1884, by which fifty-three white
| lives were lost, had had the effect of causing
| the next Virginia Legislature to consider a
bill for the gradual emancipation of the slaves,
| which bill was lost by only two votes
Ossawatomie's counsel finally prevailed,
! and the only favor, besides money and ad-
vice, that he asked of his Detroit friends, was
| to furnish him one man, which they did-a
Chathamite. The news of the disturbance at
Harpers Ferry, which took the nation with SO
much surprise, was perfectly well understood
by the colored people of this city. They
were anticipating the event, since one Foster
had divulged in Washington the plans OF
| Brown, who, in consequence, was obliged
either to abandon his enterprise or precipitate
matters, even at fearful odds. He chose the
latter alternative.
The sequel is sufficiently well known.
These facts, however, have been kept with
sworn secrecy, until lately, by the colored
men of Detroit. The particulars have never
been published. 1t may be only necessary
to add that subsequent to the meeting al
Webb's house, on Congress street, meeting
was held in Chatham, at which the ''car
sheaf" was put in the plan. Now that th'
negroes are equal, politically, before the law
they have no fear in letting their connection
with this affair be known. They glory in it
| - Detroit Post