Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-03-01
Secret History of the John Brown Raid
on Harper's Ferry.
Iron Tic potroit Pos.. Feb. Z

Brown and five Of his men came
TO Detroit with fourteen slaves from
Missouri in the summer Of 1855
One of the slaves gave birth to a
male child on the way. The boy
was named John Brown. and now
lives in Windsor. By strange CO.
incidence, Fred Douglas happened
to be lecturing in that 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 Con-
gross street, near Antoine street, and
arranged the plan for the raid on the
South, which broke out prematurely
at Harper's Ferry. Mr.. Webb was
for years manager of the plug to-
bacco factory on Jefferson avenue,
and was highly respected man. He
is now dead. The leading coIored
people of Detroit and Chatham were
also present at the meeting. Doug
lass objected to Browns plan, which
originally was to make raids on sin
gle plantations until he had collected
force of about 1000 slaves, and
then swoop down on the large towns
and cities, collecting force and ma
terial as he progressed. Brown grew
wrathy and asked Douglass if he was
coward, and referred to his sue
cesses in Kansas as an augury of the
Virginia campaign. Douglass re-
piled that he was not q coward, and
would give material aid to the plan
if he did not approve of it, or did
not 60 himself. George de Babtiste
also disapproved of the plan, but
proposed gunpowder plot, by which
some fifteen of the largest churches
in the South would be blown up on
fixed Sunday. Brown objected to
the plan on the score of humanity,
asserting that by this plan not hun
dred lives would be lost; his inten-
ton being not to shed blood unless
1t was necessary. De Baptiste still
urged radical measures, declaring
that Browns plan would fail, and
perhaps cause the loss Of 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 insurreetion, in 1881
by which fifty-three white lives were
lost, had had the effect of causing
the next Virginia Legislature to
consider bill tor the gradual eman-
cipation of the slaves, which bill was
lost by only two votes.
Ossawatomie's counsel finally pre-
vailed, and the only favor, besides
money and advice, that he asked of
his Detroit friends was to furnish
him one man, which they did-a
Chathamite. The news Of the dis
turbance OF Harper's Ferry, which
took the nation with so much sur
prise, was perfectly we'll understood
by the colored people of that city.
They were anticipating the event.
since one Foster had divulged the |
plans of Brown, who in consequence
was obliged either to abandon his
enterprise or preeipitate matters,
even if 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 pub
lished. 1t may be only necessary to
add that subsequent to the meeting
at Webb's on Congress street.
meeting was held in Chatham, at
which the "cap sheaf" was put on the
plan. Now that the negroes are
equal, politically before the law, they
have no fear in letting their connec-
ton with the affair known. They
glory in it.