New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-28

generally VIII rejoice tnat tnc Nun OF NO
vember proved so clearly that, in what should
have been campaign of high principle, cal
umny did not pay.
john Brown in Kansas.
An Incident Illustrative of Browns Char
acter.
An article in the Kansas Magazine contains
he following
Some time in the summer of 1850, John
Brown was conducting band Of negro fugi-
tives from Missouri, through Kansas and Ne
braska, into Iowa, or to some other point to-
ward the north star. BY some means not
now recollected, the information was con-
veyed to the city of Atchison that Brown and
his escort were encamped on a small tribu-
tary Of the Grasshopper river, in Jackson
county, about twenty miles from AtchisOn.
Some Of tho pro-slavers, as Montgomery
used to call them, thought this a favorable
opportunity to strike a blow for the cause.
An impromptu meeting was held rather
quietly, and about dozen of the young
braves who were known to be "sound on the
goose" and who were always "ready for a
fight or foot race" were selected to make
raid on John Brown, capture him and his
negroes, and convey them back to Missouri.
Horses and revolvers were furnished by those
doubtable warriors marched forth sin all the
pomp and circumstance Of glorious war;"
The noble bearing of these gallant knights,
the curveting Of their fiery steeds, the tinklng
of the little bells on their heels were all cal
culated to inspire pride and hope in the boz
SONS Of the friends who had sent them forth
on this expedition.
Tho old proverb, that "you can't catch a
weasel asleep" was verified in this instance.
Brown was appraised of their approach, and
was ready to receive this warlike demonstra-
ton. The assailants had made reconnois-
sance of Browns camp, and thereupon had
resolved to attack with both cavalry and in
fantry, so number had dismounted and fas-
tened their horses to contiguous saplings,
just inside Of Browns pickets. The cavalry
were to move forward and attack the tent
and wagons, where it was supposed, as no
asleep, capture all they could, while the in
fantry stood ready to shoot down any fugi-
tives who might endeavor to escape. "For-
ward" shouted the leader of the horse, and
a slight movement forward was made.
"Halt!" said Browns men as they arose
from the bush where they had been concealed
and closing in upon their assailants, shouted
aloud, "Dsmount and throw down your arms
or you will be shot down in a moment
This sudden and unexpected change in the
programme seemed for moment to bewildel
The assailants, and to throw them into a
panic, for the order to ground their arms was
instantly Obeyed by tho infantry, when the
cavalry realizing the condition of things, be.
gan to think, like Falstaff, that discretion
was the better part of valor," and applying
their spurs energetically to their steeds
turned and fled ingloriously, leaving theil
fri da 10 Os,{ Of no hacf fho1
could. These latter wero all but one taken
prisoners by Browns party. This one see
ing the black soldiers about to surround him
and finding that he was in peril of being de-
serted by his friends, made a spring at the
extremity of one OF the flying horses, and &C
tually seized the appendage aforesaid, ant
there he chung, like Tam O'Shanter's witch
and 80 escaped.
Soon after this disastrous and bloodless
defeat of the assaulting party, Brown, Sc
curing his prisoners, struck his tents ant
moved into Nebraska, carrying his prisoner:
with him. Here council of war was held
and some Of tho party were for shooting o.
hanging tho prisoners but Brown, whose
philanthropic feelings would not permit hin
to shed human blood, prevailed on his com
rades to spare their lives, remarkng that
although they were scarcely fit to live, tina
they were not fit to die, and to spare thei
lives they would have time to repent here
after. One Of the party captured was youn!
physician from Atchison, a wild, rafting
devil-may-care kind of a fellow, always read
for an adventure that promised either eX
citement or sport, but who really had moth
I ing very bad in his composition. Brown tool
him under his especial care. AS has beer
hinted heretofore, Brown was of religious
| turn, and, whether at his home or encampet
| on the wide prairie, had always an altar ere
ated in his house or tent, at which it was re
CURED that all present must engage in wOr
ship. One evening when about to retire, HI
called upon the doctor to offer up a prayer
BY c." said the doctor, in Language
more profane than polite, 81 can't pray
Ibid your mother never teach you to pray p
but that was long time ago." But yo
| still remember the prayer she taught you.
said Brown, Eyes" "Well, in the absenc
Of any better one, say that" said Brown
and the doctor actually repeated, bcfOr
black and white of the camp that night, tn
very familiar nursery invocation Of Nov
| lay me down to Sleep" etc., to the grea
amusement of his fellw-prisoncrs and al
others present. On his return home he re
lated all the circumstances, and many other
| Of m interesting nature now forgotten. Ill
stated in his usual strong language that JOh
Brown vas the best man that he had eve
known, and knew more about religion thai
any one he had ever seen. When asked
Brown had ever used them badly, or used an
harsh language toward them while they wer
with him, he said " No ;" that they were a
treated like gentlemen had the same far
as the others, but it did go a little hard an
against the grain to eat with and be guarde
bY " the d niggers.O
/ After OBTAINING his prisoners for sewers
days, during which he taught them som
lessons in morals, he was about to send thei
home on foot and detain their horses q
articles contraband of war, but on the fac
being made known that the animals upo
which they had ridden were not their owl
but belonged to other parties in Atchisol
Brown gave them their horses and dismisse
them with the sage admonition that the
should never undertake to do anything unit
they first learned how to do it, and never tt
to perform an action without calculating IL
exact amount Of opposition to be overcom
BY the publication of interviews th