The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-11-29
A FLAG OF TRUCE.

AFLAG OF TRUCE.
About noon Brown, acting ON the
suggestion Of one Of his prisoners, "A.
NJ. Kitzmiller, sent Stevens and fel.
low.raider, under a flag Of truce, ac'
companied by Kitzmiller and Reson
Gross, another prisoner, to hold par
ley with Captain Moore, who held the
railroad bridge, with a view Of being
allowed to vacate the place with his
men. As the party neared the Gault
House, which faced the gate Of the
armory yard, a party Of citizens CON
concealed in the building opened fire
on the two raiders. Stevens fell with
six balls in his person, and was car
ried by Kitzmiller and Cross into the
Railroad Hotel, where his wounds we're
dressed. The other raider contrived,
though also badly wounded, TO make
his way through shower Of bullets
back to the armory. Shortly ailer
this Mr.. George Turner, highly re.
spected gentlemen Of high social stand
ing and Of great influence, in attempt
ing to get a shot at the invaders, him.
self received bullet which instantly
caused death. He was the third citi-
zen killed by the raiders. Brown now
clearly saw that his case was utterly
hopeless. Companies of militia had
arrived front harlestown and Martins
burg, and the lines were being drawn
tightly around him. Determined, how.
ever, to fight to the end, he called
from the streets few surviving mem,
bers of his party, and taking nine Of
his most prominent prisoners as hosta'
ges, he retreated to small brick bull.
ding within the armory inclosure and
near the gate, known as the "engine
house The rest of his prisoners he
secured in the armory building, from
which they were rescued bya charge
front and rear Ivy the combined forces
of Charlestown and Martinsburg mill
tia, assisted by the citizens, and in
which charges eight Of the troops were
wounded by sharp fire from the en-
CINE house, in the walls of whichBrown
had cut loop holes, and the doors OF
which were barricaded and otherwise
made ready for vigorous defense.
BEATING A RETREAT.
AT the time Brown retreated to the
the engine house two of his followers,
Hazlett and Lehman, made an attempt
to escape from the town. The former
succeeded in reaching Pennsylvania, but
was subsequently captured and return
ed to the authorities Of the State Of
Virginia, tried convicted and hanged.
The latter was discovered while wa
ding the Potomac and . sharp fire was
opened on him, by which he was
wounded, when he lay down upon a
rock in the river and signaled his de-
sire to surrender. A citizen of Mar.
tinsburg waded through the water and
deliberately shot him dead. Lehman
was quite young man of proposes
ing appearance, and the conduct of
the party who shot hi@I Twas severely
commented on by many who properly
characterized it as murder. His body
lay upon the rock where he fell for
several days. About this time, also,
an old and valued eitisencfthe town,
Fountain Beckham, was shot and kill.
I'd by the raiders. He was a man of
extremely nervous temperament, and
the occurrences of the day naturally
had greatly excited him, He foolish,
ly exposed himself to the fire of the
invaders, and fell shot through the
heart. As he was a gentleman well
known and much beloved, his death
50 exasperated the people that party
at once rushed into the hotel where
Thompson, the raider who had been
captured on the bridge, was confined,
and but for the interposition of a lady
would have at once killed him. They,
however, dragged him to the bridge,
where he was riddled with bullets. He
dropped from the bridge to the river
below, distance of about thirty feet,
and still showing signs of vitality, was
made the target Of hundred bullets.
He lay upon the bottom of the river
for several days,his CHASTITY face clear.
ly showing through the calm waters
above him.
N'b"' nv" Put "h Vhu W thc pfO-
eeedings of the day. The excitement,
however, in no wise abated, and, in
deed, was augmented by the report
that large body of armed "AbOli-
tionists" were approaching the town.
Troops continued to pour in fromWin-
chester, Frederick City, Baltimore aud
other places, until more than fifteen
hundred militia surrounded Browns
party, now reduced to but eight I'M
wounded men. Guards were station.
ed at all points, and every precautiOn
taken to prevent surprise or the es-
cape of Brown. He remained calm