The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-09-25

Born of the hottest love and trust.
Let your loves measure be empty, or heap j..
It is all or nothing between us two;
Give me the whole OF your heart or keep it
Tout on Rien-Rien on Tout.
AFAuOUS FIGHT.
John Browns Struggle ut Harper
Ferry.
John Eston Cooke Whites In the Phila.
delphia Times: What followed after the
retreat OF John Brown and his men to the
engine house is known, but some particu.
lars relating to the occurrence, given me
by Gen. j. E. B. Stuart, who was prom
inent actor in the affair. may prove Of inter-
est. Gen. Stuart-then Lieutenant Stu
art of the United States cavalry-happen-
ed to be at the time ON visit to his family
Ia Virginia, and had run over to Washing
ton, where he heard of the attack on Har-
per's Ferry and was greatly excited by 1t.
The departments were all In commotion
and the employees declared that they
were going str tight to Virginia to look af-
ter their wives and children" Thinking,
however, as he told me, that the best
way to defend his wife and children was
to go to Harper's Ferry" Stuart hurried
the secretary OF war Governor Floyd
was In consultation with the president.
He was admitted and found President
Buchanan, Secretary Floy d, and Gen. Il.
E. Lee-at that time colonel OF cavalry
and on visit, like Stuart, to his family
engaged In discussing what course to fol-
low In reference to the raiders. There
was, of course, no dIfferenc OF opinion In
regard to the necessity OF putting down
SO audaciOus an attack on the United
States arsenal. The question was how to
treat the raiders; whether to summons
them TO Gisperse or exterminate them.
President Buchanan advocated prudence
and circumspection and said to Lee: You
will take the command OF the marines,
colonel, and proceed at once to Harper's
Ferry; but act pru1ently, colonel" Lee
bowed and left the room, the secretary
following and urging upon him In terms
more emphatic and characterize by off
cial" ceremony, TO crush the raiders at
once, and Lieutenant Stuart, having OBJ
tanned permiss ion to go with the detach.
ment Of troops, set out at once with them
by rail for Harper's Ferry.
Colonel Lee and the marines, who were
about eighty In number, reached Harper's
Ferry during the hight OF the 18th. where
John Brown and his party were shut up
with their prisoners in the engine house.
This was a small building Just large
enough to contain an ordinary fire engine
or two, and had folding doors and loop
holes about the width OF one brick on each
side Of the door to admit air. To this
Brown had retreated with such Of his party
as remained and his piisOners-COlOnel
Washington and others. His force was
now reduced to a very few whites and
some negroes from the neighborhood.
The rest were killed or wounded, with the
exception of those sent out into the cOun-
try who were afraid to return. During
the long hours OF the night while thus shut
up In the engine house, Brown exhibited,
according to the testimony Of the
prisoners afterwards, no apprehension
whatever. His situation was desperate,
and he must have felt that there was little
probability that he would ever leave the
engine house alive, but he nevertheless
remained unmoved. One OF his Sons
had been wounded, and, with his rifle In
one hand. Brown felt the young mans
pulse with the other, from time to time
giving his orders with great calmness to
the rest and telling them that as there
was not much hope for them, the best
thing they could do would be to sell their
lives as dearly as possible. The darkness
must have made the scene gloomy and
calculated to try the nerves OF the prison.
ers who were In the back part oil the en-
CINE house. They had every reason to
suspect that they would either be put to
death by the raiders or be shot by their
friends when the place was attacked, as 1t
certainly would be, and Colonel Washing
ton afterwards said that, having no other
arms, he had opened a penknife which he
had concealed about him, resolved to
spring upon Brown at the first moment
possible and stab him with the weapon.
There was one other occupant Of the en-
CINE house, bull dog, which had been
brought In by some OF the raiders, prob
ably, and now added to the threatening
state Of things by his growls.
Colonel Lee. having arrived, took COM
mand Of the place, and posting his force
Of marines near the engine house, which
stood and still stands just within the gate
opening on the grounds, prepared to at
tack the raiders In their improvised fort.
Owing to a natural confusion and the alb
sence OF thorough organic alton, the militia,
who had fastened In from the neighboring
counties, had not made a regular assault.
It was about night when Brown took ref.
u9e In the engine house, and while the
officers OF the militia were consulting upon
the best means Of attacking the place,
Col. Lee, with the United States troops,
made his apps arance and assumed the
direction OF everything About sunrise
which takes place at this season of the
year little after o'clock-the marines
were ready to attack the engine house.
but Colonel lie first. in accordance with
his orders, sent Brown a summons to sur
render. This summons was carried by
~ hn 10 t.
appearance as prominent actor In what
may be called the first scene Of the first
act Of the civil war, where he filed great
space In the public eve as commander Of
Gener Il Lees cavalry. Stuart walked
toward the engine house waving a white
handkerchief, and when he reached the
door, called out that he wished to speak
with Captain Smith,"
This was the name assumed by Brown
when he reached the farm house in Mary.
land as q rendezvous for his party and the
only name by which he was known up to
this moment. In response TO Stuartis call,
one Of the folding doors Of the engine
house was partially opened and Browns
face and part OF his figure appeared in the
opening. He held q carbine In one hand,
and the bulldog mentioned above pushed
his muzzle through the open space and
growled at the intruder. Across the doors
within was stretched a strong rope, no
doubt intended to protect the doors from
being battered ina better protection
than an ordini ~ bar. as il would yield but
not give way.
As soon as Stuart saw Brown he recog.
pized him. They had either been &C.
quainted or Stuart had seen him in the
West, where he was well known "a .Osa-
Wnfomie Rrovn frpnn tho r,,soiuta stand
he had made at that place about three