The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-31

would be undertaken ON a small scale, or
without being supported by thousands, in
men and money. The governors of Virginia
and Maryland, as also. the Federal author
ties, acted with unusual prOmptitude. The
wires were instantly employed ID ordering
volunteer soldiery from all the adjacent
towns to concentrate at Harpers Ferry;
Lieut.. Colonel Robert f. Lee, of the End
Cavalry, happening to be in the capital, was
despatched on a special locomotive to take
command Of the company of L. S. Marines
ordered West from Baltimore.
DEEDS OF THE OUTLAWS.
Return we to the Ferry. A little before
dawn, Lieut.. Cook marches in with a four
horse wagon load of negroes collected, as
before stated, from the plantations of Messrs:
Lewis Washington, Allstadt, Mills, and
others; who are also brought in as prisoners,
grounds. Old Ossawottomie greets them
pleasantly, and invites them to be seated at
his fire, as the morning is cool. Cook then
proceeds with his wagons to haul in the
cargo of guns and revolvers shipped to him
from New England, and concealed in an old
school house near the Ferry. This young
man, John f. Cook, is one of the
most intelligent of the Outlaws. He
is a brother-in-law Of Governor Will
lard, of Indiana, and is a graduate
of Yale. He came to Harper's Ferry
ostensibly to teach school, but really as a
| spy and, the better to perform his work,
married a young woman whose father and
brother worked in the Arsenal. He visited
contederates that the negroes were ripe for
revolt. Having several times enjoyed the
hospitality Of Col. Lewis Washington, he
mumbles an apology for dragging him from
bed at midnight, but does not forget to con-
| fscate his former hosts money, watch and
iewelry. Among other things taken is an
| old sword which had been presented by
Frederick, the Great, to George Washing
ton, a great-uncle of the prisoner. Brown
himself becomes enamOred with the historic
weapon, and carries it in his hand through
out the remainder of the tragic atfalr-lm-
a%gining himself a second Washington.
At dawn, the citizens of the town begin to
comprehend their condition. A workman
from the shops being halted attempts to run
and is shot by one of the outlaws. Mr..
Boerly, a merchant, witnessing the deed,
fires upon the latter; but missing his aim is
shot dead himself. Soon afterwards, Capt.
Geo. Turner, an ex-army officer, while en-
deavoring to ~reconoitre Browns position is
killed. The next victim Is Mr.. Fountain
Beckham, Mayor of the town, who is shot in
the back. These murders of prominent citi-
Zens greatly eXasperate the crowds that are
now assembling on all sides; and when two
of Browns men, named Stephens and
Thompson, apl ear at the arnory gate, they
are fired upon, and Stephens is slain.
Thompson is taken prisoner, and begs plte-
ously for his life, out some of the railway
men, filled with rage at the killing of Beck
ham, who was also a railroad man, put him
to death in a manner very discreditable to
themselves, though scarcely to be wondered
at under the circumstances.
About II A. NJ, a detachment o the
Charleston Guards attack a party of out
laws, in a brick building near the Shenan-
doah. The leader, who calls himself Cap
tain f. H. Leeman of Browns Provisional
Army" is slain while running towards the
river. Another man falls in the water, and
is swept over the dam. Four of the gang
crawl upon a rock in mid-river, and are fired
upon by fully 200 citizens and soldiers on
both banks, until all but one are slain.
Col. Shriver, with the Maryland military,
now holds the Potomac line, so that there is
no longer any chance of escape for Brown
and his followers. They nave barricaded
themselves within the strong walls of the
fire engine house, which is very difficult to
to the fire of a score of loop holes. Having
hundreds of rifles taken fro Ii the arsenal the
outlaws can keep up a terrific fusilade with
out pausing to reload.
About 3 p. NJ, a party oftwenty brave
railroad men make a dash and succeed in
battering through the door of the engine
house, killing one of Browns men, and
wounding his son. But they are forced to
retire, with seven of their number wounded.
The ten prominent men held as hostages
speak in high terms of the desperate valor
OF Brown and his sons. one of whom had
been shot through the body at 1O9 4. NJ,
yet under the excitement of the afternoon
assault spcang to his feet and fought like a
trooper. This skirmish somewhat subdued
the ardor of the militia and citizens, who to
the number of one or two thousand thronged
the town armed with every conceivable
weapon from squirrel-rihes to pitch-forLs.
Unfortunately no assault could be made upon
the engine house without p%eriling the lives
of Col. Washington, and the other hostages,
though Brown appears to have treated his
nr1SnnarS yary oo IL p+l,- ,o& p,.