The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-08-12

An Inser~sssns Account plven ~ q Ken.
tsschy Gansmlth who Wa Master A.
morer - 1aarper's Ferry
Learning that Mr.. Ben Mills. the
celebrated gun-maker Of this city, wa
present AZ the raid Of John Brown upon
Harpcr's Ferry. in 1859. your CORE
spondent called upon him and asked
him TO give his ~recollections of that
noted event for the benefit OF the C0ur-
isr-journ0rs readers. Mr.. Mills is A
New Yorker BY birth, and came % Ken
lucky IN 1883. He was born in 1910.
and. though seventy-one wears OF age. il
still hale and hearty and works daily at
his trade Of gunmaking. He learned
MS trade in Canada. coming thence 10
Kentucky and settling at Mays Lick.
AZ that place he worked for two years
and then went 20 Stanford. He sfaid
at Stanford four years and then moved
20 Harrodsburg. After being at Har-
rodsburg fourteen wears lie was. III
1858. rendered. by John II. Flovd. then
Secretary Of War. the position OF Mas
ter Armorer at Harpers Ferry Armorv.
ne accepted the position and proceed
ga 70 that place, taking charge IN the
month Of November. Here he re-
manned in charge until the raid 81 John
Brown On Sunday night, October IL.
1889.
Mr.: Mills story, in his own words. Is
as follows:
Before John Browns raid. on sew
cral occasions he had visited the
armory. I did not see him. but the
foreman Of the barrel department did.
Tie did not. however. suspect anything.
and thought Brown. like many Others.
merely came there through curiosity 10
see the works and process Of gun. max
ing by machinery. Brown made his
raid about twelve o'clock at night. but
my quarters being distant about seven
hundred yards. I knew nothing Of the
affair until next morning. The total
number Of his men was tvcnfv.one. |
More than half of them were white.
They made the attack in two divisions.
Thai led by Brown. the largest SQUAD.
crossed from the Maryland side on the
bridge ~ the Potomac. Al the
bridge was stationed a watchman Of
the Baltimore A Ohio Railroad. 4
negro named Haywood. a yerv trustv
Uan. liz wastaken prisoncrb y browns
squad. bur. being greatly alarmed.
broke away y started to run. He
was fired upon BY the squad and fell
dead. After shooting Haywood they
approached the armory gate and de-
manded that the Waterman lot them IN.
The Waterman was not armed, and re-
fused 70 admit them. They hdi crow
bars and, placing them under the gate.
lifted the hinges and entered. The
gate Waterman q taken prisoner. AZ
also were the three other watchmcn
the armory.
The other squad crossed the Shcn-
bridge from the direction III
Loudonn and captured the rifle factory.
2 half mile distant. After taking both
factories, Brown took a few men with
him and proceeded to HMltOwn. III
Jefferson County, Va. the home Of Col
Dnel LOWS Washington. granddaughter
pf George Washington. Colonel WASH
ngton was taken prisoner by Brown.
Inc latter also took from the house 4
word formerly worn by General Wash
ngton and bucklcd Il on his person.
Browns mon hitched up 4 team of six
horses 70 . wagon, In which thew rode
% the ferry, having Colonel Wash
ngton In charge. They also impressed
'evcra' negroes belonging 70 Colonel
Washington. On their way back they
,sssed the plantation Or Mr.. John
aistadt. . noted farmer or that region.
several Of Mr.. Alstadt's negroes were
compelled 70 Join the party. By the
brown returned Il wns daylight 1
No me workmon W0r0 coming % the .
ectOI1og % commence work. a. fast I