The Red Cloud chief., 1881-09-22
JOHN BRO WIS RAID.

JOHN BRO WIS RAID.
An Interesting Account Given By n Ken
tucky Gunsmith Who Was Master Ar
mor~r at uarPer's Ferry
Learning that Mr.. Ben Mills, the
celebrated gun-maker of this cty, was
present at the raid of John Brown upon
Harper's Ferry, in 1879, your CORE
spondent called upon him and asked
him TO give his ~recollections OF that
noted event for the benefit OF the Co"r-
ter-EOnrRarS readers. Mr.. Mills IL n
New Yorker by birth, and came TO Ken
lucky i'm 1888. He was born in 1910,
and, though seventy-one years OF age, is
still hale and hearty and works daily at
his trade Of gunmaEing. He learned
his trade in Canada, coming thence to
Kentucky and settling at Mays Lick.
At that place he worked for two years
and then went To Stanford. lie staid
at Stanford four years and then moved
- Harrodsburg. After being ut Har-
rodsburg fourteen wears he was. IN
1858. rendered. by John H. Floyd. then
Secretary of War, the position OF Mas
ter Armorer at iIarper's Ferry Armory.
lie accepted the position and proceed
ed To that place. taking charge in the
month of November. Here he re-
manned in charge until the raid OF John
Brown on Sunday night, October IL,
1859.
Mr.. Mills story, in his own words. is
as follows:
..Before John Browns raid. on sew
cral occasions he had visited the
armory. | did not see him, but the
foreman of the barrel department did.
He did not, however, suspect anything,
and thought Brown, like many others,
merely came there through curiosity to
see the works and process OF gun max
inc by machinery. Brown made his
raid about twelve o'clock at night, but
my quarters being distant about seven
hundred yards, l knew nothing of the
utfair until next morning. The total
number of his men was twenty-one.
More than half of them were white.
They made the attack in W divisions.
That led by Brown, the largest squad
crossed from the Maryland side on the
bridge over the Potomac. At the
bridge was stationed a Waterman Of
the Baltimore d Ohio Railroad, 8
negro named Haywood, a very trusty
man. He was taken prisoner by Brown
SQUAD, but. being greatly alarmed
broke away and started to run. ne
was fired upon by the squad n fel
dead. After shooting Haywood the.
a~pproached the armcry gate de
manded that the Waterman let them In
The Uatchman was not armed, ana re
fused TO admit them. They had crow
bars and, placing them d the gate
lifted the hinges and entered. III
gate Waterman was taken prisoner, a
also were the three other watchmeI
around the armory.
1.-The other squad crossed the Shen
andoah bridge from the direction Q
Loudoun and captured the rifle factor,
half mile distant. After taking bot
factories, Brown took a few men wit
him and proceeded to Hal.town, !
Jefferson County, Va, the home OF Co
onel Lewis Washington. granddaughter
of George Washington. Colonel Wasl
incton was taken prisoner by Browr
The latter also took from the house
sword formerly worn by General Wasl
ipotou and buckled it on his person
Browns men hitched up a team OF 81
horses to a wagon. in which they roc
hack TO the ferry, having Colonel Wasl
inyton in charge. They also impresSe
several negroes belonging to Colon
WASHINGTON. On their way back the
passed the plantation OF Mr.. Joh
hlstadt. a noted farmer of that regio1
Several of Mr.. Alstadt's negroes we
compelled to join the party. BY til
time Brown returned it was daylig
and the workmen were coming to q
factories to work. As IA
as they arrived the twosquads capture
them and put them into the armo
ward. cnioininG them TO keep quie
About two hundred men were employ'
Mt the works. but by the time sevent
five of them had been captured
Browns parties the extraordinary all;
DOT winded abroad, creating inten
Excitement. The balance of the wor
men remained ut home or congregat
at a distance in excited knots.
"About sunrise a boy by the .nar
of Kittsmillar, son of the Armory Oh
Clerk. arrived just as l was sittI
down to breakfast with my family.
did not have the least suspic on OF a
trouble. and the news communicated
me was a great shock. On entering
exclaimed, Major. pa wants You
come down Immediately; a mob b
taken the armory.' l put on my h
and. accompanied by the boy, walk
quickly toward the armorl-
down, | met the Chief ca and \
Rail. Master Machinist. inquire
.Gentlemen, what is the m3ter?'
MIR. Kittsmillar repIied "A m
has taken the armory, and think tn
are Abolitionists.
81 told them it must be : lot OF Ir
who had been at work on TIE dam. al
getting on a spree, had eAncluded
capture the works.
.Mr. Kittsmillar told nj l was n
taken.
e. -.Walking down High t19 pet we $
two men in the arsenal Yards hav
Guns in their hands. One Gas . WI
man, the other a mulatto Ball asl
me what we should do. M suspect
any harm, l replied: Lett 60 and
what they want. We thfn went i
the arsenal yard, approach Jed the I
armed men, and inquiredS what Il
wanted. The negro toucied Kitrsr
lar on the shoulder and exclaim
You are my prisoner! The laa
cursed the fellow. and or Pred him
keep his hands of. The &egro cocl
his gun, a Sharp's rifle. leJ lied il.
said: Make another NOT - and L
blow you through he men {