West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-02-03

ARTICLE All persons OF mature
age, whether prescribed, oppressed and
onslaved citizens, or prescribed add OPP
pressed races o: the United States, who
shall agree to sustain and enforce
the Provisional Constitution and ordi>
nances of organization, together with all
minor children OF such persons. shall DO
fully entitled to protection under the
same.
Article II provides that all confs-
Gated or captured property should
belong TO the members Of the organ
ization jn common.
Article XXXVI reads ss follows:
ARTICLE XXXVI-The entire persons
al9nd real property Of all persons known
To DO acting directly or indirectly with
or for the enemy or found in arms with
them, or found wilfully holding slaves,
shall be coniscated and taken whenever
and wherever it may be found in either
free or slave States.
After the adoption Of the Consti-
tuition Of his Provisional Govern
nent he returned to tho United
States and travelled over most Of the
free States. He entered Maryland
and stopped at HagerstoVE on the
30th Of June, 1859, where be regis
tered himsef "Smjth aud Sons, from
New York" He told the landlord
that he had been a farmer in New
York, became discouraged by the
loss of his crops from frost aud gss
in search OF a home in q warmer eli
mate, adapted to the raising Of sheep.
After visiting HarPer's Ferry, they
rented a farm some miles below en-
the Maryland side Of the Potomac,
whore they received in boxes 1000
pixies, sent to them from Connect
cut.
Brown and his two sons were soon
joined by others and some ladies,
supposed to be the wives OF the
young Browns. For some months
they made themselves familiar vita
the country on both sides Of the Po-
tomsc, and particularly in the nsigh-
borhood Of HarPer's Ferry.
The night of October Oath was
fixed for the invasion of Virginia,
and the capture of the srsenel at
Harper's Ferry. The women, some
days before, we're sent away, and the
men were arriving at q rate that at
least excited the curiosity and talk
Of the neighborhood, and Brown,
learning tnst his plot was disclosed
in the North, felt it his duty to
strike in advance Of the arrival of
his reserve, capture the town and
arsena. and have arms ready for his
new recruits. On Sunday night, the
18th OF October, 1859, with about
thirty men Brown silently crossed
the railroad bridge, captured the
%watohman, met a negro and offered
him a gun and told him to fall into
line. The darkey refused and start
ed to run and was shot in the back
and fell mortalIy wounded. The
lights Of the town were extlnguish-
ed, the armorT captured and as
each man made his appsars nee to
see what was the matter he was
seized and imprisoned in the armo-
ry, and against sunrise thew had
some thirty persons. Shortly after
two men from the suburbs OF the
town made their appearance with
their squirrel guns and fred at
long range at the invaders, and the
Ere was returned from the wei
tried rifles Of the insurgents with
deadly effect. The Mayor of The
town, who resided on high ground
came down to command the peace
and was shot down. This at once
disclosed the character of the as
sault, aud troops from the country
coming in oVerpowering numbers
demoralized the insurgents and
som escaped across the bridge to the
mountains and the rest we've killed
or taken prisoner.
Browns bitteIest enemies ac-
knowledged that he and his follow
ers were a brave aud daring set O
men. The political Abolitionist,
called Brown o Christian hero, anc
promised to erect to his memory a
marble monument.