The National tribune., 1883-05-03
JUST BEFORE THE WAR
John Brown in IOWa---An Exciting
Journey to the Front.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

Some of the boys who once wore the blue,
and who are acquainted with incidents con-
nected with my enlistment in Kansas regi-
ment, while / was citizen of Iowa, have urged
me to write something in relation thereto for
your columns. / had partially promised to do
so, but think it doubtful whether should have
carried out my intention at this time, had I
not read the interesting article by Colonel C.. Fl.
Ray, of Mantua, Ohio concerning John Brown,
which appeared in THE TRIBUNE of March %.
1t recalled very foreibly to my mind train of
exciting events through which l passed, and,
with your permission, l will try to give an &C
account of some of them.
/ am at this time resident of Franklin
county, Kansas, within the borders of which
John Brown once lived, and from whence he
departed on the long journey through Kansas
and Nebraska, and thence across the State of
Iowa, referred to by Colonel Ray. In 1855,
however, | resided in Iowa, directly on the
line of his march, and saw him and his party
while en- route. My home was at West Lib
erty, fifteen miles east of Iowa City, on the
railfoad leading to Davenport and Chicago.
Iowa City was at that time the western termi-
nus of railroad travel in Iowa. Beyond that
point all travel was by wagon train. Some
time in the winter of 1S5S'59-prObably after
January /, SIT came to the knowledge of
the writer and two other men and their fami-
lies, that John Brown was on his way through
Iowa with party of fugitives from bondage,
en- route to Canada. They first stopped at
Springdale, Quaker settlement few miles
distant and when it became generally known
that they were actually in the country, and
had, furthermore, announced their intention of
making long visit for the purpose of obtain
ing much-needed rest, it occasiOned great
deal of excitement throughout all that section
of the State Friends and foes alike were
much exercised as to what would be the result
of their presence. Rumors of the most sensa-
tional character were circulated. Among other
reports was one that officers from Missouri,
with assistance from Iowa City, would attempt
to capture the party at Springdale. However,
although they were there several weeks the
old man did not seem TO be in the least dis
turbed by the exciting rumors or the fears
of his friends He remained impassive and
silent, his plans known only TO himself and
a trusted few. The men with him were all
of that devoted number that met their death
at Harper's Ferry, and it is certainly safe to
say that any attempt to capture them would
have been met with the same determination
that they afterwards displayed. At last, when
his preparations had been completed, John
Brown made his appearance suddenly one
night, with scarcely an hours warning, at the
homes of the three families residing at West
Liberty, with all his men and the colored fugi-
| tives, and number of volunteers from the
Quaker settlement. They were quartered in
| the houses, and mill near by was used as a
store-room for their baggage and provisions
necessary for their journey. Early the next
| morning a train from the West left bOx-car
near the mill, ready for use. Before the ar
| rival of the train that was to take them for
ward, however, it became known throughout
| the village that something unusual was going
| on at the mill, and large crowd soon gathered,
| but it proved friendly, and many helping
hand was extended to the fugitives by persons
who forgot, for the time being at least, the ex-
/ istence of that infamous law that sought to
make bloodhounds of Northern freemen. A
few days after their departure came the news
| of their safe arrival on Canadian SOIL Colonel
Ray says the party consisted of six eolored
| people from Missouri. When the party left
| West Liberty, however, it included thirteen
| colored people. Among the men with Brown,
| whose names and personal appearance L well
remember, were Kagi, Stephens, Carpenter, and
Tidd. Further than the fact of their arrival
in Canada no word was received concerning
any one of their number until the world was
electrified by the news of their attack on Har-
per's Ferry. Then only did we learn that two
of our own Iowa boys had enlisted with Brown
and were with him in the raid. These were
the brothers, Edwin and Barclay Coppieh, Of
the Springdale settlement. 1t well known
that Barclay Coppich was one of the number
who finally escaped to Canada. His life from
that time to the opening of the war of the
rebellion was that of fugitive. He made
occasional visits to his home in Iowa. but his
presence would soon be discovered, and the
Virginia officers would be upon his track.
| THE FIRST VOLUNTEERS.
The bombardment of Fort Sumter made him
once more free, and he returned TO his home
and went openly among men as prior TO the
Harpers Ferry raid. Going to Kansas he
was offered commission as first lieutenant IN
one of the regiments TO be raised for :" Lane;
b,;o do ont
recruiting of his company, he made two trips
TO Iowa for the purpose of enlisting men among
his former friends and neighbOrs.
On his first visit he found but a few mer
ready, but such was his impotence that he
went out at once with them. The second visit
was also brief, and on the 29th of August, 1o6l
he again set out for Kansas, taking with nm
this time, six recruits, viz, Joseph Westfall
Thomas Westfall, Christian Fording Henry
Montgomery, Oliver Smith and the writer. VIZ
reached Quincy, Illinois, by steamer, without
having experienced other than the ordinary
incidents of travel. Discriminating, however
to take the train for st. Joseph, Missouri, we
found everything in confusion. Trains fOl
several days past had been attacked on then
trips to and from St. Joseph, and the alarm
was such that no train left that day or the day
following We finally got away from Quincy
on the morning of September g. at which tim'
trains from Quincy and Hannibal were united
| at Paln1yra, MISSOURI, anu pTOceeueu IRON
thence as one train. About five miles GU
from Palmyra a man emerged from a corn-tield
and having signalled the train to stop, informed
us that he was one OF the crew of freigh
train ahead of us which had been attacked ana
ditched short distance further on. We &C
cordingly returned to Palmyra, but on arriving
there we found that the Quincy train had left
and we were compelled to choose between stay
ing at Palmyra or falling back upon Hannibal
The Mississippi River seemed to US at tina
time to possess many advantages as q base o
! operations, and so we decided 70 keep on Il
, Hannibal. 1t SO happened that even there vi
found friends, and my recollection is that vi
remained two days before another train ven
turcd out. We left Hannibal, finally, on tn
/ morning of September 6, and our trip that da.
across the State of Missouri was one not soon L
; be forgotten. Whether the loyal clement wa
; overawed, or whether it did not exist, di'
not know at the time but certain it is that tn
/ secession party was most demonstratiye. w
+ were constantly hearing that this or that loca
leader was mastering his men, and we saw a
, several points bodies of armed troops, evidently
hostile, as the train was twice fired upon
/ though from such distance that no harm Wa
, done. 1t was always possible TO tell by tn
actions of the train men or the sudden increas
| of speed when we were in the vicinity OF dan
gerous ground, and at such times a suddel
desire seemed to seize the passengers TO dro
below the line of the car windows Tor awhile
At one stage of our journey, as we were comin
| into efa S0v GRDOt