Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-05-19

Ne has the typical flrginian lace, piue
eyes, gray hair and grayish white beard,
| and very easy, pleasing address. HIS
home is not far from Shepherdstown,
which is on the line OF the battlefield OF
| Antietam Indeed, Mr.. Boteler lives at
present, | think, at Shepherdstown. L
got down portions OF this gentleman's un-
premedtated talk without much reference
to the order OF the topics as they were
taken up.
care you not something of painter"
'That i. my great delight" said the Old
statesman. III could have had my way
l would have been an artist. But my
grandfather threatened TO whip me II he
ever saw me painting anything. was
descended from family of painters, ant.
my father wanted me TO stick to some
| thing more material"
"From what family Of painters were you
descended?"
81 am the great-grandson of Charles
Wilson Peale. When my house was
burned down during the war it contained
some excellent specimens of the Peales,
which were heir-looms there"
"Nr. Boteler, you lived close to the
John Brown raid; did you sec Brown"
eyes, sir. | not only saw him hauled
out of the engine-house, but while he was
freshly wounded Colonel Robert Lee
| allowed me 10 pass in and talk to him as
| he lay on the bare floor in one OF the
! armOry buildings. There Is singular
! circumstance about that. Some time be-
fore Browns descent on Harper's Ferry
| | took nv wife one day sketch that l
made with a pencil in the cars coming
from Point OF Rocks to Harper's Ferry.
Said | Ny dear, here is genuine pie
ture Of the Wandering Jew who isit"
said she. Il don't know. 1t WAS q
strange old man with fingers like the tai
ons of u bird, That saw talking to two
Young men. lie had the most remarkable
! head | have looked at for years. His hair
wen; up like spikes, his jaw and mouth
were very strong, and he had an eye that
would look you through AND through.
His nose was like AN eagles, and there
was something very fascinating about
him, vet superstitious; and | made that
! sketch OF him and called it the wandering
| jew. He was talking about sheep raising,
and talked very inteligcntly, too, anu L
was interested in what lie said, because L
thought he might be going to buy Iand III
our parts We'll, my wife put that pc
ture away and forgot about it. Suddenly
the descent on narper's Ferry was made.
IL did not then occur to me that Brown
was the same man had seen. But wheh
| he was tried at Charlcstown | took the
! opportuni.v 10 draw another sketch OF
! him. By that time he had some what re-
| covered from his wounds. | took the
| sketch home, and said: There, Mrs.
| Botcler, Won see old John Brown. why,
said She, Il have seen this man before.
! sOh, reckon not said /. Yes, have
She thought about il awhile, and then
turned to the drawer where she had put
nav sketch of the Wandering Jc" and
drew it out. Yes, said she, here is the
very man l had made the sketch OF
John Brown unwittinSly."
mir. Boteer, what impression did John
! Brown make OH you:"
a very remarkable man, indeed,
When he was drawn out Of that engine
house. all covered with blood and dust,
and haggarl from watching and want of
| sleep, went in to see him. Said to
| him. Captain, excuse me for interrupting
Won. came to tell you that il you have
wife and family and wish to commune
cate with them I will see that you are
| allowed TO write them letter, and | will
/ send it myself, though the authorities
| must fist read it, lie said he had wife
living ut North Eiba, y. Y, and daush-
! tiers, and that he was obliged to me, be-
cause he wanted them written TO. said
| |: Mr.. Brown, you will excuse me II l
ask YOU a question. have wife and
daughters, too Ask your question:,
| said Brown. Il want 10 snow if this is
/
! Who started this thins?' L started 1t
| myself said Brown. Said |, 'Mr. Brown,
! if this Is your maine, are we to expect any
more OF this raid? Will there be any FUR
! Their descent OH this region or State"
! None that | know Of said Brown. If
there is any more to come it will not be OF
! nv knowledge. Said /: 'Mr. Brown, if
! this is the whole of the raid, you must
! have expected assistance when you got
! here?' Yes said he, Il did. Ny eXpe-
! dition was to free the slaves, and | ex-
pected them TO join ue, as well as other
people in favor of that object As was
about to so away there appeared at the
/ door a Catholic priest, who had been at
tending some OF the wounded people in
! the fight. 10 wore his vcstinents, and
/ Brown knew him to be priest. lie at
| once stormet out at the top OF his voice:
Go away from here. | don't want any
thing to DO with yOu! Take him away"
"Mr. Boteler, what do you think Of
John Brown?"
II think he WAS very able man. do
) not believe he had any insanity whatever
in the suggestion and conduct of that
raid. II WAS one. OF the most marvellous
campaigns ever devised. went through
his effects which were found ut the old
house in Maryland he occupied, and there
! | found map Of Virginia and the adjoin-
ing Maryland, giving the number of
| slaves and white men in each county and
| district. If John Brown had got into the