St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-02-09

| the party of nineteen who had the day
before surrounded and captured on the
open prairie twenty-six well armed and
mounted men. So we went on guard,
without a murmur, and had the honor
of being placed Immediately in charge
of Captain Henry Clay Pate, the com
mander of the captured party, who, by
the way, was afterwards killed while
serving as colonel in the rebel army, i'll
one of the battles in front of Richmond,
Virginia, of which state he was a native.
And bere let me remark that not one
of the later pictures of old John Brown
that | have ever seen gives to me the
slightest impression of the man, as he
then appeared. All these depict him
with the entire lower face covered with
a heavy gray beard. Doubtless this
was correct when the likenesses were
taken in Virginia, for he allowed his
beard to grow subsequently to the time
of which l speak but this pas not John
Broaun of OsdiUdtOmie Beardless as a
priest, hollow checked as a hermit, as
he stood that morning with eyes as
gray as the glinting of the dawn, and
a single barreled spy glass slung across
his shoulder, it was evident that his
vigil had not been broken. This was
the first time | ever saw Old John
Brown.
At about eleven o'clock on that day
| there was excitement in camp. A body
of hOrsemen had been deserted, max
ing their way straight for our bivOuac,
which, by the way, was located in the
| timber-belt fringing the beautiful lit
tie stream called Ottawa Creek. The
Captain, accompanied by one or two
trusty followers, started out to recon
nOiter, the before mentioned single
barreled marine glass being brought
into reQmsitiOn. | well remember the
humorous side of this incident, partic-
ularly the gravity of the man and his
ludicrOus appearance as he carried the
novel weapon struck me then as n lit
tie grOtesque. At all events the glass
must have been a good one, for while
yet the cayalcade was miles away, we
were informed that the new cOmers
were regular soldiers of the United
States. Half an hour more, and Col
Onel f. V. Sumner, at the head of two
squadrons of the First Dragons, was
within the confines of our camp, and
soon he, with few officers and order
lies. fOue INTO our mluSU.
The remembrance of General Sum
ner has not yet faded from the memo
ries of many readers of this article.
Noble in his presence as he was true in
his loyalty to his flag and his country,
| California owes more to his decisive,
prompt, silent, effective action than she
will ever repay by honors to his mem
ory. How well do | remember that
gray haired veteran, as with erect, sol
dier-like mien, grand air, and smile
that illuminated his whole face, irradi-
ating even his distinguished mustache,
as he looked upon the pitiable prison
ers, huddled together, and guarded by
the sturdy followers of John Brown.
"Well, Captain Brown" said he,
''you have been doing quite business
here, | see."
"Well, Colonel" said the Captain,
''you see it is not my fault" and he
proceeded to tell the officer the reasons
for taking up arms.
During the whole interview, which
lasted probably half an hour, the
utmost courtesy was shown Captain
Brown in marked contrast with Colonel
Summers manner towards Captain Clay
Pate. The old soldier could not con
ceal his disgust at man who would sur
render twenty-siX men to nineteen on
the open prairie. Pate endeavored
with considerable pertinacity to secure
the return of the horses and arms,
which he and his men had brought up
with them from Missouri, and which
were in the possession of their captors
In pursuance of duty Colonel Sumner
ordered the Captain to turn over to
these men their horses and arms.
"NOw, Colonel Sumner" said John
Brown, 'I can't undertake to return
every man his .jack-knife."
"Never mind, Captain" said the vet
eran; "in good faith-in good faith, sill
find all you can, and return these
men their property. L will see that
they do not trouble you further"
And so, on that sunny, summer
morning John Browns company wa,
dispersed, by the authority of the
United States Government, PersonateC
by that brave Sumner, who, but few
short years later laid down his owl
life in defense of the self-same caus,
he that day apparently opposed in tn,
line of duty. Gallant, glorious Gen
|
Freedom as your name sake and kins
man who wore the tOga of Senator
champion of the oppressed, who neve
faltered in your devotion to the caus
of human liberty-hOw shall you
country requite your services How
shall the race you helped to disenthral
} repay yOur devotion ? The names o
the Summers, with Lincoln and CARR
) son, and Wilberforce and Gerritt Smith
and John Brown will be remembere
, among the dusky faced men who's
; cause they espoused, so long as human
gratitude shall find lOdgment in homes
. hearts. or tradition tell of their unset
r fish herOism.
But to return. We dispersed. JOh
t Brown went southwark, the recruit
2 homeward; and Henry Clay Pat,
e with his crest-fallen company, back t
5 Missouri. When he reached Westpor
: he epigrammatically said to a friend ::
a 81 went up to Kansas to take job
;. Brown, and John Brown took me ! "
p But | am very much afraid, in add
5 ton to his failure to capture the ma
g he went after, that he went back o
t foot, as we'll for when it came to
p search for the captured horses of til
e Missourians, only one sore backed oil
e pony could be found; and someho
: the rifles and shOtguns had also myi
= teriOusly disappeared, which VIZ
r. doubtless the reason why Henry Cla
# Pate and his men slowly, sadly, and
d silence, walked back sixty miles {
II WestpOrt, escorted and protected b
n the blue-cOated soldiers of Uncle San
The skirmish to which have allude
d above is known in Kansas history
the Bottle of Black Jack, the affa
e having occurred near a post-office
l. that name.
lid Tahr, $50,