Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-17
DAN LOGAN" "
HOW HE cAPrOxED JOHN Z. oOoK.


Logan's Coolness~ and CouraEe-Tho
Scheme to EneesCook's Escape.
In the current number of Lippineotts
Magazine. Col. A. K. Mcclure tells the
story of John E.. Cooks capture by Dan
Logan, in Franklin county, after the John
Brown raid. he starts out with descrip-
tion of Chambersburg and the Cumber-
land valley, and tells how some of the
raiders. including Brown, made them their
residence and base of preparations for
season. After the raid, the defeat of the
insurrectionists, and their dispersion John
E. Cook, q white man and trusted lieuten.
ant of Brown, was the last to be captured,
and the story Of his hiding and arrest are
the main part of Col. McClure's article.
It seems that detectives where every
where on the lookout for Cook, and he
sought retreat in the broken mountain
ranges on the border of Franklin county.
He was an expert and desperate man with
tho rifle and pistol, and all believed that
he would resist to tho death any attempt
to capture him for Virginia vengeance on
the galiows. He had been concealed in
the mountain recesses for soma days with
his companions who subsequently escaped
through Chambersburg to the North,
when he decided to seek out some wood.
mans home and obtain provisions. They
were afraid to shoot game, lest the report
of their guns might indicate their retreat
and lead to their capture. Cook was of
nervous, restless, reckless disposition and
he started out alone, going he knew not
whittier, to obtain food. He reasoned
plausibly that he could not be captured
by any one or two men, as he was we'll
armed and thoroughly skilled in the use
of weapons. He took no thought of ar.
rest, as, had score of armed men con.
fronted him, he would have sold his life
as dearly as possible and died in the battle
for his liberty. He understood that he
might die any day or hour but to be
made a prisoner and be rendered up to
Virginia justice to die on the gibbet was
the one doom that he meant to escape.
He felt safe, therefore, in his venture out
in the painless mountains to claim the
hospitality of some humble home in tho
wilderness. And bis judgment would have
been justified had he not walked into the
hands of the only man in Franklin county
who combined with the courage and the
skill the purpose to capture him.
Tho Logan Brothers.
Among the sturdy population OF noun
! tainee1s on the Southern Pennsylvania
border was a family Of Logans. There
were two brothers-bOth shrewd, quiet,
resolute men, both strongly Southern in
their sympathies, both natural detectives
and both trained in the summary rendition
of fugitive slaves without process of law.
1t was common for slaves to escape from
Maryland and Virginia into the South
mountain, whose broken spurs and ex.
tended wings of dense forest gave them
| reasonably safe retreat. Their escape
| would be followed by hand bills descrb-
ing the fugitives and Offering rewards for
| their capture and return. These offers of
rewards always found their way into the
hands of Daniel and Hugh Logan, and
| many fleeing sons of bondage were arrest
ed by them and quietly returned to their
masters. Hugh followed his natural bent
| and went South as soon as the war began.
He at once enlisted in the Confederate
| service. rose to the rank of captain and
was tho guide in General Stuart's raid to
Cham5ersburg in October, 1862. He
then saved me from Identification and
capture, although my arrest was specially
ordered, with that OF a dozen others, in
retaliation for Pcpe's arrest of Virginia
citizens, and I was glad at a later period
of the war to save him from summary
execution as supposed bushwacker by
General Kelley. Whatever may be said
or thought of his convictions and actions
he sealed them with his life, As he fell
mortally wounded in one of the last skirm
ishes of the war. His brother Daniel was
less impulsive and lie did not believe that
either slavery or freedom was worth dying
for. He was then just in the carly vigor
of manhood ard a man of rare qualities.
He possessed the highest measure OF
courage, but never sought and seldom
shared in q quarrel. He was complete
picture of physical strength, compactly
and symmetrically formed and with a face
whose clear cut features Enthusiastically in
dicated his positive qualities. He was a
born detective. Silent, cunning, tireless
and resolute, he ever exhausted strategy
in his many campaigns against fugitives,
and he seldom failed. Had he been city
born, with opportunities for culture in
the profession, Logan would have made
ono of the best chiefs Of detective bureau
to be found in the country. But, noun
tain born, unschooled save by himself and
trained only in the rude contests with
fugitive slaves and an occasional criminal
in the border wilderness, he finally wsaried
of his trade, aud his arrest of Captain
Cook was Ills last exploit in the detective
| lilo. AAo subsequently IoiuOVCl W lidu
caster, where very quiet, well-to do,
we'll behaved and respected dealer in
horses answers tho name Of Daniel Logan.
In mountain ravine near Mont Alto
furnace Cleggett Fitzhugh, manager of
the works and man of Southern birth
and of strong Southern sympathies, was
overseeing a number of men at work, and
Daniel Logan had happened to como that
| waV and was enOaOod in cacua1 cNnversa
tion with him. The ravine is 80 hidden by
the surrounding forest that one unacquaint-
ed with its locality would not know of
its existence until he entered il. Captain
Cook, in his wanderings in search of food,
was surprised to find himself suddenly
emerge from the mountain thicket into an
open space and within less than so yards
of a number of workmen. He was clad
and armed as hunter and he at once de.
cided to evade suspicion by boldly meet
ing the men he could not hope to escape by
flight. The moment he appeared the keen
eye of Logan scanned him and, without
betraying his discovery in any way he
quietly said to Fitzhugh "That's Capt.
Cook we must arrest him. The reward
is 81 ,OOO." Fitzbugh heartily sympathized
with Logan alike in hatred of the John
Brown raiders and in desire for the re-
ward, and he knew enough about Logan
to say nothing and obey.
The Arrest.
Cook advanced i'll careless manner to
Logan and Fitzhugh and told them that
he was hunting on the mountains and
wanted to replenish his bread and bacon.
Logan at once disarmed suspicion on the
part of Cook by his well affected hospital
/ skv1 hnv k0 -skl. l.