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

J heads there sprang armies into exist
ence-a thousand men for every blade
destined to carry on and complete
the work they had begun. And Old
John Brown was the head, and the
heart, and the soul of that little band
of martyrs, the most glorious martyr
of them all.
| was not personally cognizant of the
events in Virginia in 1859. The man
Of Osawatomie did not capture Virginia
with his eighteen followers. This time
Virginia took him. History bright,
blazing, beautiful, brilliant page of
history, page which will still grow
brighter as the centuries roll on-tells
how John Brown fought, how he died ;
and song goes further and tells us what
his soul is doing now.
And, right here, | will relate an Incl
dent of that sOrrowful tragedy, the eX-
ecutiOn of Old John Brown, which
am sure has never been told to the
public, Ond is known to but few people
now living.
In the ranks of the Free State men,
at the time of which have been speak
ing-in IS56-there was young man
named Charles Lenhart Charley, ev-
erybody called him. Now, Charles
was ne'er-do-w well, wild, whisky-lov-
ing fellow, with such habitual good
nature that he never would harm a kit
ten-at least, so everybody of his ac-
quaintance thought. He would get
merry as often as-perhaPs sometimes
a little Oftener than-OccasiOn present
ed itself; but he seemed under all cir
cumstances, to be pervaded by one
| haf tn
John Brown and his cause. 1t was no
ticed, that if any business of impOr-
tance was on hand, Charley was always
sober, and it was only when all was
quiet that he would indulge in his cups.
Charley was pressman in one of the
printing offices in Lawrence-a tall,
black-eyed, 1.-THE specimen of the
Western American youth, a dead shot
with a pistol or rifle, as supple as an
Indian, and as tireless. Charley was
dence of the ''Old Cap" a fact which
grieved him much and when the list
was made up for Harper's Ferry his
name was not there; for the leader did
not know that Charley could control
his appetite when necessary. There
was no doubt as to his trust-wOrthi-
ness; but the work then in hand de-
manded not only strong arms and brave
hearts, but cool heads. The time of
trial came, and singular to relate, on
the night before the execution of
John Brown, the sentry who stood
guard at the door of his cell, was none
other than Charley Lenhart. An hour
or two before daybreak, few hurried
words were spoken to the old man-an
offer to exchange clothing and places
made. The proffered chance was firm
ly, sternly refused. Charley implored
him to make the attempt to escape, but
the answer was:
at is hOpeless-I never should get
away, and you would only suffer. No
not a word more, my time has come,
and you shall not useIessly sacrifice
your life for me-"
And thus the gallant young devOtee,
disheartened and disappointed, fOiled
in his well-planned attempt by the con-
scientiousness of its object, was next
day in the ranks of the militia which
stood around the place of execution.
History does not tell us, but we may
well imagine the eve of the old hero
wandering along the ranks of the guard
till it caught the responsive glance of
his devoted follower, and inspired by
that sympathetic look, death lost its
worst pang. Charles Lenhart fills an
unknown, forgotten grave somewhere
in the wilds of Arkansas, where he
died as a brave and true soldier of the
Union. He had, upon hearing of the
ill-success of the expedition into Vir-
ginia, started at once, with the deter
mination to liberate his old chief, or
perish in the effort. The skill with
which he planned to get on guard at
the cell door on the night before the
execution, and the arrangements he
made for the escape, attest his faith
fulness to his old leader, as well as the
reckless daring of his nature.
And now, before closing these rem
lniscences, | proprOse briefly to con-
slider IL questiOn-Often raised in my
hearing | feel indignant at
hearing answered save in one way.
Indeed, when | hear some well-inten-
toned person affect to disbelieve in the
! sanity of Old John Brown, can
scarcely credit such an one with sin
, cerity.
Was John Brown craZyf Was his
noble eself-abnegatiOn, his self sacrifice,
| :
r of mental powers gone astray of a
! brain dazed and darkened 2 From
| personal knowledge of his hard com
5 mon sense, his steadiness of purpose,
his undertaking and unrelaxing effort
his systematic adaptation of means ia
r secure his ends, his piety, his vivid
consciousness that he had mission tC
fulfill, involving, in all probability, the
IL L e 1, i.
bloOd-frOm these considerations, Nc
e less than from his fixed determination
t to do something towards enfranchisine
e dOwn-trodden race rather than tall
t about doing it, | feel it as absurd t,
e presume his mind unsound as that o
p. John the Baptist, Martin Luther, Ol
t John Rogers-were it not for shocking
e the feelings of some, | wOuld 90 fur.
f ther, and say or that of the Man o
4 Sorrows, of whom the Scribes and
It Pharisees constantly said, ale hath
o devil ~ And, is it not possible tha
among the people i'll Jerusalem, th'
), baser sort of whom only composed tn,
a mob which howled "Crucify Him,
o there were many good (D and charita
+ BILE (?) souls who mildly deprecated
V the violence of the cruel and deviIisl
Y throng 7-respectabIe people, who sig
:, nifcantly tapped their foreheads, AM
If said /: "a little touched here" Poo
If souls . They thought themselves tOl
: Grant and even generous, and philan
IT thropic when, as He who bore th
IL worlds goal of sin passed their doors
h they deigned to excuse his unselfisl
IS enduring of contumely and pain AM
II death by plea of insanity Did no
= the monk-ridden Germans of the tim
il of the great refOrmer in their hlini