The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-30


to the region of his heart, said Strike
here" At that moment the sudden and
loud barking of dogs outside, and the hurry
ing of steps on the porch, caused the most
lively stampede of our assailants within, and
this attack ended without a blow. From
this hour at Potawatome father had become
to shareholders and their allies in Kansas an
omnipresent dread. Filled with fOrebOdings
of evil by day he was the specter of their i'm
aginations at night. Owing to that fear our
lives were saved,
sLAyERY's BRACELET,
The next day we were placed in the Gus
tody of Captain Walker, of United States
cavalry, a.Southerner, who himself tied my
arms back in such a manner as to produce
the most intense suffering. Giving the other
end of the rope to a sergeant, was placed
little in advance of the column headed by
Captain Walker and to avoid being trampled
by the horses, which had been ordered to
trot l was driven at this pace, in the hot sun,
to Osawatomie, a distance of about nine
miles. The rope had been tied so tightly as
to stop circulation. Instead of loosening the
rope when we arrived at camp, mile south
of town, no change was made in it through
that day, all of the following night, nor un-
til about noon the next day. By that time
my arms and hands had swollen to nearly
double size, and turned black, as if mortified.
On removal of the rope, which, in conse-
quence OF the swelling had sunken deeply,
a ring OF the skin came off. The scar, slaverys
bracelet, l still wear, after twenty seven
years.
To give in detail our imprisonment for
months on charge OF treason, no other, then
set at liberty on ground OF mo cause OF ac-
tion"-the burning of our houses and de-
struction of our little property including
library of over 400 volumes which had been
accommodating from my youth, the driving of
and appropriating of our stock, the burning
and pillage OF Osawatomie, the killing on
that day of my brother Frederick, of David
Garrison, a newcomer into the Territory,
who had in no way engaged IN the struggles
of the time; of the killing Of George Par
fridge, and still later of Mr. Hoyt. near the
Wakarusa of Charles Kaiser, of the various
skirmishes, closing the record of 1856 by
marching on Lawrence for the third time by
2, 700 Missourians on the 14lh OF September,
and the burning of Franklin, the massacre
of twelve men on the Maria DIES Cygnes, the
killing in one night by Quantrel and his men
OF eighty unresisting people OF Lawrence,
would far transcend my limits. These did
not as alleged by Mr.. Utter, follow as con-
sequence Of the execution OF the five men on
the Potswstomie but were trG!y q comtinn.
ance of the most outra eous deeds to estab-
lish slavery, which, beginning in 1855, ended
only with the close of the war of the rebel
lion The men my father caused to be put to
death were of the sort which infested the
border during the rebellion, or rather until
hunted out and summarily extermnated,
men who would be found on their farms
quietly at work during the day, but at night
would mount their horses, ride twenty miles,
saw the timbers of q railroad bridge letting
down to destruction not only our troops,
but women and children to a common death,
and then ride back to their farms before the
morning light. The Doyles, Wilkinsons and
Shernans were furnishing places of rendez-
vous and active aid to armed men. who had
sworn to kill us and others. With the
Browns it became a question as to which
side Ito use a Western phrase) should first
obtain the drop"
1t has been said that some of the Free State
men of Lawrence held e meeting and passed
resolutions denouncIng father and his action
at Potawatomie that among those were G.
w. Brown and DR.. Charles Robinson, after
wards Governor of Kansas. II this be true,
one of these, DR.. Robinson afterwards
changed his opinion, for at an Interview
with father at Lawrence, in the month of
September 1856, at which, by fathers re-
quest, | was present, DR.. Robinson instead
of expressing disapprobation, asked father
to undertake further work of the same kind,
saving There are certain men in this Terri
tory who must be disposed of before we shall
have peace" Father replied with some
show of warmth: II think, doctor, if you
done you should undertake it," This inter
view was had in one of the rooms of a house
occupied in part, at least, by K, b. Whitman,
MR.. UTTER's OMISSIONS.
If David n. Utter, in his article published
in the North American Review, had not kept
back part OF the price," virtually saying,
Yea, for so much;" had he possessed any
sincere desire to place before the new gen.
Grafton now upon the stage" all the essential
facts by which only just estimate of John
Browns character could be formed, he would
have given to his Potawatomie picture the
dark background of causes which led to the
taking off of those men. But this did not
suit his purpose, which no stretch of charity
will lead his far-ninded readers to suppose
was one of justice and truth. Not satisfied
by Withholding essential facts of history, Mr..
Utter says "As the effect of his crime"
John, jr., Immediately resigned the command
OF the rifle company, returned home, and
afterwards, in widest excitement" de-
nounced his father; that John Brown could
not live in Kansas'-"ran away to save his
life" "He cut off his long beard probably
as disguise, and sought help in New Eng
land, reciting the woes of his family, but
concealing their cause His accounts OF
his exploits before mis- Eastern friends, never
modest, were seldom truthful"
What are the facts? At the time of disband-
ing, heretofore mentioned, 1 resigned the
command of my company not on account
of the killing of those men on the Potawato-
mic, but because l was not in sympathy with
the ma Ority OF my men, who, while engaged
in armed resistance of shareholders in de-
Tense OF their own rights cowardly returned
into slavery two persons whose liberty was as
dear to them as their own. Never, in any
sane moment did l speak word disap prov-
ing my fathers course. If at any time, in
moments of frenzy, or under the psychology
ical influence of G. w. Brown, n fellow
prisoner" l spoke the slanderous words
reported by him and published by Mr.,
Utter, 81 appeal from Philip drunk to
Philip sober"
Father remained in Kansas, participating
in all the skirmishes of that year. l was