The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-18
JOHN BROWNS LTBERATORS.
Why the Invasion Of Virginia Failed-A Con-
Epiraey Not SO Crazy as Generally Supposed.
. b. S., in St. Louis Globe Democrat.

Congress, visited Harper's Ferry and had long
Interview with the wounded leader. 1t was an
interview with little fruit IN the way of develop
Ing information, but it enabled the shrewd
criminal lawyer, prejudiced and intensely par
esan Democrat that he was to form an estimate
Of the man and his plans which seem more in
accord with the facts than any other cotempo-
aneous judgment on the raid. After his return,
Mr. Vallandigham said to the people of Ohio:
att is vain to underrate either the man or the
conspiracy. Capt. John Brown is as brave and
fdSolute q man ever headed an Insurrectlon
and in good cause, and with sufficient force
would have been consummate partisan com
nander. He has GOODNESS, daring persistency,
the stole faith and patience, and frmness OF
viii and purpose uncoDGuerable. He is the
farthest possible remove from the ordinary
rufian fanatic and mailman. Certainly it was
one of the best planned and best-executed con
spiraces that ever failed"
Under all influences, while prisoner, he per
giStently denied the existence of a conspiracy IN
the North to sustain him, yet no air-minded
person can come here, look the ground over
listen to the tales these eye witnesses tell and
not be deeply impressed with the belief that
John Brown had powerful backing in the North;
that his plans were as we'll laid as human fore
sight could arrange them, and that he failed by
reason of two or three mistakes Of judgment
He wasn't the crazy fool that popular impression
June he was travelling about in Ohio, New York
and Pennsylvania arranging for this raid, but
only in the most indefinite way is it known what
he did. An isolated fact here and there has
leaked out, but that is ALL For example, it is
known that he went to mandatory in Con
neeticut and had 900 pixies made. Curious
looking weapons these were, judging from the
few specimens exhibited in the museum at the
navy yard IN Washington. 1t is not difficult to
imagine them effective weapons in the hands of
liberated slaves who had never learned the use
of frearms.
John Brown arrived in the vicinity of the
Ferry late in June. He rented farm, the Ken
nedy place, four or five miles north of the mount
aims, and established headGuarters there. For
three months and half the preparations went
Oh. Men came and went in considerable mum
bers. Neighbors very free to tell of numerous
suspicious circumstances after the conspiracy
collapsed Before they said nothing. To appreci-
ate the full significance of the freedom John Brown
and his followers enjoyed among the mountains,
1t must he remembered that those were times
when every stranger from the North entering
the slave holding community became at once an
object of suspicion Old Osawattomie and his
men even visited Harpers Ferry again
and again, becoming thoroughly famil-
lar with the place and the people,
80 that when they took their prisoners
afterwards they were able to address them by
name. A friendly route northward through
Hagerstown and into the midst of anti slavery
Pennsylvania communities was maintained so
to and fro Weapons were transferred in such
quantities as afford one of the best evidences Of
the numbers John Brown relied upon. When,
after his capture, his headquarters was raded,
the Maryland militia found stored an assortment
of warlike munitions which embraced such items
as these:
One hundred and two Sharpe's rifles.
One hundred and twenty Massachusetts Arms Com
pany S pistols.
Ten kegs gunpowder.
Twenty-three thousand percussion rife caps.
One hundred thousand percussion pistol caps.
Thirteen thousand Sharpe's rifle cartridges.
Four hundred and eighty three pixies.
Several dozens Of picks and shovels, etc.
Redpath was the chosen historian Of John
Browns invasion after the failure and the fam
ily at North Elba placed at his disposal great
mass of papers. including correspondence. But
no wrote a. "a time when Senate committee
was investigating in the expectation Of revealing
conspiracy in the North. If he had informa
ton rs to the real strength behind John Brown,
he did not dare 10 reveal it at such a time
In one place, speaking of the mistake made in
departing from the date originally set for the
raid, Redpath says that many men were on the
way from various places in the North to join
John Brown, when they were surprised by the
premature capture of the ferry, and the sudden
collapse of the conspiracy, and turned back be-
fore reaching Maryland
In another place Redpath says:
SIN the Canadian provinces there thou
sands of fugitive slaves They are the picked
men of the Southern States Many Of them are
intelligent and rich, and all of them are deadly
enemies of the South. Five hundred of them,
at least. annually visit the slave States passing
from Florida to Harpers Ferry, on heroic err
rands of mercy and deliverance. They have
carried the underground railroad and the under
ground telegraph in nearly every Southern
State. Here, obviously, is power of great inn
portance for war of liberation"
Speaking of the impression then so prevalent
in the North that John Brown was crazy, Red
path says:
People called the attempt an insane one; but
they did not know that many hundreds of men,
earnest haters OF slavery, whose terrors they
had known and drilled into the service, were
eagerly awaiting, in the Canadian provinces, for
the signal to be given at Harpers Ferry to
hasten southwark and Join the army of immedi-
ate emancipation"
John Browns great mistake was in changing
the date for his descent upon the Ferry. The
night of Sunday, Oct %, had been agreed upon,
and those in the North upon whom he relied had
been duly notified The change to an earlier
day made suddenly that there was no
time to spread the news. On Saturday night
Oct. 10, John Brown returned from short trip
impressed with the idea that Intimation of
the intended raid had been g ven to the govern
ment at Washington. 1t has never been made
public where the leader went on this last trip of
his and it is only theory that he visited the
national capital less than sixty miles distant,
10 confer with high in legislative
position who were privy to his plans. At any
rate, he was firm in the belief that a betrayal
was intended by somebody, but it was evident
he did not suspect any of those who with
him on the Kennedy place. Saturday night the
conference lasted long and without conclusions
Sunday the little band again consulted, and that
night the conclusion was reached TO strike the
blow at once An hour afterward the men were
marching on the Ferry. The complete surprise
and all the circumstances seem to indicate that
the suspicion of betrayal had no real foundation.
So far as there is anything known to the public
John Brown might have waited till the appointed
date. Had he done so there is every reason to
believe an army instead of squad of liberators
would have occupied the Ferry
From two sources John Brown counted upon
support. The secret of the extent of organiza
ton among the blacks within days march of the
Ferry has never been revealed John Brown
preserved it to his death The Vrginians did
their utmost to suppress such dangerous in
formation as came to them Little was ever