Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-05

and he salG, pointing 10 the kheellhS
figure, "This is 0ssawatomie."
As he said this, Brown turned his
head to see who it was TO whom Colonel
Washington was speaking. Quicker
than thought brought my sabre down
with all my strength upon his head.
He was moving when the blow fell, and
suppose | did not strike him where |
intended for he received n deep sabre
cut in the back of the neck. He fell
senseless on his side, then rolled over
on his back. He had in his hand short
Sharp's cavalry carbine. think he
had Just fired as reached Col. Wash
In gton, for the marine who followed
me into the aperture made by the lad
der received bullet in the abdomen,
from which he died in few minutes.
The shot might have been fired by some
one else in the insurgent party, but L
think it was from Brown. Instructive
ly as Brown fell | gave him saber
thrust in the left breast. The sword |
carried wa. light uniform weapon,
and, either not having point or strik-
ing something hard in Browns accou-
terments, did not penetrate. The blade
bent double.
By that time three or four Of my men
were inside. They came rushing in like
tigers, rs a storming assault is not n
play day sport. They bayoneted one
man skulking under the engine, and
pinned another fellow up against the
rear wall, both being instantly killed.
| ordered the men to spill no more
blood. The other insurgents were at
once taken under arrest, and the con-
test ended. The whole fight had not
lasted over three minutes. My enly
thought was to capture, or, if necessary
kill, the insurgents, and take possession
Of the engine-house.
| saw very little OF the situation with
In until the fight was over. Then L OBJ
served that the engine-house was thick
with smoke, and it was with difficulty
that a person could be seen across the
room. In the rear, behind the left hand
engine, were huddled the prisoners
whom Brown had captured and held rs
hostages for the safety OF himself and
his men. Colonel Washington was one
of these. All during the fight, as | un-
derstood afterward, he kept TO the front
OF the engine house. When met him
! he was as cool as he would have been
on his own veranda entertaining guests.
He was naturally a very brave man.
remember that he would not come out
of the engine-house, begrimec and soil
ed as he was from his long imprison-
ment, until he had put pair Of kid
gloves upon his hands. The other pris-
oners were the sorriest lot Of people |
ever saw. They had been without food
for over sixty hours, in constant dread
! of being shot, and were huddled up in
the corner where lay tho body Of
Browns son and one or two others Of
the insurgents who had been killed.
! Some of them have endeavored TO give
an account Of the stOrming of the en-
CINE house and the capture OF Brown,
but none Of the reports have been free
from a great many misstatements, and
I suppose that Colonel Washington and
myself were the only persons really
able to say what was done. Other sto-
ries have been printed by people on the
outside, describing the fight within.
What they say must be taken with a
! great deal Of allowance, for they could
not have been witnesses Of what occur
red within the engine-house. One re-
cent account describes me as jumping
over the right-baDd engine more like a
wild beast than soldier. OF course
nothing of the kind happened. The re-
port made by Colonel Lee at the time,
which is now on file in the War De-
partment, gives a more succinct and de-
tailed account than any have seen.
can see Colonel Lee now, as he stood
on slight elevation about forty feet
! from the engine honse during the as
sault. He was in civilian dress, and
looked then very little as he did during
the war. He wore no beard, except q
dark mustache, and his hair was slightly
gray. He lad no arms upon his person,
and treated the affair as one Of no very
great consequence, which would be
speedily settled by the marines. A part
of the scene, giving color to the picture,
was the bright blue uniform Of the ma
rines. They wore blue trousers then, a.
they do now, and dark blue frock- coat
Their belts were white, and they wore
French fatigue caps. l do not remem.
Der the names Of the twelve men in the
storming party, nor can 1 tell what be
came of them in later life. We had M
use for the bowitzers, and, In fact, they
were not taken from the car.
Immediately after the fight, Brown
was carried out Of the engine-house, AM
recovered consciousness while lying OF
the ground In front. A detail Of mel
carried him up to the paymaster's Office
where he was attended to and bic want
supplied. On the following day, Wed