Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-06
JOHN BROWNS ARMORY
Where the Famous Abolitionist Drilled His
Men Before Going to Harper's Ferry.
The Old Camping Ground at Spring
dale, Iowa, is Now Regarded
as Sacred Soil.

eratiel of the slaves or the preliminary
action Leading up to that event. Much
heretofore written melts into nothingness
| upon investigation, and many interesting
| and important circumstances have been
| omitted by the historians. 1t was at the
| little village Of Springdale, Cedar county,
| Iowa, that Browns handful of men were
drilled ard equipped for the bold invasion
of Virginia in the autumn of 1859. by which
| act the whole nation was aroused to the
highest pitch of excitement
After the conquest of Kansas was COM
plete and that territory recognized free
| soil state Capt. John Brown and his little
| band of followers started east, stopping
| first at Tabor, Iowa. a settlement in the
| extreme southwest part of the state, peo-
pied by a colony Of Congregationalists
from Oberlin, Ohio, all being strong abo-
| litionsts in sympathy with Browns efforts
| to free the negroes In the early autumn
of 1858 the liberatorS came overland TO
Springdaie. where the purpose was to sell
the teams wagons and camp equipage, ana
| with the cash proceeds leave for the east
| by rail.
panic of 1857 was at its height and money
being scarce the stuff brought but little
on being put up at auction, leaving the men
| stranded with no means of getting away.
| Brown then determined to make the best
| of the opportunity and give his men
| borough military training. He according
| ly settled down here for the fall winter
| and spring. He established a military
| school IN a building on the jonathan Maxon
farm, two miles northeast of the village,
employing Col. Hugh Forbes, an Italio-
American swordsman, drill master to
| instruct the volunteers. Forbes was cor
| respondent and translator for the New
| York Tribune, and soon resigned his mil
| itary appointment, A. d. Stephens taking
| his place as drill master. Wooden broad
| swords were used in drilling, their con-
| signmenr of arms having not yet arrived.
The rude weapons are yet in possession OF
| the Maxon family. hanging in the house
| in which the men camped. This old house,
| a gravel and plaster structure, erected in
1889. still stands just as it stood when the
men left it in 1859 with nothing removed
\ and nothing added the owner ZealouSly
| guarding and preserving the treasured
| relic. The graveled exterior is in a good
| state of pre- servation, although standing
| exposed to the elements for nearly sixty
years, and the interior shows no indica
| lions of decay.
A Settlement of Quakers.
On the walls of the rooms, in rude let
| tiers, are carved the names of the men and
| boys in camp, who, a few weeks later,
| followed Brown to their deaths at Harper's
| Ferry. The house was heeted by an old
| fashioned fireplace, and Mrs. Maxon cook
| ed and carried the mems meals to them.
| The drill ground was some distance from
| the house Springdale, then as now. was
|
| ly. all of whom were uncompromising
| abo'itionists. The place was one of the
| most successful stations on enc of the best
| equipped underground railways in the
| country. A history of John Brown among
| the Quakers during this period would form
| an interesting volume. Brown himself was
not here all the time that winter, but
| directed every movement. Some of the
| time he was in the east gathering the
sinews of war or what he termed "whet-
ting the sword" for the coming conflict.
| The ren drilling here for the invasion
| were: Capt. John Brown, aged fifty-eight;
| Owen Brown, twenty-nine; Charles Motif,
| thirty; C. P. Tidd, twenty-five: Richard
| Robertson (colored). twenty-two; Richard
| Realf twentythree; l.. F. Parsons TWEEN
| ty-two: William Laeman, eighteen; James
E. Cook, twenty-three; John Henri Kagi,
twenty-three; r. j. Hinton, twenty-five;
A. D. Stephens, twenty-seven; Hugh
| Forbes, Stewart Taylor. wenty-one; George
3. Gill, twenty-four; Edwin Coppoc TWEEN
| ty-four; relay Coppoc, eighteen. There
| were twenty-five men all told, Gill, Tay-
| lor and the Coppoc boys being residents of
Springdale.
Some distance from the drill ground on
| the Maxon farm stood large cottonwood
tree. At the foot of this tree Brown went
| every morning during his stay for sea-
| son of prayer and devotion before begin
ming the days duties. This stately and
| majestic tree still stands, with no signs of
! decay, and 1t Is held In reverence by the
old-time abolitionists and their descend
| ants. Richard Realf and Henri Kagi were
| the leaders in Browns absence, both being
young men of high education, polished
was a poet Of no mean ability and a pic
turesque character generally He delivered
several lectures to young people during the
| winter.
Mock Legislature.
In the old school house a half mile west
! Of Springdale, Realf and Kagi conducted
| mock legislature, in which all of Browns
| men took part, assisted by the residents
| kasi and Realf were skilled debaters, elo-
| quent far beyond their years. Kagi was
correspondent for New York paper, and
| a stenographer, while Realf wrote for
| numerous eastern papers. Parliamentary
| rules We're diligently studied. and here it
| was that they formed the outline of the
| constitution of the provisional government
adopted at Chatham, Canada, as the
| groundwork for a reorganiZed and freed
| alton. None of Browns men We're mar
| ried.
Though Browns men were in active
| training in Sprin gdale about five months
| none of the villagers suspected their in
| tentious except half dozen trusted
| pioneer residents to whom the old man dis
closed his plans. These We're John H.
| Painter, Thomas James, Thomas Wynn,
| DR.. H. c. Gill, John Maxon and James
| Townsend, the latter and Gill being still
living. A wagon sold by Brown at the
| auction saio was purchased by Gilbert
| Smith for trifie. This vehicle was re-
Gently sold to Herbert Fairall of the Iowa
| City Republican, who donated it to the
| State Historical Society and it is now on
| City.
When Brown first landed in Spring,lale he
| drew up his horses in front of the tavern of
| James Townsend. a prominent Quaker, the
house being known as''The Travellers Rest"
| The broad-brimmed boniface silently watch
| ed Brown dsmount, and on request for
| nights lodging, the Quaker drew piece of
| chalk from his vest pocket, marked a large
\ on Browns hat. another on his back and
a third on the saddle, after which lie said:
| Friend, thee is welcome here; stay as long
as thee pleases; to thee and thine every
| thing is free
| The Final Tragedy.
Early in May. 1859, Brown and his men
| left for Chatham. Canada, and October II
| OF the same year the blow was struck at
! Harper's Ferry that marked the beginning
| Of the end Of American slavery. All the
men in training here were at Harper's Fer
ry, except Realf, who was called to Europe,
| and Gill. who abandoned the company
Taylor and the Coppoc boys. the other
| Springdale liberators, Joined Browns men
| at Chambersburg, Pa. Kagi, Leeman Tay-