The San Francisco call., 1897-03-19
A LETTER FROM JOHN BROWN

Farewell Words to His Cousi a Little
While Before His Execution.
The loan exhibition held for the City
Library brought to light vast mum Der of
rare articles, some of them of W widespread
interest, and among them. letter written
by old Johu Brown of Ossawatomie,
written from the Jail at Charlestown, Va,
thirteen days before he was hanged. He
wrote:
CHARLEsTowN. Jefferson County, VAL
Nov. 10, 1859 {
Reu Luther Humphrey-MY DEAR FRIEND:
Your kind letter of the 18th inst. is now before
me. So far as my knowledge goes as to our
mutual kindred, suppose am the first since
the landing of Peter Brown from the May
flower that has either been sentenced to i'm
prisonment or to the gallows. But my dear
old friend, let not that fact alone grieve you.
You cannot have forgotten how and where
our grandfather Captain John Brown) fell in
I776; and that he too might have perished on
the scaffoid had circums tances been but very
little different. The fact that man dies nn-
der the hand of an executioner Tor otherwise)
has but little to do with his true character, as
Isuppose. John Rogers perished at the stake
great end good man, as l suppose, but his
bsing so does not prove that any other man
who has died in the same way was good or
otherwise
Whether 1 have any reason to ''be of good
cheer" Tor not) fh view OF my end, / can as
sure you that L feel so, and that / am totally
blinded if / do not really experience that
strengthening and consolation you SO faith
fully implore in my behalf. God of our
fathers, reward your fidelity. l feel neither
mortified. degraded, nor in the least ashamed
of my Imprisonment. my chain, or my near
prospect OF death by hanging. feel assured
without my heavenly Father" l also feel
that | have long been endeavoring to holu
exactly ''such q fast as God has chosen" See
the passage in Isaiah which you have quoted
No part of my life has been more happily
sDent than that / have spent here, and /
humbly trust that no part has been spent to
ingly. but "thanks be unto God who
giveth us the victory: through infinite grace"
should be Sixty years old were TO i've TIL
May 9th, 1860. nave enjoyed much OF life as
it is: & have been remarkably prosperous; !;
having early learned 10 regard the welfare a.
prosperity of others as my own. / have never
since can remember required a great amount
of sleep; so that lconclude that have already
enioyed full an average number of waking
hours with those who ch their "Three Score
years, 4; Ten" / have not as yet been driven
to the use OF glasses, but can still see to read,
& write quite comfortably. But more than that
| have generally enjoyed remarkably good
health.
might go on to recount unuumbered and
unmerited blessings. among which would be
some very severe afflctions: and those the
most needed blessings of all. And now whe II
think how easily might be left to spoil all
nave done, or suffered III the cause OF freedo IN !:
! hardly dert risk anOt her voyage, II / even
had the opportunity.
1t is long time since we met; but we shall
now soon come together in our "Father's s
house - trust LET US hold fast that we al
reap in due time if we faint not" Thanks be
ever unto God; who giyeth us the victory
through Jesus Christ our Lord
And now my warmhearted friend "Good
bye" Your Affectionate Cousin
JOHN BROWN.
-Opdensb burg Journal.