The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-07
JOHN BROWNS BETRAYER.
Why David j. Cue Wrote Letter to
Secretary of War Floyd.

county Iowa a cousin, A. L. Smith. of
Buffalo. y: Y. and my youngest brother
David J. Cue. now OF New York city. On
the 18th they drove over TO Springdale TO
visit Moses Varney, who was an old friend
of Smith. During their stay the exciting
topic of conversation among the Quakers
OF the village 'Old John Brown and
his men. They had made warm friends
among the peaceful people of the settle
ment, and several young men had gone
from their homes to join John Browns
mysterious expedition. Enough had been
told to his most trusted friends 10 arouse
their fears that the expedition he was or
ganzing could not succeed, and must end
in the violent death of all engaged in IT.
On Sunday evening Moses Varney took
Smith to one side and revealed to him in
confidence what he knew of Browns expe-
dition. He felt that something must be
done to save Brown, his followers and the
young men from Springdale who had gone
to join him from the certain and terrible
fate TO which they were fastening. When
Varney had finished the narrative, so
startling and well-nigh incredible as it APP
peared to Smith, he exclaimed: What can
we do? What must we do to save their
lives?' For two hours they thought and
talked of various plans, but came TO no
decision. When they were about TO sepa-
rate Varney exclaimed: Something must
be done to save their lives. cannot betray
their confidence in me-conSult your friends
but do something"
On their long ride home Mr.. Smith and
my brother tried to think of some plan by
which the terrible tragedy could be averted
without harm to the stern old emancipation
who was willing to risk liberty. and life
even. for the slaves. In the evening they
related to the fearful secret nat mad
been confided to them by our Sprlngdale
friend and Varney's earnest appeal TO US TO
devise some plan to save the little band
from almost certain death. We consulted
together long and earnestly, late into the
night and determined that these heroic
young men and their fearless and imTnova-
BILE leader must not be left to march to in
evitable defeat and destruction, if it was
in our power to prevent il.
a a
and several other trusted friends of the old
patriarch had used all their powers of per-
suasion and entreaty to induce John Brown
to abandon scheme so hopeless. and SO
sure TO end in the violent death OF scores or
people. But no impression could be made
upon him. Brown had prophetic faith
that he was ordained TO overthrow Amer
lean slavery and that the time he had so
long waited for-lived for, prayed for-had
come at last. The preparations of life
time seemed to him to have eliminated in
this plan. He sure that in some way,
not yet clearly developed, he was now lead
ing his heroic band to an assault that
would result in the liberation of the slaves.
Against such faith and such devotion no
arguments entreaty could prevail his
youthful followers had implicit confidence
in their leader, and were 1mbued with tne
same spirit of martyrdom. The certainty
of extreme personal danger made no I'M
preston upon these devoted men. We real
lied that whatever was to be done 10 pre-
vent the impending tragedy must be in an
other direction; that If anything was to be
done we must do il. We could not betray
the confidence of that noble and humane
Quaker, Moses Varney, who, in an agony
of apprehension over the fate OF his Trends
and neighbOrS, looked 10 us 10 devise some
way to avert il. We were young and in
experienced in public affairs, but dared not
consult older and wiser persons. Inc nlght
was wearing away. and we knew there was
no time to lose. 1t is likely a better plan
might have been devised by wiser heads.
but this is what We finally determined to
do:
We would send two letters to the secre-
tary of war from. different localities: no
tifying him of the contemplated raid. They
should give him just enough facts to alarm
him. and cause, prompt steps TO be taken TO
guard the national armory at Harper
Ferry This would become known to Cook,
one of John Browns trusted officers. who
was understood to be at that place quietly
taking observations preliminary to the at
tack. aHe would notify his leader, who
could easily lead his men TO safety In That
mountain region.
Tt was not an easy matter to so word
these letters that they should alarm the
secretary and lead to prompt action. They
must be anonymous, and to spur the de
partment to move at once we consldered IL
necessary to give the name of the leader:
whose late assaults upon slavery were We'll
known throughout the country We must
carefully conceal from the possibility OF
finding out the names of the writer's of
these letters and the place from which they
were written, so that We. could not De
called upon to give evidence as to the
sources of our information, in any way
implicate our Springdale friends with a
knowledge of the raid. Neither would We
give any names or clew to persons who
could be used as witnesses against John
Brown or his men, if any of them should
be arrested. So. in our little log cabin. the
letters were written to John Il. Floyd, sec
rotary of war. a. l.. Smith wrote one.
dated Philadelphia. Aug. 1S 1853. 1t was
inclosed in an envelope sealed and adj
dressed to the secretary at Washington.
ID. c., and a stamp put on it. The letter
was then inclosed in q larger envelope di-
rected to the postmaster at Philadelphia,
Pa. 1t was mailed at Wheatland. Il village
five miles north of US. David j. Cue wrote
the other letter.
This letter was put into an envelope adj
dressed to John 3. Floyd, secretary OF war.
Washington, ID. c.. and marked Private.
1t was then inclosed in larger envelope
directed to the postmaster at Cincinnati,
o.. and mailed at Big Rock. We sought TO
convey to the secretary the impression that
the writer's of these letters lived in different
parts of the country. that they had acct
dentally learned something of Brown raid.
that they had no sympathy with him and
his expedition, and they felt ii a duty TO
warn the government of the proposed at
tack We hoped in this way to induce the
secretary to send strong military guard
to Harper's Ferry. which would at once
become known to the old emancipation. and
avert the dreaded tragedy. But it was not
to be-