The record-union., 1897-11-14
LETTER WRITTEN BY JOHN BROWN
DURING HIS INCARCERATION
AT CHARLESTON, VA.
A Hitherto Unpublished Epistle
Found in the Effects of His
Cousin, Lately Deceased.

NEW YORK, Nov. 13.-A dispatch to
says:
The Rev. Luther Humphrey, a cousin
of the famous aboIitionist, John Brown,
| died here recently. Among his effects
has been found letter written by Jonn
during his Incarceration at Charles
town, Va, after his raid on Harper S
Ferry. 1t is claimed that it has never
been published before 1t is dated at
Charleston, jefferson County, Va, No
vember 10, 1859, and is as follows:
Rev. Luther Humphrey-My Dear
Friend: Your kind letter of the itzh
inst, is now before me. So far as my
knowledge goes as to our mutual kin
dred, l suppose / am the first since the
landing of Peter Brown from the MAJ
flower that has either been sentenced 10
Imprisonment or to the gallows. But,
| my dear old friend. let not that fact
alone grieve you. You cannot have for
gotten how and where our grandfather.
Captain John Brown, fell in 1916, and
that he. too, might have perished on
the scaffold had circumstances been but
very little different.
THE fact that man dies under the
hand Of an executioner or otherwise has
but little to do with his true character.
] John Rogers perished at the stake. a
great and good man, as l suppose. bat
his being so does not prove that any
| other man who has died in the same
way was good or otherwise.
Whether / have any reason to he of
good cheer or not in view of my end. L
can assure you that feel so, and that
| am totally blinded if / do not really
experience that strengthening and con-
ISOLATION you so faithfully implore on
your fidelity
Il neither feel mortified. degraded nor
in the least ashamed of my imprison-
| ment, my chains or my near prospect
Of death by hanging. | feel assured that
not one hair shall fan on my head with
out my heavenly fathers will. ! also
feel that ! have long been endeavorng
to play exactly such a part as God has
chosen. See the passage in Isaiah which
you have quoted.
mo part of my life has been more
happily spent than that / have spent
/ here, and | humbly trust that no part
has been spent TO better purpose. | Will
not say this boastingly. but thanks he
unto God who giveth us the victory
through infinite grace.
L should be 90 years old We're | to
live until May 8, 1860. / have enjoyed
much of life as it is, and have been
remarkably prosperous, having early
learned TO regard the welfare and oros-
perity OF others as my own. / ha se
! never since | can remember required
great amount Of sleep. so that | CON
clude that I have already enjoyed fully
an average number of waking hours
with those who reach their three-scare
years and ten. I have not as yet oeea
driven TO the use Of glasses, but can
still see to read and write comfortably
but. more than that, / have generally
enjoyed good health.
Il might go on to recount unnum-
bered and unnerited blessings. among
which would be some very severe af-
fictions, and those the most needed
blessings of all. And now when l think
how easily might be left to spoil all
have done or suffered in the cause of
freedom. / hardly dare risk another
voyage If I even had the opportunity
1t is a long time since we met. but we
shall soon come together in our Fathers
house. I trust. Let US hold fast that
we shall reap in due time If we faint
not Thanks ever unto God who Civ
eth US the victory through Jesus Christ
our Lord. And now, my old warm
hearted friend. good by. Your affection
ate cousin, JOHN BROWN"