The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-21
HARPER'S FERRY HEROES
THE GRAVES OF JOHN BROWNS MEN
HAVE JUST BEEN FOUND.
Historians Interested in the Great
Raid Locate Them After Long
Continued Search.
Thomas Featherstonhaugh, in washington

Thomas Featherstonhaugh in Washington
Post.
OF the little band of twenty-one men who
accompanied John Brown to Harper's Ferry,
on Oct. 16 1859, and there hurled themselves
against the monster, slavery. ten were killed
either by the military forces sent against
them or by the citizens of the place.
The names of those who were killed were:
j. H Kagi, Watson Brown. Oliver Brown,
w H. Leemam, Stewart Taylor, jeremiah
G. Anderson, William Thompson, Dauphin
Thompson, Dangerfield Newly and Lewis
S. Leary. The two last named were colored
men.
Kagi was the intellect of the party, and
had been a correspondent from the seat Of
war in Kansas for several Eastern newspa-
pers On the early morning of Oct. II, he
had been detailed by Captain Brown to
take command of the party to capture the
Hall rifle works, one of the government gun
factories, situated about a half mile up the
Shenandoah river Kagi readily accom-
plished his work, having only to overpower
two unarmed watchmen. When, however,
the militia from the whole surrounding
country poured into the ferry, Kagi and his
only living companion, a negro, named
Copeland, were soon dislodged, and made
an attempt to escape by crossing the river.
When almost across soldiery unexpectedly
appeared upon the opposite bank and Kagi
was shot down, while Copeland surrendered
and was afterward hanged at Charlestown.
Watson Brown was shot while carrying
flag of truce for the purpose of demanding
a parley. He fingered in great agony in the
engine house, to which he had managed to
crawl after receiving his death wound, and
died on the 18th. oliver Brown was shot
just outside of the engine house. and lived
only few minutes after regaining the shell
ter of the little structure. Leeman at
tempted to escape to the hills of Maryland
by crossing the Potomac. He had gained
rock, still to be seen, just above the bridge,
and, seeing that he could get no further, he
held up his hands to surrender. One OF the
citizens waded out to the rock, but instead
Of receiving the surrender he put his pistol
the defenseless mans head and killed him
instantly.
SAVAGE TREATMENT.
Anderson was killed by the marines in
their final charge upon the engine house,
and was dragged forth and laid upon the
flag stones, stu living, where spectators re-
late all sorts of .ndignities were offered to
the dying man. One demon even spat to-
bacco juice into the eyes that were just
closing upon the world. William Thompson
was captured unhurt and taken to near
by hotel for safe keeping. band of citi-
zens headed by Henry Hunter, a son of
the attorney Andrew Hunter, who after
ward prosecuted the cases against John
Brown and his companions, rushed into the
hotel and forced Thompson to the entrance
of the Potomac bridge. Search was hastily
made for a piece of rope Wherewith to hang
him, but, failing in this, they turned their
guns upon the unfortunate man and thor
oughly riddied his body. He fell through
the ties of the bridge into the water, where
of the day Dauphin, Thompson, Newby
and Leary were killed about the armory
grounds or at the rifle shops.
When the smoke of battle had cleared
away these ten bodies were gathered to-
gether from the streets and the river, and
the village authorities were obliged to take
some steps to dispose of them. OF course,
sepulture in any of the burial plots of the
place could not be allowed. A carpenter was
therefore called upon to make two large
boxes, and into them seven or these bodies
were thrust, still clothed in their bloody
garments The remaining three, Kagi, An
derson and Watson Brown were placed in
barrels and taken to the medical school at
Winchester for dissection Two holes were
dug in the ground on the banks of the
Shenandoah about half mile above Harp
er's Ferry and in these the boxes were
placed. Local tradition and published ac-
counts went thus far but no one seemed
to know the exact spot OF burial.
In my researches, continued for many
years concerning all the facts Of the Harp
er's Ferry raid / had often sought the
to discover them. On my last trip to the
ferry, accompanied by Mr. L. A. Brande-
bury, of Washington, whose interest in the
preservation of the history of the raid is
not second to my own, we stumbled across
an elderly man. James Foreman by name,
who had passed his whole life upon the
mountain side where we found him. He
told us that he had seen the burial Of these
bodies and that he could point out the site
of the graves, which he proceeded to do at
once. Having learned to somewhat diStrust
the many legends of John Brown that are
current at HarperS Ferry, we procured
picks and shovels and went to work.
HOW DISCOVERED.
About three feet below the surface the
cover of the box was reached. It was
badly decayed and was crushed in from the
superintendent load of earth. The top
of the box was finally wholly uncovered
and the receptacle of the dead was exposed
TO our view. 1t was made of inch pine
lumber, and was some six feet in length,
three feet wide and two feet deep. When
we raised the cover the whole spinal coll
umn Of a man was adherent to the board.
/ relate this incident merely to show how
closely the bodies had been packed in the
box. This receptacle contained the re-,
mains of four of the victims of the historic
raid We reversntly refilled the grave,
which had been opened In the interest Of
history and erected rude headstones taken
from the rivers brink. After taking
Photograph of the scene we left these rel
to their lonely rest amid the voices Of ma
ture.
The other grave, which is situated within
a few feet of the one in question, and
which contains the remains Of three Of the
raiders. was of course. undisturbed. since
we felt confident that we had settled upon
the exact spot that we had sought.
When In the autumn Of 1882, Mrs. Brown.
widow Of John Brown, made q trip from