Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-21
The Men Who Followed John
Brown in His Famous
Raid Were Young.

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Leeman. was three days less than 20
years and seven months old when he
was slain, in the afternoon of October
II, 1859 Oliver Brown was but ten
days older when he died, on the 18th.
Barclay Coppoc, killed in the Union
army two years later, was two months
and 16 days older when he escaped
from the ferry. Dauphin Merriam,
killed in the marines attack on the en-
glne house on October IS, was just 81
years and six months old when he
died bert Hazlett and Francis
Jackson Merriam were within two
months of the same age, being in their
twenty-second years. Hazlett was the
younger John Henri Kagi, Edwin
Coppoc and Watson Brown were in
their twenty-ffth year, Kagi being the
oldest and Brown the youngest. Will
liam Thompson and jeremiah c. And
erson were in their twenty-sixth years
and in the order named. Charles
Phmmer Tidd was born in June, 1882,
and was therefore several months in
his twenty-elght year. Stevens birth
day was March 15, 1881, and he was
! hanged on March 16, 1860, he was then
one day over his bwenty-nintn birth
day. John Edwin Cook was five
months in his thirtieth year, while
Owen Brown when he escaped from
Harper's Ferry, was two weeks less
than &c years old.
The five colored men are not def
nitely placed as to age, Newly the old
est being reported as "a or 80 years
old. u. P. Anderson had passed his
twenty-fourth year when he escaped.
John Copeland, when executed, was a
little less than 90 Leary when killed
was about six months older and
Shields Green was in his twenty-fifth
year That makes the tally as to those
present.
The remaining men whose names
were nnown in connection with the
Harper's Ferry party and movement
but who for one or another reason
were not in at the finish, were young
in years. -Four of them practically re-
tired from the plan; Luke Parson did
so definitely Richard Realf, the poet,
went away and was lost sight of for
over a year; Charles B. Moffet also got
out of touch as to time, while the col
ored man, Richard Richardson, took a
wife unto himself and remained be-
hind in Canada George B. Gill, named
as Secretary of State in the so-called
Provisional Government organized at
the chatham (Canada) Convention,
was violently sick with rheumatic fe-
yer in Iowa, and could not move.
Richard ]. Hinton reported for duty
direct to Captain Brown and Kagi and
was sent to Chambersburg and Phila-
delphia to look after stores, etc, a
short time before the blow was struck,
fighting. Frank B. Sanborn, John
Browns most trusted adviser and con-
fldant, was not expected to participate
in the actual conflict his efforts being
of more value in affecting public opin-
ion. Martha Evely (Brewster) Brown
the young wife of Oliver Brown, and
Annie Brown, both of them under II,
were at the Kennedy rafm util within a
few days of the attack, and are to be
regarded as of the force quite as much
as those who fell in the effort. Mar
tha, with her baby, died during the en-
suing winter at North Elba. OF those
thus named as of the movement but
not actually, no one was over 30, l be-
lieve, and most of them were several
years less.
Nearly all of them were country born
and bred. Francis jackson Merriam
was the only one who could be counted
as of what is now termed the leisure
class" His grandfather, Francis Jack
son, the President of the American
Anti-Slavery Society, was a wealthy
merchant His father had been a man
of means, and he himself was educated
by private tutors and Travelled widely
in Europe, inherlting also a small for
tune. John Edwin Cook was of a
well-to-do Connecticut family, receiv-
ed good academic education and
studied law. Kagi was of a farmer
and mechanic family, but by his own
exertions secured an education
teaching and by severe study.
He was a stenographer, lawyer, excel
lent newspaper writer and a fine lin
guist, as well as a fair classical schol-
ar. Stevens was of Connecticut stock,
village and town workers, small
and music teachers. He
himself at Is went to the Mexican War
and was a runaway soldier OF the Sec
ond Dragons when he Joined the Free
ocate movement. He read voracious-
ly and was very intelligent. Tidd was
of a mercantile family, and a clever
workman himself j. C. Anderson was
intended for the Universalist pulpit,
but became a millright and stock
raiser, Leeman worked as an opera
tive in a New England shoe factory.
@l of uhe others, except the colored
man Anderson "A nrintpr ware rnorad