Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1902-08-22

eSAese SssS-s =
was compelled to strike Brown before
he would surrender.
What : retrospect in 1902
The news Of John Browns raid on
Harperls Ferry struck the nation like .
thunderbolt and in due time slavery de-
manded 5 sacrifice
Col. Robert e. Lee, who afterwards
led the confederate army Of Virginia,
was stationed ct Washington when old
John Brown began his task Of freeing
slaves at Harper's Ferry. He was or
dered to Harper's Ferry BY Gen. Win.
field Scott and took with him several
companies Of United States soldiers and
I battalion Of marines. Lieut.. Greene
commanded the marines, and to him
and his marines was assigned the duty
Of storming the old engine house and
making Brown prisoner. Lieut..
Greene did his duty promptly. He was
forced to batter down the doors and in
the struggle which followed inside,
Lieut.. Greene was compelled to knock
Brown down with his sword before the
grand old fanatic would surrender.
The negros wouldn't rise up in defsnse
Of their Moses and Brown was hung BY
the Virginia authorities. Lieut.. Greene
and the writer discussed al these events
in detail but nothing seemed Of much
special importance in those days. 20
close to the echoing cannon Of the
mightiest war the world had ever be-
held.
In reading that little item about H.
c. Greene, the mighty past rolled up
like prophecy in connection with an
other Greene whose sword had knocked
down that human giant who lighted
the torch that was seen and felt around
the world. Brown was hanged and
Gen. Lee is dead. and nearly every one
who participated in that great historic
event ID dead but Lieut.. Greene. and
We believe he still resides at Mitchell.
or did the last time we heard Of him.
The writer was . boy in the editorial
rooms Of Harper's Weekly ct the time
Of John Browns raid, and took every
drawing or photograph Of the import
ant events illustrated. to Charles Par
sons; Samuel Walling and Mr.. Nevins,
who made perfect drawings Of the pic
lures on boxwood, which were then re-
turned 70 Harper Bros. whore 9 full
corps Of engravsrs finished the work
ready for the elsctrotyper. It was q
mighty slow process compared with the
present, but i: was the best service In
the world at the time.
What . world Of history has been
crowded between the covers of the re-
cord book from 1859 to 19O2f
No one believed that John Brown
had lighted torch Of passion which
would bring two millions Of men fact
to face with death for the preservation
of the nation, nor had anyone dreamed
Of Bull Run or Shiloh, Lincoln Of
. Grant, Lee or q jackson, Sheridan
or Farragut, : Monitor or Z Merimac
: Sumpter or an Appomattox; and pass
ing from the realms Of war and blood
who could have predicted the inventive
genius Of man now briefly bounded b.
wireless telegraphy?
What wonderful retrospect?
II would seem that John Brown wa
but an instrument Of God. directed ant
guided into the very stronghold Of slav
cry, into the jaws Of death, from whicl
was to come the bloody torch Of human
passion which swept slavery from th'
land and left bleeding country terri
bly, aroused by the horrors and ingenu
ity demanded by war. A roll call Q
the people told that mighty natiol
was born on the grave of slavery which
became triumphant as . national gian
on the bloody field Of Appomsttox.
That mighty wave of human rag