Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-10-18
j0R|A|llg|RoWN'sAAD M ACT
Part Played by AIexandrians After
Overt Acts of the Eccentric Aboli-
ZIONIST

day John Brown made MS Doh
eOuixote descent upon Harper.s
Ferry. The Gazette from time to
time reproduces chapters in the his
tory of Alexandria, and the part our
city played in this incident at Har-
per,s Ferry, which was the prelude
to a four years civil war, will be ae-
ceptable reading to the present gen
Grafton. The following account is
taken from history of the city Of
Alexandria published in 1883 by the
late F. L. Brockett and George w.
Rock:
On Monday, October 16, 1859, the
country was startled by telegraphic
announcements that an insurrection
had occurred at Harper's Ferry, in
jefferson county, now West Virginia,
and that certain persons had taken
possession of the United States
Arsenal, located there; that they had
committed many outrages by seizing
citizens, firing into passing trains,
killing several persons, and selzing
vehicles, which were loaded with
arms, taken from the Government
arsenal, which they removed, cutting
also the telegraph wires to prevent
early information of their operations
being known. Notwithstanding this
precaution on the part of these as
sassins, the news was speedily COM
municated to the country. Henry A.
Wise, Governor of Virginia, took i'm
mediate steps to suppress the insur-
rection, and for this purpose sum
moned the troops of the Common.
wealth, residing adjacent to Har-
per,s Ferry, and those within easy
communication by rail, to repair at
once to Harper's Ferry. Among the
earliest to arrive was the AleXan-
dria Rihemen, Capt. Morton Mayre,
which escorted the Governor to the
scene of operations. The insurrec-
tion was brief, but sharp affair. On
the evening Of the 18th of October
General Robert E. Lee, then Colonel
in the u. S. army, arrived with a
company of marines, and on the fol-
lowing morning, Colonel Shut, bear
ing flag, of truce, demanded the
surrender of the insurgents, which,
being refused, the marines by order
of Col. Lee advanced, charged, and
endeavored to break down the door
of the Armory, which building the
conspirators occupied, and where
they held as prisoners, several citi-
zens and Government employees. A
large ladder, used as battering ram,
forced the door, under brisk fire
from the insurgents. In the melee
three marines and several citizens,
held by them, were killed; and among
the latter a son of Brown, the ring
leader. Brown himself was badly
wounded. The Virginia troops, ad-
jacent to Harper's Ferry, were on
the ground, when Colonel Lees COM
mand arrived, and shortly after the
capture of Brown, Cook, Coppie,
Green and Copeland, the latter two
negroes, and the other insurgents,
Governor Wise arrived with. the
Alexandria Ritlemen and other Vir-
ginia troops. Shortly thereafter,
there also arrived the 175th regiment
Virginia Militia commanded by Col
onel Charles E. Stuart, of Alexan-
dria, the l79th regiment, command
eel by Lieut.. Colonel E. l.. Brock
EFT CT Petersburg, the first regiment,
Colonel Thomas P. August, ofi
Richmond, the Alexandria Artillery,
Capt. Duffey and the Mount Vernon
Guards, Capt. S. H. Devaughn, of
Alexandria. BY appointment of Col
onel Stuart. orderly Sergeant VIM.
w. Rock was put in charge of regi-
mental Headquarters. After the cap
ture of Brown and his party, the
people whold have made short work
of them, but for the presence of
Colonel Lee and Governor Wise. who
had just arrived, and who said the
conspirators should be tried accord
ing to the law of land, and that no
harm should befall them meanwhile.
Brown and his confederates were re-
moved to Charlestown. Jefferson
county, for trial for "insurrection
on the second of December, 1859, and
on tha opd Dacember 1910