Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-10-14
NEXT THURSDAY WILL BE THE
GOTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
JOHN BROWN RAID
by Mrs. Chambers

The night of October 18th, 1859
John Brown seized the u. S. Arsenal
at Harpers Ferry, was captured the
18th of October, tried and executed
December End, the same year.
DR.. JohnsD. Starry was the Paul
Revere that Monday morning. He
mounted his horse, fanked the pick
cts in the Arsenal yard. and rode
with all haste to Charles Town and
gave the alarm.
My father, at o'clock that morn
ing went across the Maryland bridge
with a lady, "a relative,) to take the
Packet boat to Washington City
Brown accosted him upon his return
and said "Mr. C, come with US and
have a talk, we have come to free
the slaves" / put my window up as
they passed and said, ''Pa don't go
with those men," Brown looked up
and said,. MADAM we will not hurt
him." replied, "you had better
not"
Hayward Sheppard, the first nan
killed, was free, but in order to COM
ply with the laws of Virginia he ac-
knowledged esquire tBeckham" as
his master. 1t was supposed by many
that the killing of this man alone pre-
vented general instruction of the
negroes.
Thomas Burleigh, the second man
killed, was native of Roscommon,
Ireland. He was a man of great
physical strength. Mrs. Budget
Burlcigh, his widow, received small
pension from the state of Virginia.
GeorgeTurner, the third man kill
ed, was educated at West Point.
Fountain Beckham was the fourth
man killed. Brown sent Stephens
and his son Owen Brown to burn the
Maryland bridge. They were shot
by some of the citizens. Stephens
was carried in the Hotel and Browns
son walked to the engine house.
Brown looked at the wound and said,
lit is only scratch, get up and do
your duty" With that he raised his
gun, and seeing Mr.. Beckham on the
railroad tresseling, killed him. He
laid down behind the Engine House
and died. My father who was still
a prisoner gave him water.
Aaron D. Stephens was Browns
worst man. He demanded Colonel
Lewis Washington's money. He
was a derserter from the U. S. Army.
When Mr.. John Allstadt was made a
prisoner, they broke open the door
of his house. His son, Thomas ALL
stadt, (the only living prisoner of
that insurrection) then about 18,
was taken with the negroes and his
father to the Engine House.
Robert Harper, native of Oxford,
England, was born in 1903, and emf
grated to Philadelphia at the age OF
20. In 1747 he was engaged to
erect church for the society OF
friends in Winchester, Va, and
while on his way through the almost
unbroken forests, he lodged one
night with a German named Hoff-
man in lonely Inn at Frederick City
Md. This German informed him
that his best route was by way of
the Hole. Harper adopted his sug-
gestion, arrived at the hole, fell IN
love with the place and found half
breed Indian named Peter Stevens,
living in a cabin at the foot of the
stone steps that leads to Jefferson
Rock, and with fifty British guineas
bought out Stephens and settled
there, establishing Ferry House
The name Hole, ceased, and Harper's
Ferry doomed up into perpetual
prominence. He died in 1882.
A National Arsenal and Gun Fac
tory was established in 1899 by Cen
eral Washington. Camp Hill wal
named because in 1899 General
Pinkney had been in camp there IN
preparation with threatened war
with France