The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-12
WHEN ACT OF JOHN BROWN
HELPED CAUSE CIVIL STRIFE

mission, for they knew they could trust
him. The whole South was reused by
the fear Of a slave revolt, as 1T well might
have been, and 1t was as much as a
northern mans life was worth to enter
Virginia. What happened on this jour
ney, my father relates:
John Browns brother and son having
requested me to visit him at Harpers
Ferry and arrange some of his business
affairs, I started about December 1
1851. On the train with me were H. u.
Blake and the reporter Of a Philadelphia
paper. At Martfnsburg we were Joined
by Alexander Boetler, member OF con-
gress from that place.
when we reached Harper's Ferry, we
were conducted by soldiers from the Bal
timore g. Ohio train to one going to
Charlestown. After we were seated, some
one called Mr.. Boetler out. When he re-
turned he said there was great excite
ment. and we were advised not to go on.
The others followed this ADVICE u L
said that I must go on.
ION arriving at Charlestown, I found
cannon placed, soldiers drilling, n Cne
town having the appearance OF being in
a state Of siege. With considerable
trouble I worked my way to headquar-
tiers, found General Taliaferro and told
him nv business. He said that he was
sorry but he had just received a letter
from Gov. Wise, instructing him to refuse
all persons who asked to see John Brown
with the exception Of the minister and
members of FOL Browns family.
The general said he could not then
furnish me with a conveyance, but that
towards evening he thought he would be
able to provide me with one. At dusk a
wagon drove up. I got in by the side OF
the colored driver, and a young southern
officer took the seat on the box back OF
us. Some gentleman came and asked
him in a whisper if he knew who was
his travelling companion. He got out,
went into a hotel close at hand, where
he doubtless gained the desired informa-
ton, for when he returned he perched
himself on the end-board Of the wagon
so as to be ready for flight at an in
stant's notice.
Near the edge Of the town, the Black
Horse Guard came up with us, when the
officer jumped down and ran. The SOL
diers made him return n asked him
why he ran. He said that he heard them
say the they would kill me-"
Undoubtedly that was their intention,
for they tried their best to induce my
father to alight, but he was too shrewd
a lawyer not to understand this would
furnish a preteXt for carrying out the
threat overheard by the young officer
They would claim their charge was at
tempting to escape.
MY IdJOGT T6dCnGQ Tile GEdAA III safety
only to have another adventure. This
must have occurred on the Baltimore
& Ohio. He was talking with a northern
man who was a passenger, and probably
took no pains to conceal his sentiments
Suddenly a man ahead of him rose anc
stalking down the aisle, confronted my
father with a drawn revolver, curSing TIT
while, and saying he would like to shoot
I him. My father sprang to his feet, hi:
| h11Ia nUnG flashing and nXClQ1mon. -
know I am in the enemy's country; yet
there are gentlemen here who would no
c~ountenance shooting an unarmed man.
He completely cowed his adversary, whC
skunk back to his seat, and h rest d
the journey was u~neventfuI.
On leaving the car, a digniied, white
haired man approached my father to re
mark: 81 trust, sir, you will no judgt
the gentlemen Of the South by h speci
men who insulted you"
Then came the Lincoln campaign, whel
the "Wide-AwakeS" in their long cape
and carrying torches paraded of nights
and the whole country was n wit
a -premonition of what might follow tn
election Of the republican candidate. TIL
votes were counted and Lincoln wa
chosen not, fate decreed, to govern
peaceful land, but n rent by civil wal
The shot fired at Sumpter unified tn
North, and in 1861 1.-The Boston Ligh
Infantry was sent to- Fort Warren in Bos
ton Harbor to drill. A quartette wa
| formed among the soldiers to sing patri
otto songs and for them was contrive
the verses:
5 John Browns body lies a-mould'rin
in the grave,
His soul is marching on"
This is the version of the incider
given by W.. E. Burghardt Dubois, i n h
5 life of John Brown.
l I was a child when the Civil War we
5 waged. My schoolmates went to the wa
! and some Of them never returned. N
sole contribution to the success of NORTH
ern arms were h coarse towels
hemmed, and the pin balls I made II
. the sanitary commission. I also Scrape
1 lint from linen collars and shirt front
|, absorbent cotton being then unknown.
Many years have passed since then, an
= I now view that great struggle dispai
S sionately knowing as I do, that neithl
e North or South was responsible for I'll
war. AS Clarence Alsworth Alvord h;
said Of the late World war, in b Ju
r American Mercury, so it can be afirmC
r of the Civil war:
I I'm those days it was not the Twin
I but h a~ll-powerful generations OF Il
e dead who acted. It's leaders, and tt
generation who so blindly followed, we
- mere pawns in the hands of the socia
psychic environment evolved by the pas
The consequent war was the manifest
q ton Of human society in action. The
y was no more guilt involved than in al
other manifestation; a ~chatauqua, a sc
prayer meeting"