Year: 1859

loeuiy. lne oneriu then called q council OF war


and after debating several plans of attack execu


ted a retrograde movement with an appearance Of


disorder and precipitation-a rumor having beer


started that Brown had got tired waiting and wa
about to do something on his own account Their,
lis no doubt tina. Browns presence in Bourbo,


county at that time had reference to his "diyin
mission," though it does not appear that he tool


the initiative in the Fort Scott troubles.


Shortly after the Mardis des Cygnes massacre


Brown conceived the idea of carrying the war int,


Africa, and teaching the fighters on the other sid,


OF the border that continuance of the war woulc


imperl the safety of all the slaves in Western


Missouri. While rejecting on this plan negro


came across the line in the night, implorng assis


tance tor his family and fellows who we're about tc


Ce separated and sold to the cotton and rice plan


ters at the South. The first persons he met wer,


Brown and half dozen of his neighbors who


we're discussing tie enterprise thus sineularly


thrown in their way. Summoning dozen OF


more assistants they moved immediately to the


border. and dividing into two parties they made a


night OF It, with the deliberate purpose of taking
all the slaves they could find who had an incna.


tion to be free, and making prisoners of all who
should interfere with their design. The result of
the excursion was the liberation of thirteen ne
groes, the capture of several white men, aud the
killing Of one person who was making vigorous
resistance. The homicide was not committed by
the division of the party to which Brown belonged
but the responsibility of it attaches to him in a
degree as the moving actor of the whole proceed
ing Both parties then returned to the border
with the proceedings of their foragiug The cap
tured Missourians were then set at liberty, and
told to go home and raise rescuing force. Brown
d Co. would give them ample time, and await their
return, when they would settle the question at is
sue by open battle. A very loud noise ,sas made
in half dozen counties in Missouri. but no vol
unteers were found for the proposed action. AT
ter waiting three weeks Brown dismissed all but a
handful of his company, and took his line OF
march through Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois
and Michigan to Canada. While pursuing his
Journey through the northern part Of Kansas, he
was menaced with attack from party of Mis-
sourians, about three times his own number. AE
ter retreating from them a day or two, be came to
halt took four of them prisoners and put the
rest to fight. The prisoners were lectured sound


y on the evil of their ways, and then dismissed


minus their arms and horses. No other interruu.
ton was met with on the way to Canada. Soy .


This was Browns last appearance in Kansas
From that time forth March 1851 his movements
were 80 well concealed that his most intimate ac-
quantance in Kansas supposed him to be in Eng
land The Harpers Ferry tragedy lifts the cur
tain on his mysterious footsteps for the last six
months. ....-.-


In person, Brown is about five feet eight inches
il height. He has short gray hair, and diyersfes
his appearance with iron gray whskers and NOUS
tache to suit the dangerous exigencies of his situ-
alton. His appearance is that of intense peace
fulness, combined with hopeless verdancy.r To
the casual observer, lie is the most inoffensiye
man that could be met with in days ride through
Arcadia. His rural exterior has enabled him TO
pass unscathed through scores of perils, where his
life would have paid the forfeit of his discovery
It is believed by many of those who knew him in
Kansas that the butchery of his SOC Frederick
made him a monoman;ac on the subject of slavery
and that he had made vow to wreak great re-
venge on the system of society which had wrought
so deep a wrong on him. But Brown himself
repudiated this idea, contendng that revenge was
no part of his composition, and claiming to be
guided strictly by the principles of Holy Writ.
He seems to have been laboring under q religious
hallucination to the effect that he was the appoint
ID instrument Of the Almighty for putting an end
20 human slavery. What time he and his handful
If men in Kansas were not marching or fighting
hey were praying and singing psalms-Brown
himself passing many hours wrestling in secret
prayer. His evident hallucnation caused all the
lear headed men in Kansas to avoid him or to
,ave as little as possible to do with him. The
ame feeling made him dreaded by the Mssourians
Is supernatural being. His name inspired the
anne terror the border, as the mick of the
Woods" among the Indians of Kentucky, or that
If the Cid among the Moorish hordes of SPAIN
t was a name to fright children to bed with. No
urther evidence of his insanity could be required
~ a commission de luaatico than the late hair
,rained movement at Harper's Ferry, an act which
Vm. L. Garrison or Wendell Phillips would pro-
lounce a sinful waste of human life. These men
nay applaud the moral principle which led Brown
nto the fatal emute but no man in his senses can
ay that it is not the most crazy Development
which the slave history of the country Affords
The blind insurrecton on the Cumberland River
ONE three years ago becomes well matured con-
piracy compared with this. q
.f... = y I'D ..t ...f.-