Year: 1859

taNei MIN " had tried.


The crowd also tried TO get hold of Stepbens bo ,,
wounded and lying In bed up stairs but Miss Fouk,
prevented IT, and finally guard was pl.eed over b;,
thompson aid before he shot that be was loose h,
would shoot any Of


After that there great deal of and s,ps
about the armory Companies OF militia began 10 come In
and at length the marines arrived the next moruns
took all the insurgents that left


col. A. wAsHfNGroN's sr.rysrxr


Col John A. Washington (who Il disaptly related "a


Geo Washington) gives the following account of his con
nccton with the affair:


Between and O'Clock on Sunday night wa. in bad
at my house FIVE or six miles from Harpers Ferry: wa.
awakened by hearing my called In the hall. sun.
posed IL friends arrived who being ~
with the house, had through the kitchen i,bop,
making any noise; got up aud opened the door into the
hall, aud before stood four men, three armed with
sharPs rifles ieveled and cooked and the fourth-thi.
man Stephens-wih revolver in his right hand and in
ans left lighted hambeau made Of pine whittliugs AZ
opened the door Of the men said "Is yo1r n.na
Washington" Said 'that is nv name Perhans aIso
Cook Who was Of the crowd identified me as he told
me afterwards he was taken there for that purpose
was then told that prisoner aud one of them sad
:, Don't De fnghtened" replied, Do you anything
that looks like fright about me ~ No he said on
" want to say that IL you surrender aud come with u.
freely you are safe. told them understood that suf
heent and ther Has no necessity for further pana
ton but was struck with the number Of men sent
against and asked What need there was of so many
as there was no danger o. unared man in his night
shirt resisting an armed force told to put on nv
clothes, and of course complied. Perhans said


while am dressing you will be so good As 10 tell me
what all this meansyn inquired what the weather r,s
outside, and one of them advised to put on an over
coat, as rather chilly. Another said they wanted
my arms aud opened the gun closet for them 10 bcln
themselves. They then explained their mission which
they represented TO be purely phanthropc-to wit the
emancipation of all the slaves In the conn,rv Ana-
was dressed stephens said TO me- "Have YOU got any
money! replied, al wish had a great deal" Re
careful sir, said he. told him If had anv money
knew how to take care of it. and he could not get it
said he, " Have you a watch - Nv reply was Ihave
but you cannot have it. You have set yourselves mn a,
great morasts and hberators of slaves now IL
that you are robbers we'll" BE careful sir said he
again told them dressed and ready 10 20
They bade me wait short time and nv carriage would
be at the door They had ordered nv carriage for me
and pfied open the stable door get It out They had
haruessed the horses the side of each other
and tried 10 induce them correct the mistake which
they did after driving short distance; hut still being
harnesSed wrong, and rather spirited animals they would
not work we'll


Ny servant, whom they had forced along was driving


suspected they we're only robbers and was expecting
all along that they would turn of at some point but
they drove directly the Armorv Brown came ont and
invited me N, saying there comfortable fire and
shortly afterwards met with Mr. Alstadt whom thew had
arrested ON the way, and brought along in nv buggy
wagon While coming along. the horses being restive
got out and walked mp hill with one of the men who
took occasion TO AK my views the subject OF slavery
in the abstract declined argument on the subieci
put he still pressed it upon me- aud obliged to re.
fuse the second time.


Brown told 10 make ourselves comfor,sble and adj
ded' by and by / shall require each Of you gentlemen
to write TO some of your friends send stout negro
man IN your places This was hy way of ransom H.,
told us he the letter before t was sent and he
thought after this effected they could make an ar
rahgement by which we could return home. determin-
eu IN nay own mind not to make the rcquiston but he
never made application for IT, having other matters be-
lore tue day expired attracting his attention


NY sword which had been presented by Frederick the
Great to General Washington was taken from nv house
win other arms This man Cook had been at NV house
some time before and seen the arms and at that time
beat him at shooting, and he told me was the best shot
he had ever met. On the to Harpers Perry ne ask
I me II had shot any since that time, and said he owed
well treated by me. told him il of consequence
about the apology, but i would ask favor Of him.
which was TO his influence have returned to me
the old sword and old pistol which, in the present inn
proved state OF arms were only valuable in consideration
OF their history He promised 20 attend IT, and short
y after reaching the Armory found this sword in Old
Browns hands Said Brown, Z" / will take especial care
OF IT, and shall endeavor to return il you after you
are released He carried the sword in his hands all day
on Monday, until after the arrival of the military


Upon the first anuouncemnt of the arrival of the mill


tia Brown came into the and picked out ten of us
whom he supposed to be the most prominent men. He
told might be assured of good treatment because
IN case he got the worst Of in this fight the possession
of would be of service in procuring good terms we
could exercise great influence with our
and as for me, be knew if was out should do my du
~ and IN my position aid to the Governor should
be most dangerous foe. Then were taken into the
engine house and closely confined Two Of our number
went backwards and forwards repeatedly confer with





maned out altogether, leaving the eight who were inside
when the building finally assailed and captured by
the marines. During Monday various terms of cspula
ton proposed and refused and at night we reoues
ed our friends to firing during the night as IL the
place should be sormed in the dark friends and foes
would have TO share alike In the morning Capt Simms
OF Frederick announced the arrival Of the United States
marines During the night he had brought in Dr. Tay.
or, OF Frederick 10 look the wounds OF old Browns
son. The surgeon looked at the man and promised TO
attend him again In the morning IL practicable but
abr Nha time he, L
ed.


Col Lee, who commanded the United States forces
sent up Lieut. Stuart announce 10 Brown that the only
terms he would offer for surrender were that he and his
men should be takcn to place of safety and kent un
mo!ested until the will Of the President could be ascer-
tanned. Browns reply was to the effect that he could
expect no leniency and he would sell his life a. dearly
ne possible. few minutes later the place was assault
cd and taken. In justice 20 Brown will sav that he adj
vised the prisoners keep well under shelter during the
firing and at no time did he threaten massacre US OF
place us in front in Of assault II was evident he
did not expect the attack There was no CRY Of
surrender, in his party except from one Young man
and then Brown said-"only surrender" This fri
low after he the marines said he would prefer 70
take his chance OF trial at Washington lie had taken
his position, and fired shots when he cried
surrender There were four of Browns partv able 10
fight when the marines attacked, besides negro making
i've I'm all This negro very bold at FIRST but when
the assault was made he took Off his Announcements and
tried 20 mngo with the prisoners and pis himself of as
one Of them. handed him oVsr TO the marines at once
9"gilb NC WIS n prisoner luth ~ aU events.


srArENEST oY W. = nowNgR


The Mister Armorer's clerk at The armory w s Dow.
ncr, says On Sunday night aJOgt twelve O'Clock was
awakened by reports Of firearms and shortly afterwards
the clerk Of the house up to my room door aud
asked If had revolver saying some men had stopped


train on the bridge and shot the colored man tav.
ward) for trying to 60 the bridge had no arms
and lay down again Towards morning got up and found
they had taken possession Of the town. and we're doing ev
ery'hing as they had perfectly overwhelming forcc
The citizens could conceive that any sane men vo
undertake such thing without some some show Of force
About six O'Clock in the morning negro man of
the company wcutup the street 20 the house Of man
named Baldwin who Kept store and undertook 10 take
him prisoner but he resisted and shot him About the same
time they broke open The arsenal aud took out boxes
oi mUskcts. They shot at q named Kelly going M
he street. but missed him. and the ball passed through
~ partitions in house beyond and looked in third
The scutncs marched mp aud down the streets
and whenever they saw man outside. thcy
would 60 up 90 h aud cay, Herr they want YOU over
at the lrmory, aud " the prisoner refused would give
him the choice 90 De- shot In the morning as the
employees Of the armory down 10 work thcv were
taken prisoners one 10y ono and put in the waichmans
quarters About eleven o'clock forty OF ffy volunteers
from Charleston came down. In the mean time some
Of our men had got ams-armory men-and a party
of them came up the road above here and came
party Of Of the insurgents fred into chem
took prisoners killed three and two were drowned
in trying 10 swim the river Then they came down here