John Brown to George Adams, Boston, November 15, 1859

Charlestown, Jefferson County, Va., Nov. 15, 1859.

My Dear Sir, — Your kind mention of some things in my conduct here which you approve is very comforting, indeed, to my mind. Yet I am conscious that you do me no more than justice. I do certainly feel that through Divine grace I have endeavored to be “faithful in a few things,” mingling with even these much of imperfection. I am certainly “unworthy even to suffer affliction with the people of God;” yet in infinite grace he has thus honored me. May the same grace enable me to serve him in a “new obedience” through my little remainder of this life, and to rejoice in him forever. I cannot feel that God will suffer even the poorest service we may any of us render him or his cause to be lost or in vain. I do feel, dear brother, that I am wonderfully “strengthened from on high.” May I use that strength in “showing His strength unto this generation,” and His power to every one that is to come! I am most grateful for your assurance that my poor, shattered, heart-broken family will not be forgotten. I have long tried to recommend them to “the God of my fathers.” I have many opportunities for faithful plain-dealing with the more powerful, influential, and intelligent classes in this region, which I trust are not entirely misimproved. I humbly trust that I firmly believe that “God reigns,” and I think I can truly say, “Let the earth rejoice!” May God take care of his own cause, and of his own great name, as well as of those who love their neighbors. Farewell!

Yours in truth,

John Brown

SOURCES: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 588-9

The Family of John Brown

JOHN BROWN, the son of Owen Brown and Ruth Mills, was born May 9, 1800 in Torrington, Litchfield County, Connecticut. He was executed by hanging December 2, 1859 in Charlestown, Jefferson County, Virginia (present day West Virginia). He married firstly to DIANTHE LUSK on January 21, 1820 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio.  The daughter of Amos Lusk and Mary Adams, she was born on January 12, 1801 in East Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York and died on August 10, 1832 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. He married secondly MARY ANN DAY on June 14, 1833 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The daughter of Charles Day, she was born on April 15, 1817 in Whitehall, New York. She died on May 1, 1884 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. John Brown led the Pottawatomie Massacre, May 24 & 25, 1856 and the Raid on Harper’s Ferry, October 16-19, 1859 for which he was executed.

John Brown and Dianthe Lusk had the following children:

JOHN BROWN, JR. (See Below).

JASON BROWN (See Below).

OWEN BROWN was born on November 4, 1824 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio.  He participated in the Pottawatomie Massacre, May 24 & 25, 1856.  He stayed at the Kennedy Farm during the Raid on Harper’s Ferry, October 16-19, 1859 and fled when its failure became apparent.  He died of pneumonia on January 8, 1889 in Altadena, Los Angeles County, California.

FREDERICK BROWN (I) was born on January 9, 1827 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.  He died on March 31, 1831 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

RUTH BROWN (See Below).

FREDERICK BROWN (II) was born between 21-December 31, 1830 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.  He participated in the Pottawatomie Massacre, May 24 & 25, 1856. He was shot and killed by Rev. White on August 30, 1856 in Osawatomie, Miami County, Kansas.

AN INFANT SON was born on August 7, 1832 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. He died on August 10, 1832 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.  He was buried in the arms of his mother, who also died that same day.

John Brown and Mary Ann Day had the following children:

SARAH BROWN (I) was born on May 11, 1834 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. She died on September 23, 1843 in Richfield, Summit County, Ohio.

WATSON BROWN (See Below).

SALMON BROWN (See Below).

CHARLES BROWN was born on November 3, 1837 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio. He died on September 11, 1843 in Richfield, Summit County, Ohio.

OLIVER BROWN was born on March 9, 1839 in Franklin Mills (now Kent), Portage County, Ohio.  He participated in the Pottawatomie Massacre, May 24 & 25, 1856, and in the Raid on Harper’s Ferry, October 16-19, 1859.  He was shot October 17th in the engine-house and died in great pain on October 18, 1859 in Harper’s Ferry, Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia).  He was hastily buried along the banks of the Shenandoah River.  His remains were reburied at the Brown Farm in North Elba, New York in 1899. He married MARTHA BREWSTER on April 7, 1858.  She and her sister-in-law Anne Brown, were at the Kennedy farm, where their role in the Harper’s Ferry Raid, where they acted as lookouts.

PETER BROWN was born on December 7, 1840 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio. He died on September 22, 1843 in Richfield, Summit County, Ohio.

AUSTIN BROWN was born on September 14, 1842 in Richfield, Summit County, Ohio. He died on September 27, 1843 in Richfield, Summit County, Ohio.

ANNE D. BROWN was born on December 23, 1843 in Richfield, Summit County, Ohio.   She and her sister-in-law Martha (Brewster) Brown, joined her father at the Kennedy farm, where their role in the Harper’s Ferry Raid, was to remain watchful for neighbors and to alleviate their suspicions.  She died on October 5, 1926 in Shively, Humboldt County, California. She married SAMUEL ADAMS in 1869.

AMELIA BROWN was born on July 22, 1845 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio. She was accidentally scalded to death by her sister Ruth on October 30, 1846 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio.

SARAH BROWN (II) was born on September 11, 1846 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio. She died on June 30, 1916 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

ELLEN BROWN (I) was born on April 26, 1848 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. She died on April 30, 1849 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.

AN INFANT SON was born on April 26, 1852 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio. He died on May 17, 1852 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio.

ELLEN BROWN (II) (See Below).

JOHN BROWN, JR., son of John Brown and Dianthe Lusk, was born on July 25, 1821 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio. He died on May 3, 1895 in Put-in-Bay, Ottawa County, Ohio.  He organized a free-state militia unit in the Kansas Territory and, as Captain of Company K, 7^th Kansas Cavalry, was the only child of John Brown to serve in the Civil War. He married WEALTHY C. HOTCHKISS in 1847. She was born in 1829. She died in 1911 in Put-in-Bay, Ottawa County, Ohio.

John Brown Jr. and Wealthy C. Hotchkiss had the following children:

JOHN BROWN III was born on December 21, 1852 in Vernon, Clinton, Ohio, USA. He died on September 17, 1917 in Put-in-Bay, Ottawa County, Ohio.

EDITH MAE BROWN was born on June 10, 1866 in Vernon, Clinton, Ohio, USA. She died on November 27, 1935 in Put-in-Bay, Ottawa County, Ohio. She married THOMAS BENTON ALEXANDER. He was born on May 10, 1866 in Indiana. He died on March 17, 1936 in Put-in-Bay, Ottawa County, Ohio.

JASON BROWN, son of John Brown and Dianthe Luskwas born on January 19, 1823 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio. He died on December 24, 1912 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio.  Jason objected to some of his father’s violent actions in Kansas and refused to join him join him on the Harper’s Ferry Raid.  He married ELLEN SHERBONDY in 1847. She was born on October 22, 1827. She died on August 15, 1895 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio.

Jason Brown and Ellen Sherbondy had the following children:

AUSTIN BROWN was born in 1847.

CHARLES P. BROWN was born on September 30, 1853. He died on March 21, 1927 in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California.

FRANK BROWN was born about 1862.

RUTH BROWN, daughter of John Brown and Dianthe Lusk, was born on February 18, 1829 in Richmond, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. She died on January 18, 1904 in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California.  She accidentally caused the scalding death of her sister, Amelia. She married HENRY THOMPSON on September 26, 1850 in North Elba, Essex County, New York. He was born on January 21, 1822 in New York, USA.  He died on February 8, 1911 in Altadena, Los Angeles County, California. He participated in the Pottawatomie Massacre, May 24 & 25, 1856. His brother, WILLIAM THOMPSON, participated in the Harper’s Ferry Raid, October 16-19, 1859 and was fatally shot on the Potomac Bridge on October 17, 1859, in Harper’s Ferry, Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia).

Henry Thompson and Ruth Brown had the following children:

JOHN HENRY THOMPSON was born in September 1851 in New York.

ELLA J. THOMPSON was born about 1856.

GRACE R. THOMPSON was born in March 1858 in New York.

DAUPHNE THOMPSON was born about 1861.

MARY E. THOMPSON was born in June 1872 in Clinton, Summit, Ohio.

WATSON BROWN, son of John Brown and Mary Ann Day, was born on October 7, 1835 in Franklin Mills (now Kent), Portage County, Ohio.  Participated in the Raid on Harper’s Ferry, October 16-19, 1859 where he was shot in the street on October 17^th. He died of his wounds October 19, 1859 at Harper’s Ferry, Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia).  His skeleton was displayed at Winchester Medical College.  His remains were eventually returned to the family in 1882 and were buried at the Brown farm in North Elba, New York. He married ISABELLE M. THOMPSON in September 1856. She was born on January 19, 1837 in North Elba, Essex County, New York. She died on January 19, 1907 in Kilbourn, Michigan.

Watson Brown and Isabelle M. Thompson had the following child:

FREDERICK BROWN.

SALMON BROWN, son of John Brown and Mary Ann Day, was born on October 2, 1836 in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio.  He participated in the Pottawatomie Massacre, May 24 & 25, 1856, but refused to take part in the Harper’s Ferry Raid.  Late in life he was thrown from a horse and paralyzed from the waist down.  He committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart on May 10, 1919 in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. He married ABBIE C. HINCKLEY in September 1858. She was born in 1839. She died in 1929.

Salmon Brown and Abbie C. Hinckley had the following child:

JOHN BROWN was born in 1867. He died in 1943 in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon.

ELLEN BROWN, daughter of John Brown and Mary Ann Day, was born on September 25, 1854 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio. She died on July 16, 1916 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California. She married JAMES FABLINGER in 1876. He was born in 1852. He died in 1925 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

James Fablinger and Ellen Brown had the following children:

MARGARET FABLINGER was born in 1881 in California. She died in 1912 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

MARY AGNES FABLINGER was born on August 10, 1879 in California. She died on February 9, 1969 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

SARAH "SADIE" FABLINGER was born on March 14, 1878 in California. She died on September 18, 1945 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California. She married (--?--) LESAEUR.

VERA R. FABLINGER was born on August 14, 1888 in California. She died on November 14, 1976 in San Joaquin Co., California. She married PATRICK RYAN RORKE. He was born on March 17, 1887. He died on May 25, 1951 in San Mateo Co., California.

FRANCES FABLINGER (See Below).

FRANCES FABLINGER, daughter of Ellen Brown (II) and James Fablinger, was born on January 28, 1884 in California. She died on August 15, 1956 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California. She married JAMES COLUMBUS SWANE. He was born in 1875. He died in 1917 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

James Columbus Swane and Frances Fablinger had the following child:

ELWOOD FORREST SWANE was born on July 13, 1910 in California. He died on December 22, 1940 in Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

Jason Brown Dies At 90

Akron, O., Dec. 25, 1912. — Jason Brown, ninety years of age, second son of John Brown, famous as the leader of the raid on Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, at the outbreak of the civil war, died here last night.

He was actively engaged in recruiting and enlisting a company of negroes from among those smuggled into Canada by the "underground railroad," when the Harper's Ferry incident occurred. A younger brother, Salmon Brown, lives at Portland, Ore.

Jason Brown, while in personal appearance one of the mildest of men, was a man of most determined courage. At one time a mob of 500 Missourians, made all preparations to hang him. He defied them, and at the last moment was rescued by a company of U. S. troops. Two of his brothers were killed at Harper's Ferry. Another, John Brown, Jr., died some years ago at Putin-Bay, Ohio.

Jason Brown was born in Hudson, Summit Co., Ohio, January 19, 1823. He married Ellen Sherbondy, who died in 1895. Their children were Austin, Frank and Charles P. Charles P. Brown is the sole survivor, and is now living in Akron, Ohio.

WILLIAM S. PELLETREAU.

SOURCE: The National Americana Society, Americana, Volume 8, Part 1, p. 196