As to John Brown
and his appearance at Harper's Ferry, probably there is no one now living who
can tell more of that affair than myself, as I then lived at Harper's Ferry,
and was a prisoner of Brown's until rescued by General Robert E. Lee, then
colonel in the United States Army. Prior to Brown's sudden appearance at the
Ferry, there had been seen by the neighbors small squads of men with picks and
spades moving about the mountain-sides, making small excavations here and
there, pretending to be looking for gold, of which they declared the mountains
were full.
They went
repeatedly to the small property-owners, trying to buy land, until all the
neighborhood was much excited, and they had succeeded in diverting the minds of
the people from their real object.
These men had
rented a house near the Ferry, where they were seen in small parties, but never
in such large numbers as to excite suspicion.
Some of them often
came to the Ferry, but they excited no suspicion, as strangers were always
there viewing the scenery and Government works. Brown himself was said to have
been seen there often, but I do not recollect meeting him, and feel sure his
appearance would have made an impression on me. When his plans were matured, by
the aid of one Cook, who was a citizen of the town, he determined to make his
invasion to release the negroes of Virginia from servitude.
His descent upon
the town was in this wise: On Sunday night, Oct. 16, 1859, about twelve or one
o'clock, the gate-keeper of the bridge over the Potomac leading into Maryland
was startled by the steady tramp of many men approaching the gate, having with
them wagons, who, upon reaching the gate, ordered it to be opened to them. This
the gate-keeper refused to do, saying they were strangers. They, however, while
parleying with him, seized him and, presenting a pistol at his head, compelled
him to be silent. They then wrenched off the locks and came over, he thinks
about sixty strong, though he was evidently frightened and could not speak with
accuracy.
Upon getting over,
the first building taken possession of was the depot of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, then in charge of a very trusty negro, who slept in the building.
Upon Brown's men demanding admittance, he refused to let them come in, saying
he was in charge, and his instructions were to let no one in at night. He was
then shot down, a negro faithful to his trust being the first victim of those
whose mission it was to free the African race from bondage.
Brown's party next
proceeded to the hotel, rapped up the landlord, put him under arrest, and
placed guards at the doors, so that no one could go out or come in. All this
was in perfect quiet at dead of night. They went next to place guards at the
arsenal and armories, and fix their pickets at all the streets, so that no one
could come or go who was not at once picked up and placed with an armed guard
over him and compelled to be silent.
Next they divided
their force, sending Cook with some men to seize Colonel Washington and other
slaveholders. These gentlemen Brown's party waked from sleep and compelled to
go with them as prisoners, at the same time taking all the slaves they could
find, carriages, horses, etc.
With the prisoners
and property they had collected, they returned to Harper's Ferry before
daylight, and thence across the bridge into Maryland and Pennsylvania. The
gentlemen arrested were left as prisoners with John Brown. This seems to have
been the programme for the night; now as to my introduction to John Brown, and
what occurred afterwards.
About daylight one
of my servants came to my room door and told me “there was war in the street.”
I, of course, got up at once, dressed, and went out, my dwelling being
immediately on the street. Upon looking round I saw nothing exciting. The only
person in view was a man from the country, who was riding rapidly, and I
supposed he had lost some of his negroes, who had been stopped at the gate of
the bridge and made fight.
I walked towards my
office, then just within the armory inclosure, and not more than a hundred yards
from my dwelling. As I proceeded I saw a man come out of an alley near me, then
another, and another, all coming towards me. When they came up to me I inquired
what all this meant; they said, nothing, only they had taken possession of the
Government works.
I told them they
talked like crazy men. They answered, “Not so crazy as you think, as you will
soon see.” Up to this time I had not seen any arms; presently, however, the men
threw back the short cloaks they wore, and displayed Sharpes's rifles, pistols,
and knives. Seeing these, and fearing something serious was going on, I told
the men I believed I would return to my quarters. They at once cocked their
guns, and told me I was a prisoner. This surprised me, of course, but I could
do nothing, being entirely unarmed. I talked with them some little time longer,
and again essayed to return to my house; but one of the men stepped before me,
presented his gun, and told me if I moved I would be shot down. I then asked
them what they intended to do with me. They said I was in no personal danger;
they only wanted to carry me to their captain, John Smith. I asked where Captain
Smith was. They answered, “At the guard-house, inside of the armory inclosure.”
I told them I would go there, as that was the point for which I first started.
My office was at this place, and I felt uneasy lest the vault might have been
broken open.
Upon reaching the
gate I saw what, indeed, looked like war — negroes armed with pikes, and
sentinels with muskets all around. When I reached the gate I was turned over to
“Captain Smith.”
He called me by
name, and asked if I knew Colonel Washington and others, mentioning familiar
names. I said I did, and he then said, “Sir, you will find them there,”
motioning me towards the engine-room.
We were not kept
closely confined, but were allowed to converse with him. I asked him what his
object was; he replied, “To free the negroes of Virginia.” He added that he was
prepared to do it, and by twelve o'clock would have fifteen hundred men with
him, ready armed.
Up to this time the
citizens had hardly begun to move about, and knew nothing of the raid.
When they learned what
was going on, some came out armed with old shot-guns, and were themselves shot
by concealed men. All the stores, as well as the arsenal, were in the hands of
Brown's men, and it was impossible to get either arms or ammunition, there
being hardly any private arms owned by citizens. At last, however, a few
weapons were obtained, and a body of citizens crossed the river and advanced
from the Maryland side. They made a vigorous attack, and in a few minutes
caused all the invaders who were not killed to retreat to Brown inside of the
armory gate. Then he entered the engine-house, carrying his prisoners along, or
rather part of them, as he made selections among them.
After getting into
the engine-house with his men, he made this speech: “Gentlemen, perhaps you
wonder why I have selected you from the others. It is because I believe you to
be the most influential, and I have only to say now that you will have to share
precisely the same fate that your friends extend to my men.” He began at once
to bar the doors and windows, and to cut port-holes through the brick wall.
Then commenced a
terrible firing from without, from every point from which the windows could be
seen, and in a few minutes every window was shattered, and hundreds of balls
came through the doors. These shots were answered from within whenever the
attacking party could be seen. This was kept up most of the day, and, strange
to say, no prisoner was hurt, though thousands of balls were imbedded in the
walls, and holes shot in the doors almost large enough for a man to creep
through.
At night the firing
ceased, for we were in total darkness, and nothing could be seen in the
engine-house.
During the day and
night I talked much with John Brown, and found him as brave as a man could be,
and sensible upon all subjects except slavery. Upon that question he was a
religious fanatic, and believed it was his duty to free the slaves, even if in
doing so he lost his own life.
During a sharp
fight one of Brown's sons was killed. He fell; then trying to raise himself, he
said, “It is all over with me,” and died instantly.
Brown did not leave
his post at the porthole, but when the fighting ceased he walked to his son's
body, straightened out his limbs, took off his trappings, then, turning to me,
said, “This is the third son I have lost in this cause.” Another son had been
shot in the morning and was then dying, having been brought in from the street.
While Brown was a murderer, yet I was constrained to think that he was not a
vicious man, but was crazed upon the subject of slavery. Often during the
affair in the engine-house, when his men would want to fire upon some one who
might be seen passing, Brown would stop them, saying, “Don't shoot; that man is
unarmed.” The firing was kept up by our men all day and until late at night,
and during this time several of his men were killed; but, as I said before,
none of the prisoners were hurt, though in great danger.
During the day and
night many propositions pro and con were made, looking to Brown's
surrender and the release of the prisoners, but without result.
When Colonel Lee
came with the Government troops, at one o'clock at night, he at once sent a
flag of truce by his aide, J. E. B. Stuart, to notify Brown of his arrival, and
in the name of the United States to demand his surrender, advising him to throw
himself upon the clemency of the Government.
Brown declined to
accept Colonel Lee's terms, and determined to await the attack.
When Stuart was
admitted, and a light brought, he exclaimed, “Why, aren't you old Ossawatomie
Brown, of Kansas, whom I once had there as my prisoner?” “Yes,” was the answer,
“but you did not keep me.” This was the first intimation we had as to Brown's
true name. He had been engaged in the Kansas border war, and had come from
there to Harper's Ferry. When Colonel Lee advised Brown to trust to the
clemency of the Government, he responded that he knew what that meant, — a rope
for his men and himself, — adding, “I prefer to die just here.”
Stuart told him he
would return at early morning for his final reply, and left him.
When he had gone,
Brown at once proceeded to barricade the doors, windows, etc., endeavoring to
make the place as strong as possible.
During all this
time no one of Brown's men showed the slightest fear, but calmly awaited the
attack, selecting the best situations to fire from upon the attacking party,
and arranging their guns and pistols so that a fresh one could be taken up as
soon as one was discharged. During the night I had a long talk with Brown, and
told him that he and his men were committing treason against the State and the
United States. Two of his men, hearing the conversation, said to their leader, “Are
we committing treason against our country by being here?” Brown answered, “Certainly.”
Both said, “If that is so, we don't want to fight any more. We thought we came
to liberate the slaves, and did not know that was committing treason.”
Both of these men
were killed in the attack on the engine-house when Brown was taken.
When Lieutenant
Stuart came in the morning for the final reply to the demand to surrender, I
got up and went to Brown's side to hear his answer.
Stuart asked, “Are
you ready to surrender, and trust to the mercy of the Government?”
Brown answered
promptly, “No ! I prefer to die here.”
His manner did not
betray the least fear.
Stuart stepped
aside and made the signal for the attack, which was instantly begun with
sledge-hammers to break down the door.
Finding it would
not yield, the soldiers seized a long ladder for a battering-ram, and commenced
beating the door with that, the party within firing incessantly. I had assisted
in the barricading, fixing the fastenings so that I could remove them upon the
first effort to get in. But I was not at the door when the battering began, and
could not get to the fastenings until the ladder was used. I then quickly
removed the fastenings, and after two or three strokes of the ladder the engine
rolled partially back, making a small aperture, through which Lieutenant Green
of the marines forced himself, jumped on top of the engine, and stood a second
in the midst of a shower of balls, looking for John Brown. When he saw Brown he
sprang about twelve feet at him, and gave an under-thrust of his sword,
striking him about midway the body and raising him completely from the ground.
Brown fell forward with his head between his knees, and Green struck him
several times over the head, and, as I then supposed, split his skull at every
stroke.
I was not two feet
from Brown at that time. Of course I got out of the building as soon as
possible, and did not know till some time later that Brown was not killed. It
seems that in making the thrust Green's sword struck Brown's belt and did not
penetrate the body. The sword was bent double. The reason that Brown was not
killed when struck on the head was that Green was holding his sword in the
middle, striking with the hilt and making only scalp wounds.
When Governor Wise
came and was examining Brown, I heard the questions and answers; and no lawyer
could have used more careful reserve, while at the same time he showed no
disrespect. Governor Wise was astonished at the answers he received from Brown.
After some
controversy between the United States and the State of Virginia as to which had
jurisdiction over the prisoners, Brown was carried to the Charlestown jail,
and, after a fair trial, was hanged.
Of course I was a
witness at the trial, and must say that I have never seen any man display more
courage and fortitude than John Brown showed under the trying circumstances in
which he was placed. I could not go to see him hanged. He had made me a
prisoner, but had spared my life and that of other gentlemen in his power; and
when his sons were shot down beside him, almost any other man similarly situated
would at least have exacted life for life.
John E. P.
Daingerfield.
_______________
* See “The John
Brown Raid,” illustrated, in The Century for July, 1883. By Alexander R.
Boteler and Frank B. Sanborn.— Mr. Daingerfield was Acting Paymaster at the
time. He was afterwards in charge of Confederate Armory at Goldsboro, N. C,
with rank of Captain.
SOURCE: The
Century Magazine, Volume 30, No.
2, July 1883, p. 265-7 Franklin B.
Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 556-60
