In 1857, John Brown left Kansas, and his men stayed at the
Quaker settlement in Springdale, Iowa, where they planned their next move. Brown probably used this small cannon to
prepare his followers at the William Maxson farm for a raid on the federal arsenal
at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). Maxson was an Underground Railroad conductor
and abolitionist. Accompanying Brown
from Iowa were Jeremiah Anderson of Yellow Spring, Stewart Taylor of West
Liberty, and Edwin and Barclay Coppock of Sprindale. Brown and his men wanted to seize the federal
arsenal, supply weapons to rebellion slaves, and begin overthrowing the entire
system of slavery. Brown’s raid failed,
and he was hanged on December 2, 1859.
SOURCE:
Interpretive sign (seen at right) next to the flag in the Iowa
and the Civil War: Nothing But Victory exhibit at the State Historical
Museum of Iowa, Des Moines Iowa, July 18, 2012.
