Seen from the vantage point of the U.S. armory as it was located in 1859, the much traveled Armory Firehouse—the place that radical abolitionist John Brown’s men were to have stormed and taken—was where Brown and his “army of liberation” would make their final stand on October 18, 1859. Having miscalculated the eagerness of Harpers Ferry slaves to join the insurrection, Brown found himself holed up in the firehouse with a small band of men. After losing most of their group, including two of Brown’s own sons, Brown finally surrendered to United States Marines under the command of Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee.