John Brown arrived at Harper’s Ferry in July, 1859. Posing as a cattle buyer he established a residence there, and by fall twenty-one of his followers had drifted in. He planned to seize the unguarded Federal Arsenal, rouse the slaves, and then, at the head of a liberated army, move southward along the Appalachians, spreading freedom as he went. To finance this scheme, he had raised $4,000 from Northern abolitionists, some of whom had very little idea of what he planned to do with the money.
Brown had long before concluded that only violence would overthrow slavery. He had studied the tactics of Toussaint L’Ouverture and Garibaldi, but his plan of action was poorly conceived. Frederick Douglass, one of Brown’s backers, protested against his plan on tactical grounds, fearing correctly that Brown would be trapped in the town. The majority of Brown’s followers also thought the plan a poor one, but agreed to follow him nonetheless.
On Sunday night, October 16, Brown and his men captured the Arsenal, and seized prominent citizens as hostages. Although they prevailed upon a few slaves to join them, the general uprising they had counted on did not occur. By mid-morning the local citizens began to attack Brown’s forces in the Arsenal, forcing him to barricade himself in the building. In the firing, which continued throughout the day, two of Brown’s sons were killed. A troop of Marines arrived under the command of Robert E. Lee and J. E. B. Stuart, and asked Brown to surrender. Although many of his men were dead or dying, he refused. Next morning the troops stormed the building. Brown was taken alive, tried and hanged. Twelve of his followers died at Harper’s Ferry, as did five local residents and one Marine; more were wounded. The following account was written by John E. Daingerfield, one of the hostages: “John Brown at Harper’s Ferry, the Fight at the Engine-House, as seen by one of his prisoners,” Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, XXX (June 1885), 265–7.
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 one 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.…
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.…
They said I was in no personal danger; they only wanted to carry me to their captain, John Smith.…
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 port-hole, 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 aid, 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.…
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.