|
Origin of the Conspiracy
From the Baltimore American, Oct. 18
The principal originator of this short but bloody insurrection
was, undoubtedly, Capt. John Brown, whose connection with
scenes of violence in the Border warfare in Kansas made his
name familiarly notorious throughout the whole country. Brown
made his first appearance at Harper's Ferry more than a year
ago, accompanies by his two sons -- all three of them assuming
the name of Smith. He inquired about land in the vicinity, and
made investigations as to the probability of finding ores
there, and for some time boarded at Sandy Point, a mile east of
the Ferry...
The first active movement in the insurrection was made at about
10 1/2 o'clock on Sunday night. William Williamson, the
watchman at Harper's Ferry Bridge, whilst walking across toward
the Maryland side, was seized by a number of men who said he
was their prisoner and must come with them. He recognized Brown
and Cox among the men, and knowing them, treated the matter as
a joke; but, enforcing silence, they conducted him to the
Armory, which he found already in their possession...
The Battle Yesterday
Baltimore, Tuesday, Oct. 18-- P.M.
An eye witness who has returned from Harper's Ferry, describes
the scene as follows:
"The first attack was made by a detachment of the Charlestown
Guards, which crossed the Potomac River above Harper's Ferry,
and reached a building where the insurgents were posted by the
canal on the Maryland side. Smart firing occurred, and the
rioters were driven from the bridge. One man was killed here,
and another was arrested. A man ran out and tried to escape by
swimming the river; a dozen shots were fired after him; he
partially fell, but rose again, threw his gun away, and then
his pistols, but both snapped; he drew his bowie-knife and cut
his heavy accouterments off and plunged into the river; one of
the soldiers was about ten feet behind; the man threw up his
hands and said, "Don't shoot" the soldier fired, and the man
fell into the water with his face blown away...
A party of five of the insurgents, armed with Minie rifles, and
posted in the rifle armory were expelled by the Charlestown
Guards.
They all ran for the river, and one who was unable to swim was
drowned. The other four swam out to the rocks in the middle of
the Shenandoah, and fired upon the citizens and troops upon
both banks. This drew upon them the muskets of between two
hundred and three hundred men, and not less than four hundred
shots were fired at them from Harper's Ferry, about two hundred
yards distant. One was finally shot dead, the second, a negro,
attempted to jump over the dam, but fell short, and was not
seen afterwards; the third was badly wounded, and the remaining
one was taken unharmed...
For nearly an hour a running and random firing was kept up by
the troops against the rioters. Several were shot down, and
many managed to limp away wounded. During the firing the women
and children ran shrieking in every direction, but when they
learned that the soldiers were their protectors, they took
courage and did good service in the way of preparing
refreshments and attending the wounded."
Our informant, who was on the hill when the firing was going
on, says: "All the terrible scenes of a battle passed in
reality before my eyes. Soldiers could be seen pursuing singly
and in couples, and the crack of a musket or rifle was
generally followed by one or more of the insurgents biting the
dust. The dead lay in the streets where they fell. The wounded
were cared for."
|
