People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1894 — JOHN BROWN'S RAID [ARTICLE]

JOHN BROWN'S RAID

Most of the Received Histories of the Episode are Incorrect. There has been] so much romance mixed up with the Brown raid that it becomes the duty of the historical student and investigator to get at the actual facts. A prominent citizen and able jurist of this country informs me that most of the published accounts of the Brown raid are imperfect, writes a Martin’s Ferry correspondent of the Washington Star. John Brown caijie here from his Adirondack hotoe in the autum of 1859. The I writer, during the past season, was a visitor to Essex county, N. Y., where Brown resided and is buried, and gathered many facts of his personal history. Brown passed his last night, while en route to Harper’s Ferry, with the late Mr. Norton, who informed me that in reply to a question as to his future movements, Brown said: “Watch the Tribune.”

When Brown squatted on the Maryland Heights he gave out that his object was mining, and when the boxes of pikes, guns, etc., arrived it was understood that they were mining tools. A man named Thompson, an important personage in the little army of invasion, was posted with others at the Potomac span of the iron bridge, while John Brown’s son and Lieutenant Stevens held the Shenandoah span. Thompson was captured and held a prisoner in the old brick hotel (not now standing), while Stevens and Brown were routed from their position and driven toward the armory. When near the Galt House they were fired on by some citizens concealed in that building. Young Brown was shot through the body, but succeeded in reaching the armory, when he called to his friends, “They’ve shot me,” but immediately reloaded, and seeing Ezra Beckham, mayor of the village and railroad agent, a popular and inoffensive man, shot him dead on the trestle. He soon aftei’ expired from his own wound. The citizens, learning of the death of Beckham, cried, “Blood for blood,” and promptly avenged the deed by hurrying Thompson to the bridge, where he was shot and thrown into the Potomac. Stevens was saved and taken to jail at Charlestown, where he was tried, condemned and executed.