Young folks' history of the United States . issouri. Afterorder was restored in Kansas, John Brown resolved tofulfil a plan he had long formed for resisting slavery inthe slave States themselves. In his youth he had beenfamiliar with the mountains of Virginia, and had therevisited places which, as he used to say, had evidentlybeen created to be the stronghold for fugitive Washington, long before him, had formed aplan to take the American army into these mountains,should the colonies be defeated; and John Brownproposed to do the same with an army of blacks. So,having collected a
Young folks' history of the United States . issouri. Afterorder was restored in Kansas, John Brown resolved tofulfil a plan he had long formed for resisting slavery inthe slave States themselves. In his youth he had beenfamiliar with the mountains of Virginia, and had therevisited places which, as he used to say, had evidentlybeen created to be the stronghold for fugitive Washington, long before him, had formed aplan to take the American army into these mountains,should the colonies be defeated; and John Brownproposed to do the same with an army of blacks. So,having collected a small body of men near Harpers286 JOHN BROWN S RAID. 287 Ferry, Va., he entered and took possession of the town,Oct. 16, 1859. He at once seized the United States He seizesArsenal, intending thus to secure arms for the fugitive g^ates^^slaves whom he meant to summon to his side. arsenal. He frankly announced his object to be the freedomof the slaves; and he promised safety to all property,except slave-property. He had in all but twenty-two. HARPERS FERRY. men ; but so great was the alarm produced by these,that several eye-witnesses reported the number to bethree hundred; and this estimate was at once tele-graphed to all parts of the Union. With this smallnumber he took many of the chief inhabitants of thetown as hostages for the safety of those under his com-mand. Wishing to spare all unnecessary alarm to the 28S YOUNG FOLKS UNITED STATES. The trialof JonnBrown. His com-rades. families of these hostages, he stayed at Harpers Ferrytoo long for his safety; so that militia companies hadtime to assemble, and finally a detachment of UnitedStates marines appeared upon the scene. Fifteenhundred militiamen were gradually collected in thetown; but Browns little force defended the arsenaluntil nearly every man was killed or wounded, and theythen surrendered to the United States troops. ColonelWashington, one of his prisoners, said that CaptainBrown was the coolest and firmest man he ever
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