| Show JOHN BROWN LETTERS FOUND Richmond Va Dec 21After lying In obscurity for nearly forty years letters written in 1S59 and containing matter never before printed regarding the famous John Brown raid at Harpers Ferry were made public today to-day They were discovered among I some papers In the loft of Virginias ancient capitol building where they were placed for safekeeping by Col George Munford once AdjutantGen eral of thc State long since dead There are nearly a hundred of the letters In nil Some of them are written to John Brown and others are frqm Browns fellow prisoners one giving a thrilling account of the famous light at Harpers Ferry One Is deeply stained with blood probably that of the writer who threatens the most awful vengeance if a hair of Browns head is harmed Thc most Interesting paper Is l Istof tho names of those who took part in the John Brown raid prepared by Andrew Hunter who was special prosecuting ofllcer of the State In the trial of the prisoners So far as known these names have never before been printed These are the white men John Brown New York Aaron C Stephens Connecticut Edwin Coppcc Iowa Oliver Brown New York Watson Wat-son Brown New York Albert Haslet Pennsylvania William Lemon Maine John Cooke Connecticut Stuart Taylor Tay-lor Canada Charles P TIdd Maine John Kaga Ohio Jerry Anderson Indiana In-diana These are the negroes Danger field and Ncwby Virginia and Ohio O P Anderson Pennsylvania Emperor Em-peror New York Lear Oberlln Ohio Copeland Iowa One of the letters intimates that Fred Douglass sympathized wltlf the object oC John Brown which was to free the slaves but that he did not approve of his raid upon Harpers Ferry The documents show that Brown was confident confi-dent that he had been engaged in the work of the Lord bore his punishment cheerfully and met death firmly He was hanged on December 2 1S59 and his fellow prisoners were hanged on December IClli of the same year In nearly all of the letters are promises to rescue Brown and his party Silas P Wade of Watertown Wis wrote a letter of encouragement declaring de-claring that there were 1000 organized desperate men armed to the teeth on their way to set him free The mot unique letter is Eb uniqueleler one signed 1n which the writer a woman extends the aid of a society of Quakers and says he has the right to employ the sword to free his brethren for God ha made of one blood ail nations of menThe men-The description of the fight at Harpers Har-pers Ferry Is given by John A Copeland Cope-land one of the prisoners He says When we came to the ferry we were pu under the command of CapL Kaga and sent about 10 oclock on Saturday night to the Hal rifle factory where we remained until JUonday about 2 p I m At this time we discovered we were being surrounded by men when Capt Rags gave qrders to leave the building which we accordingly did But upon getting in the road we Discovered Dis-covered that our only means of cscpe If any was to cross the ShenandOah river which we tried to olossOn entering the river we turned and fired one round ut those who had by this sidesCapt time opened a hot lire upon us from all I Capt Kaga succeeded In getting I about twothirds across the river when I he was shot through the head and sank Thc whole fire of at least fifty men was turned upon Lcary and myself When he being next to Kaga and in l advance I of me saw there was no chance of es 3n he climbed on a stone that was I near him turned his back upon those on L the side of the river to which we were trying to escape and was shot through lIme I body He died about ten minutes afterward Another letter written to Brown by J Woodruff of Ann Arbor Mich makes I this striking prediction The sentence and execution of executon you Land L-and your companions will actually be m thc sentence of the slave power and I the execution will not be delayed Let Mils 1 cheer your dying hour Good lives I and so shall this he and good shall L Lbrlng It to pass I learn that your family is in destitution Have no fear for I will see that they shall not suffer A writer who signs himself Your earnest friend in the hands of Christ and liberty says Remember servant of God martyr of Jesua that the rope thut shall be put to your neck Invites the grasp of omnipotence to strangle out of existence exist-ence the monstrous curse of American I slavery This letter Is dated from New York city A letter from Baltimore Is especially saying es-pecially = bitter against Browns captors Ah could I but do it by speaking and set you free from those black hearted evils r would do I We will soon be on our Journey to free you I I hope the accursed city Harpers Ferry may be burned to ashes We will wi march from six different points so that iroru party is attacked time othom can take them by surprise and rescue m you youBrowns Browns sister writes to him from I Rochester I have watched you dear brother with more than 0 sisters love as you L were taken from your all to thc Judgment Judg-ment Hal I see you wounded and I weak In body yet strong In trust I InvoIce upon you the choicest of heavens benefactions The letters will be preserved In tho State library Their value Is estimated I ly l Librarian W W Scott at 5000 a 5000 New York Sun |
