The Raid on Harper's Ferry


         On a rented farm in Maryland, Brown gathered an armed group of sixteen whites and five blacks to attack the federal arsenal across the Potomac River in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, on the night of October 16, 1859. His army took 60 hostages and held out against the local militia but finally surrendered to the United States Marines under Colonel Robert E. Lee. Ten of Brown's men, including two of his sons , were killed. Brown was one of the many wounded and taken prisoner. Brown was convicted by the Commonwealth of Virginia of treason, murder, and inciting slaves to rebellion. Brown was hung on Dec. 2, 1859. During his trial he said he would, "forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactment's...."

 John Brown's Movements to Harper's Ferry

May 10- June 2: In Boston
June 3: Left Boston arrived in Collinsville Conn.
June 4: Reached New York
June 5-6: In New York
June 7: At Troy NY
June 9: At Keen NY
June 10: West port NY  (Last time in New England)
June 18: At West Andover, Ohio
June 19: Left West Andover
June 23: At Akron and Pittsburgh, Ohio
June 24-27: At Bedford Springs, PA
June 27-28: At Chambers burg, PA
June 30: To Hagerstown, PA
July 3: At Sandy Hook, Maryland
July 12: Moved to a shack in Kentucky
August 16-21: Met at Chambersburg, PA with Frederick Douglas
September 27: Enrollee to Philadelphia
September 30: At Harrisburg
October 1-8: At Chambersburg, planning details of raid
October 16: Raid begins
October 17: Colonial Militia arrives, led by Robert E. Lee
October 18: Brown captured
October 19: Taken to Charleston prison
October 25: Trial begins
November 2: Convicted of treason, murder, leading slaves to rebellion, sentenced to hang
December 2: Executed 

Kennedy Farmhouse, Sandy Hook, Maryland


 
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