24. XXIV.
JOHN BROWN AND HIS BULL-DOG.
We were up with the dawn, and before sunrise had breakfasted
and were on the way to visit the pickets.
Passing through Martinsburg, we pushed on toward the Potomac,
and, ascending the river's bank, inspected the pickets along
the entire front, returning only after nightfall.
This ride through a beautiful country was delightful; and Stuart's
gay and varied conversation made the hours glide away
almost unnoticed. One of his anecdotes—an account of the part
he had taken in the capture of John Brown—will be here recorded.
“I was in Virginia at that time on furlough,” he said, “and,
singularly enough, had run over to Washington, when the news
of the riot at Harper's Ferry came. I immediately went to the
War Department to offer my services, but could not find the
Secretary. Some of the employes of the Department were talking,
and one of them said, `I'm going straight to Virginia, to look
after my wife and children,' as a negro insurrection was expected;
but I thought to myself, `The best way to defend my wife and
children is to go to Harper's Ferry,' and I hurried to the White
House, where I found General Lee, then Colonel, Secretary Floyd,
and President Buchanan. I saw the General for a moment, and
told him how anxious I was to go, but he said he did not know
that I could. The President then called him and said, `You will
take command of the marines, Colonel, and proceed at once to
Harper's Ferry—but act prudently, Colonel.' Lee bowed, and
was turning away, when Floyd came after him to the door, and
said, `Give 'em hell, Colonel!' This was the time to prefer my
request, so I begged the Secretary to let me go, and, after looking
at me for a moment, he said, `Well, go.' I hurried off, met Colonel
Lee at the cars, and we were soon flying along toward
Harper's Ferry.
“When we arrived, Brown was in the engine-house, with his
band and the prisoners he had taken. It was a small house inside
the grounds of the arsenal, exactly like an ordinary fire-engine
house in cities—with large folding doors. The Virginia troops
had been deliberating upon the best means of assault, but upon
Colonel Lee's arrival he assumed command, and the first step
which he took was to send me forward to demand a surrender.
I accordingly walked into the enclosure, and approached the
engine-house, waving a white handkerchief, and, when I got to
the door, called out that I wished to speak with `Captain Smith.'
I forgot to say that, up to this time, Brown had passed as Captain
Smith, and I thus addressed him. At my call, he came and
opened one fold of the door a little way. Behind it was a heavy
rope stretched across—better security than a bar, as it would
yield if a battering ram of any sort were used, but not give way.
“Well, the old fellow appeared at the opening of the door, with
a carbine in his hand, and below appeared the head of a big bull
dog, who kept snarling at my knee and growling angrily during
the whole conversation. As soon as I saw the man, I knew that
I had met with him before, and in a moment I remembered him.
“ `You are Ossawatomie Brown, of Kansas, are you not?' I said.
“ `He looked at me keenly for a minute from under his grizzly
eyebrows, and then said coolly, addressing me by my title:
“ `Well, they do call me that, sometimes, Lieutenant.'
“ `I thought I remembered meeting you in Kansas,' was my
reply. `This is a bad business you are in, Captain. The United
States troops have arrived, and I am sent to demand your surrender.'
“ `Upon what terms?' he asked coolly; in fact, he displayed no
sort of excitement during the entire interview.
“ `The terms are that you shall surrender to the officer commanding
the troops, and he will protect you from the crowd, and
guarantee you a fair trial.'
“Brown shook his head.
“ `I can't surrender on such terms,' he said. `You must allow
me to leave this engine-house with my comrades and the prisoners,
and march across the river to the Maryland side: there I
will release the prisoners, and, as soon as this is done, your troops
may fire on and pursue us.'
“I replied that I had no authority to agree to any such arrangement,
and was ordered to demand his surrender on the terms
first proposed.
“ `Well, Lieutenant,' said the old fellow, `I see we can't agree.
You have the numbers on me, but you know we soldiers are not
afraid of death. I would as life die by a bullet as on the gallows.'
“ `Is that your final answer, Captain?' I asked.
“ `Yes.'
“I then stepped aside, and he closed the door. When I re
ported the result to Colonel Lee, he ordered the marines to attack
the engine-house, and this was done with a ladder which
was used as a battering ram. As they approached, Brown and
his men opened fire from the air-holes in the wall, and killed one
or two of the men; but the door soon yielded, and after a short
struggle the whole party were captured.”
Such was the narrative related to me by Colonel Stuart, and
finished just as we reached head-quarters.[1]
