University of Virginia Library

17. John Brown's Raid
By CAPTAIN DANGER FIELD (1859)

I WALKED toward my office, then just within the armory enclosure, and not more than a hundred yards from my house. As I proceeded, I saw a man come out of an alley, then another, and another, all coming towards me. I inquired what all this meant; they said, "Nothing, only they had taken possession of the Government works."I told them they talked like crazy men. They at once cocked their guns and told me I was a prisoner. I then asked what they intended to do with me. They said I was in no personal danger; they only wanted to carry me to their captain, John Smith. I asked them where Captain Smith was. They answered, at the guard house, inside the armory enclosure. I told them I would go there.

Upon reaching the gate, I saw what indeed looked like war— negroes armed with pikes, and 'sentinels with muskets all around. Up to this time the citizens bad hardly begun to move about, and knew nothing of the raid. When they learned what was going on, some came out with old shot guns, and were themselves shot by concealed men. All the stores, as well as the arsenal, were in the hands of Brown's men, and it was impossible to get either arms or ammunition, for there were hardly any private weapons. At last, however, a few arms were obtained, and a body of citizens crossed the river and advanced from the Maryland side. They made a vigorous attack, and in a few minutes caused all the invaders who were not killed to retreat to Brown inside of the armory gate.

Then commenced a terrible firing from without, at every point from which the windows could be seen, and in a few minutes every window was shattered, and hundreds of balls came through the doors. These shots were answered from within whenever the attacking party could be seen. This was kept up most of the day, and, strange to say, not a prisoner was hurt, though thousands of balls were imbedded in the walls, and holes shot in the doors almost large enough for a man to creep through. At night the firing ceased, for we were in total darkness, and nothing could be seen in the engine-house.

During the day and night I talked much with Brown. I found him as brave as a man could be, and sensible upon all subjects except slavery. He believed it was his duty to free the slaves, even if in doing so he lost his own life. During a sharp fight, one of Brown's sons was killed. He fell; then trying to raise himself, he said, "It is all over with me,"and died instantly. Brown did not leave his post at the porthole; but when the fighting was over be walked to his son's body, straightened out his limbs, took off his trappings, and then, turning to n~e, said, "This is the third son I have lost in this cause."Another son had been shot in the morning, and was then dying, having been brought in from the street.

The firing was kept up by our men all day and until late at night, and during that time several of Brown's men were killed, but none of the prisoners were hurt, though they were often in great danger. When Colonel Lee came with the government troops in the night, he at once sent a flag of truce by his

aid, J. E. B. Stuart, to notify Brown of his arrival, and in the name of the United States to demand his surrender, advising him to throw himself on the clemency of the government. Brown declined to accept Colonel Lee's terms, and determined to await the attack.

When Stuart had gone, Brown at once proceeded to barricade the doors, windows, etc., endeavoring to make the place as strong as possible. All this time no one of Brown's men showed the least fear, but calmly awaited the attack, selecting the best situations to fire from, and arranging their guns and pistols so that a fresh one could be taken up as soon as one was discharged.

When Lieutenant Stuart came in the morning for the final reply to the demand to surrender, I got up and went to Brown's side to hear his answer. Stuart asked, "Are you ready to surrender, and trust to the mercy of the government? "Brown answered, "No, I prefer to die here."His manner did not betray the least alarm. Stuart stepped aside and made a signal for the attack, which was instantly begun with sledge hammers to break down the door. Finding it would not yield, the soldiers seized a long ladder for a battering ram, and commenced beating the door with that, the party firing incessantly. I bad assisted in the barricading, fixing the fastenings so that I could remove them on the first effort to get in. But I. was not at the door when the battering began, and could not get to the fastenings till the ladder was used. I then quickly removed the fastenings, and, after two or three strokes of the ladder, the engine rolled partially back, making a small aperture, through which Lieutenant Green of the Marines forced his

way, jumped on top Of the engine, and stood a second, amidst a shower of balls, looking for John Brown.

When he saw Brown he sprang about twelve feet at him, giving an under thrust of his sword, striking Brown about midway the body, and raising him completely from the ground. Brown fell forward with his head between his knees, while Green struck him several times over the head, and, as I then supposed, split his skull at every stroke. I was not two feet from Brown at that time.

Of course I got out of the building as soon as possible, and did not know till some time later that Brown was not killed. It seems that Green's sword, in making the thrust, struck Brown's belt, and did not penetrate the body. The sword was bent double. The reason that Brown was not killed when struck on the head was, that Green was holding his sword in the middle, striking with the hilt, and making only scalp wounds.

After some controversy between the United States and the state of Virginia, as to which had jurisdiction over the prisoners, Brown was carried to the Charleston jail, and after a fair trial was hanged. Of course I was a witness at the trial, and I must say have never seen any man display more courage and fortitude than John Brown showed under the trying circumstances in which he was placed. 1 could not go to *see him hanged. He had made me a prisoner, but had spared my life and that of other gentlemen in his power; and when his sons were shot down beside him, almost any other man similarly placed would at least have exacted life for life.