A voice from Harper's Ferry; a narrative of events at Harper's Ferry : $b with incidents prior and subsequent to its capture by Captain Brown and his men — John Shaqi
A voice from Harper's Ferry; a narrative of events at Harper's Ferry : $b with incidents prior and subsequent to its capture by Captain Brown and his menAnderson, Osborne P. (Osborne Perry)
History
A voice from Harper's Ferry; a narrative of events at Harper's Ferry : $b with incidents prior and subsequent to its capture by Captain Brown and his men
Anderson, Osborne P. (Osborne Perry)
Brown, John, 1800-1859; Harpers Ferry (W. Va.) -- History -- John Brown's Raid, 1859
As the Kennedy Farm is a part of history, a slight allusion to its
location may not be out of place, although it has been so frequently
spoken of as to be almost universally known. The Farm is located in
Washington County, Maryland, in a mountainous region, on the road from
Chambersburg; it is in a comparatively non-slaveholding population,
four miles from Harper’s Ferry. Yet, among the few traders in the
souls of men located around, several circumstances peculiar to the
institution happened while the party sojourned there, which serve to
show up its hideous character. During three weeks of my residence
at the Farm, no less than four deaths took place among the slaves;
one, Jerry, living three miles away, hung himself in the late Dr.
Kennedy’s orchard, because he was to be sold South, his master having
become insolvent. The other three cases were homicides; they were
punished so that death ensued immediately, or in a short time. It was
the knowledge of these atrocities, and the melancholy suicide named,
that caused Oliver Brown, when writing to his young wife, to refer
directly to the deplorable aspect of slavery in that neighborhood. Once
fairly established, and freight having arrived safely, the published
correspondence becomes significant to an actor in the scene. Emigrants
began to drop down, from this quarter and the other. Smith writes to
Kagi:--
WEST ANDOVER, Ashtabula Co., O., Wednesday, 1859.
FRIEND HENRIE,--Yours of the 14th inst. I received last night--glad to
learn that the “Wire” has arrived in good condition, and that our “R”
friend was pleased with a view of those “pre-eventful shadows.”
Shall write Leary at once, also our other friends at the North and
East. Am highly pleased with the prospect I have of doing something
to the purpose now, right away, here and in contiguous sections,
in the way of getting stock taken. I am devoting my whole time to
our work. Write often, and keep me posted up close. [Here follow
some phonographic characters, which may be read: “I have learned
phonography, but not enough to correspond to any advantage. Can
probably read any thing you may write, if written in the corresponding
style.”]
Faithfully yours,
JOHN SMITH.
Please say to father to address [phonographic characters which might
read “John Luther”] when he writes me. I wish you to see what I have
written him.
J. S.
THE AGENT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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