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
It was after sunrise some time when we awoke in the morning. The first
sound we heard was shooting at the Ferry. Hazlett thought it must be
Owen Brown and his men trying to force their way into the town, as they
had been informed that a number of us had been taken prisoners, and we
started down along the ridge to join them. When we got in sight of the
Ferry, we saw the troops firing across the river to the Maryland side
with considerable spirit. Looking closely, we saw, to our surprise,
that they were firing upon a few of the colored men, who had been armed
the day before by our men, at the Kennedy Farm, and stationed down at
the school-house by C. P. Tidd. They were in the bushes on the edge
of the mountains, dodging about, occasionally exposing themselves to
the enemy. The troops crossed the bridge in pursuit of them, but they
retreated in different directions. Being further in the mountains, and
more secure, we could see without personal harm befalling us. One of
the colored men came towards where we were, when we hailed him, and
inquired the particulars. He said that one of his comrades had been
shot, and was lying on the side of the mountains; that they thought
the men who had armed them the day before must be in the Ferry. That
opinion, we told him, was not correct. We asked him to join with us in
hunting up the rest of the party, but he declined, and went his way.
While we were in this part of the mountains, some of the troops went
to the school-house, and took possession of it. On our return along
up the ridge, from our position, screened by the bushes, we could see
them as they invested it. Our last hope of shelter, or of meeting our
companions, now being destroyed, we concluded to make our escape
North. We started at once, and wended our way along until dark, without
being fortunate enough to overtake our friends, or to get any thing to
eat. As may be supposed, from such incessant activity, and not having
tasted a morsel for forty-eight hours, our appetites were exceedingly
keen. So hungry were we, that we sought out a cornfield, under cover
of the night, gathered some of the ears,--which, by the way, were
pretty well hardened,--carried them into the mountains,--our fortunate
resource,--and, having matches, struck fire, and roasted and feasted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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