John Brown, Soldier of Fortune: A CritiqueWilson, Hill Peebles
History
John Brown, Soldier of Fortune: A Critique
Wilson, Hill Peebles
Brown, John, 1800-1859
When Colonel Washington said to me, "This is Osawatomie,"
Brown turned his head to see who it was to whom Colonel
Washington was speaking. Quicker than thought, I brought my
sabre down with all my strength, upon his head. He was
moving as the blow fell, and I suppose I did not strike him
where I intended, for he received a deep sabre cut on the
back of his neck. He fell senseless on his side, then
rolled over on his back. He had in his hand a short Sharp's
Cavalry carbine. I think he had just fired as I reached
Colonel Washington, for the marine who followed me into the
aperture made by the ladder, received a bullet in the
abdomen from which he died in a few minutes. The shot might
have been fired by some one else in the party, but I think
it came from Brown. Instantly, as Brown fell, I gave him a
sabre thrust in the left breast. The sword I carried was a
light uniform weapon and either not having a point, or
striking something hard in Brown's accouterments, did not
penetrate. The blade bent double. By that time three or
four of my men were inside. They came rushing in like
tigers, as a storming assault is not a play-day sport. They
bayoneted one man, skulking under the engine, and pinned
another fellow up against the rear wall, both being killed
instantly. I ordered the men to spill no more blood. The
other insurgents were at once taken under arrest, and the
contest ended. The whole fight had not lasted over three
minutes.[387]
Of Brown's eleven prisoners, whom he was holding as hostages, Lieutenant
Green says:
They were the sorriest lot of people I ever saw. They had
been without food for over sixty hours, in constant dread
of being shot, and were huddled up in the corner where lay
the body of Brown's son and one or two others of the
insurgents who had been killed.
The scrimmage being over, Green and Coppoc were taken into custody, and
the dead and wounded were carried from the engine-house and laid upon
the armory lawn, where they were protected from violence by a guard
detailed from the company of marines. Later, Mr. Villard states, Brown
was carried to the office of the pay-master of the armory and there
given medical attention, when it was found that his wounds were far less
serious than they were at first supposed to be.
Of the twenty-two ambitious men who courageously undertook to organize
the "Provisional Army," ten had been killed: Kagi, Oliver Brown, Watson
Brown, William Thompson, Dauphin Thompson, Jeremiah G. Anderson, Leeman,
Newby, Leary, and Taylor. Five were prisoners: Brown, Stevens, E.
Coppoc, Green, and Copeland. Seven had got away: Cook, Hazlett, Tidd,
Owen Brown, Barclay Coppoc, Osborn P. Anderson, and Merriam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account