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1859 – On Sunday evening radical abolitionist John Brown and a tiny army of five black and 13 white supporters seized the Federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).
Convinced that local slaves would rise up behind him, Brown planned to establish a new republic of fugitives in the Appalachian Mountains. Brown’s plans immediately went awry when the expected slave rebellion did not happen and the townspeople trapped Brown’s men inside the engine house at the Federal arsenal.
Within 24 hours, Brown and his four surviving men were captured by a force of 90 U.S. Marines under the command of Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee. Brown, quickly convicted of criminal conspiracy and treason and sentenced to death, was hanged on December 2, 1859.
As he went to the gallows, Brown handed a note to one of his guards: “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.”
https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/october-16/
Convinced that local slaves would rise up behind him, Brown planned to establish a new republic of fugitives in the Appalachian Mountains. Brown’s plans immediately went awry when the expected slave rebellion did not happen and the townspeople trapped Brown’s men inside the engine house at the Federal arsenal.
Within 24 hours, Brown and his four surviving men were captured by a force of 90 U.S. Marines under the command of Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee. Brown, quickly convicted of criminal conspiracy and treason and sentenced to death, was hanged on December 2, 1859.
As he went to the gallows, Brown handed a note to one of his guards: “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.”
https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/october-16/
Military History
Slavery
Civil War
Posted 9 y ago
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MSG (Join to see) thanks for the historical perspective each and every RallyPoint day. (Sweet)
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Thank you MSG (Join to see) for providing military history posts.
These posts are refreshing. :-)
I visited Harpers Ferry a few times while growing up. I live about 50 miles from Harpers Ferry, VA now. The area is beautiful where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac River. The Federal arsenal has been fairly well preserved.
While what he did was wrong, John Brown's motivations to free the slaves were correct. Within 6 years over 640,000 men died fighting the US Civil War. I hope that his quote “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood” is not correct and that the nations crimes fro slavery and a host of other sins has been purged by blood spilled during the Civil War.
These posts are refreshing. :-)
I visited Harpers Ferry a few times while growing up. I live about 50 miles from Harpers Ferry, VA now. The area is beautiful where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac River. The Federal arsenal has been fairly well preserved.
While what he did was wrong, John Brown's motivations to free the slaves were correct. Within 6 years over 640,000 men died fighting the US Civil War. I hope that his quote “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood” is not correct and that the nations crimes fro slavery and a host of other sins has been purged by blood spilled during the Civil War.
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