On the 4th of July, 1859, John Brown, under an assumed name, with two sons and another follower, appeared near Harper’s Ferry, and soon after rented the Kennedy Farm, in Maryland, five miles from town, where he made a pretense of cattle-dealing and mining; but in reality collected secretly his rifles, revolvers, ammunition, pikes, blankets, tents, and miscellaneous articles for a campaign.  His rather eccentric actions, and the irregular coming and going of occasional strangers at his cabin, created no suspicion in the neighborhood.  Cautiously increasing his supplies, and gathering his recruits, he appointed the attack for the 24th of October; but for some unexplained reason (fear of treachery, it is vaguely suggested) he precipitated his movement in advance of that date.  From this point the occurrences exhibit no foresight or completeness of preparation, no diligent pursuit of an intelligent plan, nor skill to devise momentary expedients; only a blind impulse to act.

On Sunday evening, October 16, 1859, Brown gave his final orders, humanely directing his men to take no life where they could avoid it.  Placing a few pikes and other implements in his one-horse wagon, he started with his company of eighteen followers at 8 o’clock in the evening, leaving five men behind.  They cut the telegraph wires on the way, and reached Harper’s Ferry about 11 o’clock.  He himself broke open the armory gates, took the watchmen prisoners, and made that place his headquarters.  Separating his men into small detachments, he took possession of, and attempted to hold, the two bridges, the arsenal, and the rifle-factory.  Next he sent six of his men five miles into the country to bring in several prominent slaveowners and their slaves.  This was accomplished before daylight, and all were brought as prisoners to Brown at the armory.  With them they also brought a large four-horse farm wagon, which he now sent to transfer arms from the Kennedy farm to a school-house on the Maryland side of the Potomac, about one mile from the town.

Meanwhile, about midnight of Sunday, they detained the railroad train three hours, but finally allowed it to proceed.  A negro porter was shot on the bridge.  The town began to be alarmed.  Citizens were captured at various points, and brought to swell the number of prisoners at the armory, counting forty or fifty by morning.  Still, not until daylight, and even until the usual hour of rising on Monday morning, did the town comprehend the nature and extent of the trouble.

What, now, did Brown intend to do?  What result did he look for from his movement thus far?  Amid his conflicting acts and contradictory explanations, the indications seem clear only on two or three points.  Both he and his men gave everybody to understand without reserve that they had come not to kill whites, but only to liberate slaves.  Soon, also, he placed pikes in the hands of his black prisoners.  But that ceremony did not make soldiers of them, as his