John Brown's Raid of Harpers Ferry
Updated 2 Feb 2022
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Created byMadeline Bradshaw
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John Brown and his group of raiders leave their camp and begin to move towards Harpers Ferry.He and his men take complete control of the two bridges in Harpers Ferry, the U.S. Armory and Arsenal, and the U.S. Rifle Works.The people enslaved by Lewis Washington and John Allstadt are freed, and the slave owners are taken into captivity.The B&O passenger train makes a sudden stop at one of the bridges and Heyward Shepherd is severely injured by gunshot while assessing the train's abrupt stop.Messengers begin spreading the news of a slave revolt to the surrounding areas.The townspeople turn against Brown and his men leading to the death of Thomas Boerly.John Brown’s raiders are surrounded and are unable to escape from the local militia. Unfortunately, Dangerfield Newby is shot and killed and William Thompson is taken hostage by showing the white flag.A second white flag of truce is being carried by Brown’s men, but Watson Brown and Aaron Stevens are shot.In the Armory, Mayor Fontaine Beckam is murdered by gunshot. Because of this, a drunken mob storms and slaughters William Thomposon and dispose of him in the Potomac River. John Copeland and a former slave, Ben, were taken hostage. John Kagi and Jim, a slave, were brutally killed, and Lewis Leary is severly injured while escaping across the Shenadoah River.90 U.S. Marines led by Colonel Robert E. Lee came by train from Washington D.C. to Harpers Ferry.Due to Brown’s refusal to surrender, multiple raiders are killed. John Brown is beaten by sword by Lieutenant Israel Green. Multiple raiders are captured, but are not further harmed. Watson Brown died the day after he was captured.
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