The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume], December 16, 1859, Image 8

About The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865

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4
onftuion of John E. Cooke—HUtory
of U« Connection with the Traitor*.
A correspondent of the N. Y. Iribune
has famished that paper with an exact copy
of the written confession of Cookk, as it was
given in the Charlestown jail, and read to
the Court and jury on his trial. It posses
ses considerable interest, and throws some
light upon the original intention of the
Harper’s Ferry treasonous conspiracy. The
names that he mentions, and the character
of the complicity of certain parties in the
infamous interprise, all belong to history.
He says:
I became acquainted with Captain John
Brown in his camp on Middle Creek, Kan
sas Territory, just after the battle of Black
Jack, and was with him in said camp until
it was broken up, and his company disband
ed by Colonel Sumner, of the First Cavalry.
U. S. A. ; next saw him at the Convention
at Topeka, which wos on the 4th of July,
1856. I next met him, some days after
wards, in Lawrence. Did* not see him
again until the fall of 1857, when I met
him at the house of E. B. Whitman, about
four miles from Lawrence Kansas Territory,
which, I think, was about the first of
November following. I was told that he
intended to organize a company for the
purpose of putting a stop to the aggressions
of the pro-slavery men. 1 agreed to join
him, and was asked it I knew of any other
young men, who were perfectly reliable,
whom I thought would join also. I recom
mended Richard Realf, L. F. Parsons, and
R. J. Hinton. I received a note on the
next Sunday morning, while at breakfast in
the Whitney House, from Captain Brown,
requesting me to come up that day, and to
bring Realf, Parsons and Hinton with me.
Realf and Hinton were not in town, and
therefore I could not extend to them the in
vitation. Parsons and myself went, and had
a long talk with Capt. Brown.
A few days afterward, I received another
note from Capt. Brown, which read, as near
as I can recollect, as follows :
“ Date .
“Capt. Cook— Dear Sir:—You will please
Set every thing ready to join me at Topeka by
tonday night next. Come to Mrs. Sheridan’s,
two miles south of Topeka, and bring your
arms, ammunition, clothing and other articles
yon may require. Bring Parsons with you if
he can get ready in time. Please keep very
quiet about the matter.
Yours, Ac,,
JOHN BROWN.”
I made all my arrangements for starting
at the time'appointed. Parsons, Realf and
Hinton could not get ready. I left them at
Lawrence, and started in a carriage for To-
Ska. Stopped at the hotel over night and
t early the next morning for Mrs. Sheri
dan’s, to meet Captain Brown. Staid a
day and a half at Mrs. S.’s ; then left for
Topeka, at which place we were joined by
Stephens, Moffet and Kagi. Left Topeka
for Nebraska City, and encamped at night
on the prairie north-east of Topeka. Here,
for the first, I learned that we were to leave
Kansas to attend a military school during
the winte r . It was the intention of the party
to go to Ashtabula Co., Ohio. Next morn
ing I was sent back to Lawrence to get a
draft of SBO cashed, and to get Parsons,
Realf and Hinton to go back with me. I
got the draft cashed. Captain Brown had
given me orders to take boat to St. Joseph,
Missouri, and stage from there to Tabor,
lowa, where he would remain for a few days.
I had to wait for Realf for three or four
days : Hinton could not leave at that time.
I started with Realf and Parsons on a
stage for Leavenworth. |The boats bad
stopped running on account of the ice.
Staid one day in Leavenworth, and then
left for Weston, where we took stage for St.
Joseph, and from thence to Tabor. I found
C. P. Tidd and Leeman at Tabor. Our
party now consisted of Captain John Brown,
Owen Brown, A. D. Stephens, C. Moffett,
C. P. Tidd, Richard Robertson, Colonel
Richard Realf, L. F. Parsons, Wm. Lee
man and myself. We stopped some days at
Tabor, making preparations to start. Here
we found that Captain Brown’s ultimate
destination was the State of V irgiuia. Some
warm words passed between him and my
self in regard to the plan, which I had sup
posed w,:s to be confined entirely to Kansas
and Missouri. Realf and Parsons were of
the same opinion with me. After a good
deal of wrangling, we consented to go ou, as
we had not the means to return, and the
rest of the party were so anxions that we
should go with them. At Tabor we pro
cured teams for the transportation of about
two hundred Sharpe's rifles, which had been
taken on as far as Tabor one year before, at
which place they had been left, awaiting the
order of Captain Brown. There were also
other stores, consisting of blankets, clothing,
boots, ammunition, and about two hundred
revolvers of the Massachusetts arms patent,
all of which were transported across the
State of lowa to Springdale, and from there
to Liberty, at which place they were shipped
for Ashtabula county, Ohio, where they re
mained till brought to Chambersburg, Pa.,
and were from there transported to a house
in Washington, county. Maryland, which
Captain Brown had rented from six months
and which was situated about five miles from
Harper’s Ferry.
It was the intention of Captain Brown to
sell his teams in Springdale, and with the
proceeds to go on with the rest of the com
pany to some place in Ashtabula County,
Ohio, where we were to have a good military
instructor during the winter, but he was
disappointed in the sale. As could not
get cash for the teams, it was decided we
should remain in the neighborhood of Spring
dale, and that our instructor, Colonel H.
Forbes, should be sent on. We stopped in
Pedee, lowa, over winter, at Mr. Maxson's,
where we pursued a course of military
studies. Colonel H. Forbes and Captain
Brown had some words, and he (Colonel F.)
did not come on ; consequently, A. D. Ste
phens was our drill master. The people
of the neighborhood did not know of our
purpose. We remained at Pedee till about
the middle of April, when we left for Chat
ham, Canada, via Chicago and Detroit. We
staid about two weeks in Chatham—some
of the party staid six or seven weeks. We
left Chatham for Cleveland, and remained
there until late in June.
In his trip East he did not realize the
amount of money that he expected. The
money had been promised bona fide, but
owing to the tightness of the money market
they tailed to comply with his demands.
The funds were necessary to the accomplish
ment of his plans. I afterwards learned that
there was a lack of confidence in the success
of his scheme. It was, therefore, necessary
that a movement should be made in another
direction to demonstrate the practicability
of his plan. This he made about a year
ago by his invasion of Missouri, and the
taking of about a dozen together
with horses, cattle, etc., into Kansas, in
defiance of the United States Marshal and
his posse. From Kansas he took them to
Canada, via lowa City and Cleveland. At
the latter place he remained some days, and,
I think, disposed of his horses there. It
seems that the United States Marshal was
afraid to arrest him, and this was all that
was wanting to give confidence to H the wa
vering in the practicability of his plan and
its ultimate success. He came to Harper’s
Ferry about the last of June, though I did
not see him till late in July, or the early
part of August, when we met on Shenan
doah street, Harper’s Ferry, opposite Tear
ney’s store. Ido not known who were his
aiders or abettors, but have heard him men
tion, in connection with it, the names of
Gerrit Smith, of New York, Howe, of
Boston, and Sanborn and Thaddeus Hyatt,
of New York city. What connection, and
how far connected with his plan I do not
know, but I know he wrote a letter a few
weeks previous to his attack to some gentle
men in Boston, which read, as near as I can
recollect, as follows:
“ Date
“ Gentlemen : I have got nearly all my ma
chine* on, and shall be ready to start them in a
few days, unless prevented by a special Provi
dence. Everything is working well. I shall
want allthe funds yon promised mein a few
days. Yours, truely,
“CALM & STILL.”
In the mean time, the men who had en
gaged to go with him, had most of them
arrived at Chambersburg, Penn., and been
sent to the place which he had rented in
Washington County, Md., about five miles
from Harper’s Ferry. The greater part of
the men kept out of sight during the day,
for fear of attracting attention. The arms,
munitions, &c., were carted from Chambers
burg to his rendezvous. The spear heads
and guards came in strong boxes, and the
shafts passed for fork handles. They were
put together by our own men, at the house
where most of them were found. Letters
of importance came to the Chambersburg
Post Office, and were sent by some of our
own party to head quarters. The letters
of minor importance came to the Ferry to
J. Smith A Sons. All allusions to our
business were made in such a blind way that
they would not have been understood by
any outside parties, even should they have
been miscarried. The attack was made
sooner than it was intended, owing to some
friends in Boston writing a letter, finding
fault with the management of Capt. 8., and
what to them seemed his unnecessary delay
and expense. Ido not know who those
persons were, or how far they were cogni
zant of his (Capt. B.’s) plans. But I do
know that Dr. Howe gave Capt. Brown a
breech-loading carbine and a pair of muzzle
loading pistols, all of Government manufac
ture. They were left either at the house of
Capt. Brown, or at the school house, where
most of the arms were conveyed. At what
time and for what purpose they were given
to Capt. Brown I do not know. It was
supposed that Col. Hugh Forbes was dead.
I was told by Captain Brown that when
on East he had been told by Thaddeus
Hyatt, of New York, that some of the ne
groes at that place had informed him (Hy
att) that Forbes had “gone up”—a phrase
which Captain B. and the rest of our com
pany understood to mean that he had been
killed. Ido not think that Forbes had any
cognizance of our plans from the time of
our leaving Pedee, a year ago last April.
Previous to his quarrel with Capt. Brown,
we considered that he would hold a place
next to Brown in command. I do not
know the present whereabouts of Luke F.
Parsons or Charles Moffett. The last I
beard of Parsons was through Capt. Brown,
who informed me that Parsons had started
for Pike’s Peak, and that he (Brown) tho’t
he would be pretty tolerably peaked before
he got there. A short time before the at
tack on Harper’s Ferry, Captain Brown
requested me to find out in some way, with
out creating suspicion, the number of male
slaves on or near the roads leading from the
Ferry, for a distance of eight or ten miles,
and to make such memoranda that would
be unintelligible to others, but in such a
munner that I could make it plain to him
and the rest of the company. He gave me
two dollars to pay my expenses with. I
took the road from Harper’s Ferry to
Charlestown under the plea of gaining sta
tistics for a work to be published by John
Henri, and to decide a wager between him
and Mr. Smith. I did not go on any other
road. A few days after this Capt. Brown
sent his wagon over by his son Oliver and
Jeremiah Anderson, to bring my wife and
myself to his house. They gave me a note
from him which, as near as I can recollect,
read as follows:
“ Mr. Cooke— Dear Sir : You will please
get everything ready to come with your wife
to my house this morning. My wagon will
wait for you. I shall take your wife to Cham
bersburg, and will start early tomorrow morn
ing. Be as expeditious as possible. Be very
carefnl not to say or do anything which will
awaken any suspicion.
“ You can say your wife is going to make a
visit to some friends of hers in the country.
Be very careful that you do not let any of our
plans out. Yours, Ac., J. SMITH.”
My wife and myself accordingly left Har
per’s Ferry that night, accompanied by
Oliver Brown and Jeremiah Anderson, for
Captain Brown’s house, in Washington
county, Md.
The next day, after dinner, Captain B.
and his son Watson, together with mywife
and child,started for Chambersburg. When
Captain B. returned, he told me that he had
got her a good boarding place in Chambers
burg, at Mrs. Ritterer’s, and that she liked
her boarding place very well.
There were some six or seven in our
party who did not know anything of our
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.
constitution, and, as I have since understood,
were also ignorant of the plan of operations
until the Sunday morning previous to the
attack. Among this number were Edwin
Coppie, Barclay Coppie, Francis J. Mer
riam, Shields Green, John Copeland and
Leary.
The constitution was read to them by A.
D. Stephens, and the oath afterward admin
istered by Captain Brown. Sunday eve
ning previous to our departure, Captain
Brown made bis final arrangements for the
capture of Harper’s Ferry, and gave to his
men their orders. In closing, he said :
“ And now, gentlemen, let me press this one
thing on your minds : you all know how
dear life is to you, and how dear your lives
are to your friends; and, in remembering
that, consider that the lives of others are as
dear to them as yours are to you ; do not,
therefore, take the life of any one if you can
possibly avoid it; but if it is necessary to
take life in order to save your own, make
sure work of it.”
Count Walewslcl’s Circular.
The Moniteur publishes the folowing cir
cular dispatch, addressed by Count Walew
ski, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs,
to all the French diplomatic agents of the
Emperor:
Paris, Nov. 5, 1859.— Sir— The Zurich
negotiations had a starting point and an
object clearly defined beforehand. The
preliminaries of Yallafranca indicated to
the plenipotentiaries the spirit whioh ought
to inspire them, and the object they had to
attain.
The cession, the general conditions of
which were indicated at Vallafranca, gave
rise to many important questions as regards
their application. First of all, it was neces
sary to define the new frontier line between
Austria and Piedmont, enriched by Lom
bardy. Was the line to follow the right
bank or the valley road of the Mincio, and
what ought to be the range of the fortress
of Peschiera? As regards the line, the
government of the Emperor was of opinion
that it was conformable to justiee, as well as
to the interests of the new possessor of
Lombardy, to adopt the system which, in
attributing to that province half the bed of
the river, places the two adjoining States
on a perfect footing of equality, and gives
them the means of drawing from that water
course the same advantages for the safety of
their frontiers. The government of his Ma
jesty also thought it just to leave, according
to custom, the necessary rayon to Pes
chiera, and consented that the average r .nge
of fortresses under similar circumstances
should be adopted. Thus the line, on leav
ing the Tyrolese frontier on the north,
follows the middle of the Lake of Garda,
and, after making round Peschiera a semi
circle of the range ol 3,500 metres, it rejoins
on the south the valley road of the Mincio,
which it leaves only on its entrance into the
Upper Lake of Mantua, and starts again
from Le Grazie in a direct line towards
Scorzardo and Luzzara, on the Po. The
rich and spacious territory which extends
between this line and the Ticino, contains a
population which forms about three-fifths
of the ancient possessions of Austria beyond
the Alps, and which, by increasing that of
Piedmont more than one-third, brings it up
to nearly 8,000,000 souls.
Austria, who loses this territory, the
principal basis of her influence in Italy, re
nounces at the same time, by protocol, the
right of keeping a garrison in the three
great fortresses of Ferrara, Comacchio, and
Piacenza, which she possessed in virtue of
treaties, and thus is put aside one of the
dominating causes of the state of depend
ence in which the Italian Peninsula was
placed towards that Power. Her position
ceases entirely to be aggressive and prepon
derating, and is no longer of a character
which may not perfectly coincide with the
free development of the interests of Italy.
It was just that Austria, in ceding Lom
bardy, should not be charged with the mort
gage of that province, and that Piedmont
should receive the ceded territory with its
obligations as well as with its resources.
* * The debt of the Mont de Milan, an
institution formerly common to Lombardy
and Venetia, amounts to a little more than
250,000,000 francs, and Lombardy forming,
as I have just said, about three fifths of the
ancient Lombardo Venetian kingdom, the
share falling upon the province would be
150,000,000. If it had been necessary that
Lombardy should have a proportional share
in the general debt of the Empire, whatever
combination might have been adopted to
diminish the weight, it would have been
considerable, and the total would have
reached a sum which Austria at first ealeu
lated at 600,000,000, and which after her
last concessions still amounted to 375,000,-
000 francs.
This difficulty has been the chief aud
almost sole cause of the delays which for a
month suspended the negotiations. * * *
As price for its many sacrifices, France
only asks from Sardinia an indemnity of
60,000,000 f, which is about oue-sixth only
of the expenses of the war.
The treaties of Zurich, moreover, is all
clauses consequent upon either the territorial
cession or the restoration of peace, are
drawn up in the most liberal spirit. One of
the clauses, which concerns the giving up of
prisoners, was even fully carried out before
the negotiations were terminated. * * *
The treaties of Zurich also stipulate an
amnesty as extended as possible for all indi
viduals, civil or military, compromised in
the war. * * *
As regards the questions of general policy,
it was not for the plenipotentiaries to take
decisions which might have prejudiced that
solution, not only because they touch the
rights of third parties not represented in
the conference, but because, from their very
nature, they belonged to European delibera
tions. The government of the Emperor
looked upon them in that light immediately
after the signature of the preliminaries.
His opinion has not changed, and his pleni
potentiaries, conformable to their instruc
tions, have limited themselves to reproduce
in other terms the dispositions agreed upon
at Villafranca, between the Emperor and
his Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty.
The treaty of Zurich means, then, that
with a view to assure the tranquility of the
Pontifical States, and the power of the Holy
Father, the two sovereigns will unite their
efforts to obtain from his Holiness a system
of government which responds to the wants
of the populations.
As regards the Duchies, it has been set
tled that, as their territorial limits cannot
be altered without the sanction of the Pow
ers which participated in their formation,
the rights of the sovereigns of Tuscany, of
Modena, and of Parma are reserved between
the contracting parties.
Finally, the two powers engage them
selves to give their support to the formation
under the honorary Presidency of the Pope,
of a Confederation of the States of Italy,
having lor its object the development of the
moral and maternal interests of all its mem
bers, as also the common defence by means
of a federal army. Venetia, while remain
ing under the crown of Austria, is to form
part of this association.
Thus, the future remains open, in this
order of ideas, to combinations which may
be judged most expedient to pacify Italy,
and to consolidate the new conditions of
existence in which she is placed. The gov
ernment of his majesty has, moreover .agreed
with the Austrian government to invite the
Powers which signed the general act of
Vienna, of 1815, to meet in Congress to
consider the treaties of Zurich, and deliber
ate on pending questions, with the addition
of the Two Sicilies, Rome and Sardinia.
The government of the Emperor has al
ready received the assurance that the Holy
Father only awaits an opportune moment to
make known the reforms which he promises
conferring upon his States, and which will
have the effect, by assuring a general laical
government to the country, of giving it
guarantees of a better distribution of justice,
and of a control over the financial depart
ment by means of an elective assembly.
I have had the honor of pointing out to
you how the government of the Emperor
looks upon the pacification of the Duchies,
and you are aware that his view to find the
conditions is an arrangement based upon the
return of the Grand Duke of Tuscany to
his States, and which would combine with
certain arrangements of a nature to satisfy
at the same time the wishes and legitimate
interests Of the populations.
Always convinced on the other hand that
nothing will contribute so much to the pros
perity of Italy as the establishment of a
Confederation destined to make the efforts
and resources of each of its members con
tribute to the general welfare, the govern
ment of the Emperor intends to exert all its
influence to favor its establishment. It
remains equally convinced that the bases
laid down in the preliminaries and repro
duced in the treaty of Zurich are conforma
ble to the real interests of Italy, especially
if a separate administration and a national
army be obtained for Venetia.
Walewski.
JOHN BROWN’S LAST LETTER TO
HIS FAMILY.
interview with his wife,
From the New York Herald.
Charlestown Prison. )
Jefferson Co., Va., Nov. 30, 1859. J
My Dearly Beloved Wife, Sons and
Daughters , Every One :—As I now begin
what is probably my last letter that I shall
ever write to any of you, I conclude to
write to all at the same time. I will men
tion some little matters particularly ap
plicable to little property concerns in an
other place.
I recently received a letter from my wife,
from near Philadelphia, dated November
22d, by which it would seem that she was
about giving up the idea of ever seeing me
again. I had written to her to come on if
she felt equal to the undertaking, but I do
not know that she will get my letter in
time. It was on her account chiefly that I
asked her to stay back. At first I had a
most strong desire to see her again, but
there appeared to be very serious objections;
and should we never meet in this life, I trust
that she will in the end be satisfied that
it was for the best at least, if not most for
her comfort. I enclosed in my last letter to
her a draft of fifty dollars from John Jay,
made payable to her order. I have now
another to send her, from my excellent frknd
Edward Harris, of Woonsocket, R. 1., for
one hundred dollars, which I shall also make
payable to her order.
I am waiting the hour of my public mur
der with great composure of mind and
cheerfulness, feeling the strong assurance
that in no other possible way could I be
used to so mueh advantage to the cause of
good aud humanity, and that nothing that
either I or all my family have sacrified or
suffered will be lost. The reflection that a
wise and merciful, as well as just and holy,
God, rules not the affairs of this world only
but of all worlds, is a rock to set our feet
upon under all circumstances—even those
more severely trying ones into which our
feelings and wrongs have placed us. I have
now no doubt but that our seeming disas
ter will ultimately result in the most glori
ous success; so, my dear, shattered and
broken family, be of good cheer, and
believe and trust in God with all your
heart, and with all your soul; for He?doeth
all thinks well. Do not feel ashamed on
my account, nor for one moment despair of
the cause or grow weary of well doing. 1 bless
God I have not felt stronger in confidence
in the certain and near approach of a bright
morning and a glorious day than I have felt,
and do now feel, since my confinement
here. lam endeavoring to return, like a
poor prodigal as I am, to my Father,
against whom I have always sinned, in the
hope that he may kindly and forgivingly
meet me, though a very great way off".
Oh! my dear wife and children, wonld to
God you could know how I have been
travaling in birth for yon all, that no one
of you may fail of the grace of God.
Through Jesus Christ—that no one of
you may be blind to the truth and glorious
light of His Word, in which life and im
mortality are brought to light. I beseech
you every one, to make the Bible your daily
and nightly study, with a childlike, honest,
candid, teachable spirit of love and respect
for your husband and father.
And I beseech the God of my fathers to
open all your eyes to the discovery of the
truth. You cannot imagine how much you
may soon need the consolations of the Chris
tion religion. Circumstances like my own
for more than a month past have convinced
me beyond all doubt, of our great need of
some theories treasured up when our pre
judices are excited, and our vanity worked
up to the highest pitch. Oh! do not trust
your eternal all upon the boisterous ocean,
without even a helm or compass to aid you
in steering. I do not ask any of you to
throw away your reason ; I only ask you to
make a candid, sober use of your reason.
My dear young children, will you listen
to this last poor admonition of one who can
only love you ? Oh, be determined at once
to give your whole heart to God, and let
nothing shake or alter that resolution. You
need have no fears of regretting it. Do not
be vain and thoughtless, but sober minded ;
aad let me entreat you all to love the whole
remnant of our once great family. Try and
build up again your broken walls, and to
make the utmost of every stone that is left
Nothing can so tend to make life a blessing
as the consciousness that ycur life and ex
ample bless and leave you stronger. Still,
it is ground of the utmost comfort to my
mind to know that so many of you as have
had the opportunity have given some proof
of your fidelity to the great family of men.
Be faithful unto death ; from the exercise of
habitual love to man it cannot be very hard
to learn to love his Maker.
I must yet insert the reason for my firm,
belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible
notwithstanding I am perhaps naturally
skeptical, certainly not credulous. I wish
all to consider it most thoroughly when
you read that blessed book, and see whether
you cannot discover such evidence your
selves. It is the purity of heart, feeling our
minds as well as work and actions, which is
everywhere insisted on, that distinguishes it
from all the other teachings, that commends
it to my conscience. Whether my heart
be willing and obedient or not, the induce
ment that it holds out is another reason of
my convictions of its truth and genuineness;
but I do not here omit this my last argument
on the Bible, that eternal lile is what my
soul is panting after this moment. I men
tion this as a reason for endeavoring to
leave a valuable copy of the Bible to be
carefully preserved in remembrance of me,
for my posterity to see, instead of some
other book at equal cost.
I beseech you all to live in habitual con
tentment with moderate circumstances and
gains of worldly store, and earnestly to teach
this to your children and children’s children
after you, by example as well as precept.
Be determined to know by experience as
soon as may be, whether Bible instruction
is of divine origin or not. Be sure to owe
no man anything, but to love one aLOther.
John Rogers wrote to his children, “Abhor
that arrant whore of Rome.” John Brown
writes to his children to abhor, with undying
hatred, also, that sum of all villanies
slavery. Remember, he that is slow to
anger is better than the mighty, and he that
ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Remember, also, that they, being wise, shall
shine, and they that turn many to righteous
ness as the stars forever and ever.
And now, dearly beloved family, to God
and the work of His grace I commend you
all.
Your affectionate husband and father,
John Brown,
The interview between Brown and his
wife lasted from 4 o’clock in the afternoon
until 8 o’clock in the evening, when Gen.
Taliafero informed them that the period
allowed had elapsed, and that she must pre
pare for departure to the Ferry.
The interview was, I learn, not a very
affecting one—rather of a practical charac
ter, with regard to the future of herself and
children, and the arrangement and settlement
of business affairs. They seemed considera
bly affected when they first met, and Mrs.
B. was for a few moments quite overcome,
but Brown was as firm as a rock, and she
soon recovered her composure. There was
an impression that the prisoner might possi
bly be furnished with a weapon or strychnine
by his w fe, and before the interview her
person was searched by the wife of the
jailor, and a strict watch kept over them
during the time they were together.
At the time of separation they both
seemed to be fully self possessed, and the
parting, especially on his parr, exhibited a
composure, either feigned or real, that was
truly surprising.
She resented the idea that Capt. Brown
had done anything to deserve death, or to
taint his name with dishonor, and declared
that the ignominious character of the pun
ishment that was about to be inflicted upon
him was as cruel as it was unjust. She
regarded him as a martyr in a righteous
cause, ond was proud to be the wife ol such
a mau. The gallows, she said, had no
terrors for her or for him. She stated that
she had not seen him since last June, about
six months ago, and that they had been
separated with the exception of a few days
for nearly two years. They had, however,
corresponded, and she had always felt a
deep interest in the cause in which he was
engaged.
I learn from Capt. Avis, the jailor, that
the interview between the prisoner aud wife
was characteristic of the man, and the
direction given for the management and
distribution of his property embraced all
the minor details of his last will and testa
ment.
Gen. Taliaferro was also present, and
Capt. Brown urged that his wife be allowed
to remain with him all night. To this the
General refused to assent, allowing them
but four hours.
On first meeting they kissed and affection
ately embraced, and Mrs. Brown shed a few
tears, but immediately checked her feelings.
They stood embraced, and she sobbing, tor
nearly five minutes, and he was apparently
unable to speak. The prisoner only gave
way for a moment, and was soon calm and
collected, and remained firm throughout the
interview. At the close they shook hands,
but did not embrace, and as they parted he
said, “God bless you and the children.’’
Mrs. Brown replied, “God have mercy on
you,” and continued calm until she left the
room, when she remained in tears a few
moments and then appeared to depart.
The interview took place in the parlor of
Capt. Avis, and the prisoner was free from
manacles of any kind. They sat side by
side on a sofa, and after discussing family i
matters proceeded to business. He stated
that he desired his property to pass entirely j
into her possession, and appeared to place
full confidence in her ability to manage it
properly for the benefit of hi 3 younger chil
dren. lie requested her to remain at North j
Elba, New York, on the farm belonging to 1
her. He desired that his younger children
should be educated, and if she could not
obtain facilities for their education at home,
to have them sent to boarding school. He
then gave directions and dictated to Sheriff [
Campbell a will, which directed that all his
property should go to his wife, with the
exception of a few presents and bequests
which he made. To one of his sons he gave
a double spy-glass, and to another a watch
while a third was directed to take a tomb
or monument that marks the grave of his
father at North Elba, and have his name
age, and the manner of his death, together
with the cause for which he had suffered,
inscribed upon it. He directs that it shall
remain at North Elba as long as his family
reside there. To each of his children he
bequeathed the sum of fifty dollars, uud to
each of his daughters a Bible, to cost 35, to
be purchased out of money coming to him
from his father’s estate. Also he directs
that a Bible, to cost 33, shall be presented
to each of his grandchildren, and that SSO
each be paid to three individuils, whom he
named, if they can be found, and if not, to
their legal representatives.
Daring the course of conversation, Mrs.
B. asked him if he had heard that Gerrit
Smith had become insane, and had been
sent to the asylum at Utica? He replied
that he had read of it in the papers and was
sorry to hear it, but immediately changed
the subject.
The subject of the death of his two sons
was spoken of, and Mrs. Brown remarked
that she had made some effort, while at
Harper’s Ferry, for the recovery of their
bodies, to which object she said Col. Bar
bour had kindly consented to give his
assistance. Capt. Brown remarked that he
would also like the remains of the two
Thompsons removed, if they could be found,
but suggested it would be best to take his
body, with the bodies of hi 3 four sons, and
get a pile of pine logs and burn them
together ; that it would be much better and
less expensive to thus gather up all their
ashes together and take them to their Sna
resting place.
Sheriff Campbell told him that this would
not be permitted within the State, and
Mrs. Brown objected to the proposition
entirely.
The prisoner said that he contemplated
his death with composure and calmness. It
would undoubtedly be pleasant to live
longer, but as it was the will of God he
should close his career, he was content. It
was doubtless best that he should be legally
murdered for the good of his cause, and he
was prepared to submit without a murmur.
Mrs. Browm becoming depressed at these
remarks, he bid her cheer up. telling her
that h:s spirit would soon be with her
again, and that they would be reunited in
Heaven.
With regard to his execution, he said
that he desired no religious ceremonies,
either in the jail or on the scaffold, from
ministers who approve of the enslavement
of their fellow creatures ; that he would
prefer rather to be accompanied to the scaf
fold by a dozen slave children, and a good
old slave mother, with their appeal to God
for blessings on his soul, than all the elo
quence of the whole clergy of the Common
wealth combined.
A Sad Cast; of Female Rule
From the Schenectady News
We have rscently been put in possession
of some facts which we cannot record with
dry eyes. Out of respect to the feelings ot
of the lacerated parent we refrain from giv
ing names.
About three years ago, a gentleman who
has resided in this county, and not a bun
dred miles from our ancient city, until six
or eight months since, lost his wife, to whom
he was devotedly attached. He had, how
ever, one chiid, a girl of some fifteen sum
mers, whom he loved as the apple of his
eye. Anxious not to break up his house
hold, he employed a young woman, who
came to him well recommended, as house
keeper and niauager of his domestic affairs.
His daughter, who we will call Kate,
though that was not her name, had al
ways been of an affectionate but giddy dis
position, and, his business often calling him
from home, he placed entire confidence
in the staid, lady-like appearing person
he liad employed to take care of his house
hold.
Time passed on, and his daughter seemed
to be quite content, but more sober in her
demeanor. His housekeeper had friends,
she said, in Troy, and used sometimes to be
gone for a few days on a visit, and on sever
al of these occasions took his daughter with
her.
Some six months ago the father had occa
sion to move away from the city, and
would have taken his daughter with him.
but she had a great desire to attend
school at Troy. His housekeeper had ob
tained a place in Troy, she said, and would
oversee Kate, as she could board in the same
family.
About four weeks ago Mr. Blank return
ed to this city, and sent to Tro j for his
daughter. No such girl had ever been
there. The unhappy father, now frightened,
placed her daguerreotype in the hands of a
detective officer, who found her in a notori
ous den of infamy in Boston. The afflictea
father, almost heart-broken, went on to
Boston, where he found her a mere wreck of
her formar self. He has taken her to his
new home in the West. The housekeeper,
it seems, was a vile woman, and had taken
advantage of the girl’s merry disposition to
ensnare her to ruin.
Mrs Woodhouse, formerly Miss Orcutt,
of Hartford, where she has many friends
and acquaintances, died in Brownsville a
short lime since. The cause of her death
is attributed to the fright she suffered
during the recent disturbances at that
place by the Mexican banditti under Cor.
TINAS.