A 19th Century Painting of John Brown Recovered, or Nearly So!
Researcher Judy Sweets |
Actual link: http://www.portals2history.com/p/images-in-questions.html
Researcher Judy Sweets |
Unidentified artist's rendering of Brown in Kansas, 1856 |
For three years, from 1855 through 1858, a group of Free Soilers under the “command” of “Captain” Brown (or “Osawatomie Brown,” as he was called after his heavily fortified Free Soil settlement) fought pitched battles against “Border Ruffians” (as the pro-slavery forces were known by their enemies), in one of which his son Frederick was killed.
Harpers Ferry, Sunday, October 16, 1859
Sketch of Brown, Oct. 1859, in
Frank Leslie's Illustrated News
Shortly after eight o’clock at night, having completed his preparations and his prayers, a broad-brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes, his full white beard bristling like that of Moses. . .
Brown now had thirty-five hostages and possession of the armory, but the slave uprising on which he was counting did not take place, and during the night, one by one, things started to go wrong.
[J.E.B.] Stuart got along well enough with his old opponent from Kansas— except for their difference of opinion about the legitimacy of slavery, they were the same kind of man: courageous, active, bold, exceedingly polite, and dangerous.
Artist's rendering of the Stuart-Brown parley at Harper's Ferry |
Green took the bent weapon in both hands and beat Brown around the head with it until the old man collapsed, blood pouring from his wounds.
Marine Israel Green, who tried to kill John Brown and later revised the story as a "capture" |
Margaret Washington, author of Sojourner Truth's America |
Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz |