tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20136268.post1940526487856663474..comments2024-02-08T23:48:48.397-05:00Comments on <p><big>JOHN BROWN TODAY</big></p><p><i><center>A Biographer's Blog</center></i></p>: Personal Note: Older Than John BrownLouis A. DeCaro, Jr. . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/10895195726778019518noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20136268.post-84925411446123651242017-09-19T13:53:32.558-04:002017-09-19T13:53:32.558-04:00While there will always be one "The Old Man&q...While there will always be one "The Old Man" to those of us who study Brown, I am going to start affectionately calling you "Old Man". <br />Alice Keesey MecoyAlice Keesey Mecoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13503890371067129041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20136268.post-12632848874952204982017-08-21T01:02:28.146-04:002017-08-21T01:02:28.146-04:00Dear Barbara,
Thanks for your note. I'm very...Dear Barbara,<br /><br />Thanks for your note. I'm very pleased to learn about James Smith and I tend to agree with John Brown's use of his name. I do not think Brown used invented names, and seems to have appropriated names of his contemporaries. I did a post about this on Aug. 5, 2009. You can find it here:<br /><br />http://abolitionist-john-brown.blogspot.com/2009/08/notes-on-john-browns-names-of-war.html<br /><br />Regards,<br />LouLouis A. DeCaro, Jr. . .https://www.blogger.com/profile/10895195726778019518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20136268.post-15501026872462664352017-08-19T19:29:13.143-04:002017-08-19T19:29:13.143-04:00Hello Mr DeCaro,
My brother is the genealogist, n...Hello Mr DeCaro,<br /><br />My brother is the genealogist, not me. But I was googling pseudonyms of John Brown because we (my brothers and I) believe that John Brown used our great-great grandfather's name - James Smith as a pseudonym.<br /><br />James L Smith was in the first graduating class of Oberlin College (a strong abolitionist college). James L Smith was in the same class as Fairchild who became President of Oberlin. James received his bachelors and masters at Oberlin.<br /><br />James L Smith was an early colonist of Tabor, Iowa and one of the founding fathers of Tabor College. He was a good friend of Rev Todd Smith and lived half a block from him. James Smith lived in a two story house just across from the Tabor City Park where Brown's men practiced their routines. And as you know, Brown visited Tabor several times. I read in one place that said James L Smith was a firm friend of John Brown and was one of the Underground Conductors. James' son, Charles W. Smith was also a strong abolitionist (There seems to have been a Charles W. Smith in Lawrence, Kansas who was a strong abolitionist - I don't know if that was James' son). James Smith was very involved in the town of Tabor. Rev Todd had him draw up the first town plat. <br /><br />My brother and I visited Oberlin College and looked at the archives last year. They had a letter written by James L Smith, and he signed it as Jas L Smith with two dots, either above the "s" on Jas or below it which I found odd. <br /><br />My brother and I just came from visiting Tabor two weeks ago. It looks like James Smith had 297 acres right off the Tabor City Park. I also got copies of the minutes of the first Tabor meetings which I hope sheds some light on James' activities.<br /><br />By looking at your Blog, I know you have a large and strong understanding of John Brown. I apologize that I sound amateur - which I am. I am new, have patience with me. <br /><br />Barbara Smith Patchett<br />barbarapathchett@jalc.edu Barb Smith Patchetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18263675568474425317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20136268.post-83682053549959027822017-08-14T16:22:07.905-04:002017-08-14T16:22:07.905-04:00Thanks Kevin Hurd.
As a matter of fact, I did a...Thanks Kevin Hurd. <br /><br />As a matter of fact, I did a piece about JB in Wassonville last year. See this blog, July 7, 2016--John Brown’s Iowa Correspondence, July 1857. I learned some things writing that one.<br /><br />Regards and thanks again<br />LDLouis A. DeCaro, Jr. . .https://www.blogger.com/profile/10895195726778019518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20136268.post-27885546066068653872017-08-14T10:43:07.499-04:002017-08-14T10:43:07.499-04:00Belated happy birthday from a regular follower.......Belated happy birthday from a regular follower....maybe you should repost your June 25 blog in light of this weekends events. <br /><br />Unrelated, I live in Iowa City and am familiar with JBs presence in West Branch / Springville / Tipton area but was unaware of the family's visit to Decorah, interesting read. We drive by there 1-2 times a month, now I we will have to stop. <br /><br />Anyway...Do you no anything about John Brown (jr.sr.?) staying at Wasonville Iowa during one of his/their trips. May have been have involved an injured horse? Wasonville was 15-20 miles SW of Iowa City just N of present day Wellman. Happy Wanderings...k.hurdAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16118960013384513017noreply@blogger.com