THE CAPTURE OF HARPER’S FERRY--COL. A. D. STEVENS AND PARTY SALLY OUT
TO THE PLANTATIONS--WHAT WE SAW, HEARD, DID, ETC.
As John H. Kagi and A. D. Stevens entered the bridge, as ordered in the
fifth charge, the watchman, being at the other end, came toward them
with a lantern in his hand. When up to them, they told him he was their
prisoner, and detained him a few minutes, when he asked them to spare
his life. They replied, they did not intend to harm him; the object was
to free the slaves, and he would have to submit to them for a time, in
order that the purpose might be carried out.
Captain Brown now entered the bridge in his wagon, followed by the rest
of us, until we reached that part where Kagi and Stevens held their
prisoner, when he ordered Watson Brown and Stewart Taylor to take the
positions assigned them in order sixth, and the rest of us to proceed
to the engine house. We started for the engine house, taking the
prisoner along with us. When we neared the gates of the engine-house
yard, we found them locked, and the watchman on the inside. He was told
to open the gates, but refused, and commenced to cry. The men were
then ordered by Captain Brown to open the gates forcibly, which was
done, and the watchman taken prisoner. The two prisoners were left in
the custody of Jerry Anderson and Adolphus Thompson, and A. D. Stevens
arranged the men to take possession of the Armory and rifle factory.
About this time, there was apparently much excitement. People were
passing back and forth in the town, and before we could do much, we had
to take several prisoners. After the prisoners were secured, we passed
to the opposite side of the street and took the Armory, and Albert
Hazlett and Edwin Coppic were ordered to hold it for the time being.
The capture of the rifle factory was the next work to be done. When we
went there, we told the watchman who was outside of the building our
business, and asked him to go along with us, as we had come to take
possession of the town, and make use of the Armory in carrying out our
object. He obeyed the command without hesitation. John H. Kagi and John
Copeland were placed in the Armory, and the prisoners taken to the
engine house. Following the capture of the Armory, Oliver Brown and
William Thompson were ordered to take possession of the bridge leading
out of town, across the Shenandoah river, which they immediately did.
These places were all taken, and the prisoners secured, without the
snap of a gun, or any violence whatever.
The town being taken, Brown, Stevens, and the men who had no post in
charge, returned to the engine house, where council was held, after
which Captain Stevens, Tidd, Cook, Shields Green, Leary and myself
went to the country. On the road, we met some colored men, to whom we
made known our purpose, when they immediately agreed to join us. They
said they had been long waiting for an opportunity of the kind. Stevens
then asked them to go around among the colored people and circulate
the news, when each started off in a different direction. The result
was that many colored men gathered to the scene of action. The first
prisoner taken by us was Colonel Lewis Washington. When we neared
his house, Capt. Stevens placed Leary and Shields Green to guard the
approaches to the house, the one at the side, the other in front. We
then knocked, but no one answering, although females were looking from
upper windows, we entered the building and commenced a search for the
proprietor. Col. Washington opened his room door, and begged us not to
kill him. Capt. Stevens replied, “You are our prisoner,” when he stood
as if speechless or petrified. Stevens further told him to get ready to
go to the Ferry; that he had come to abolish slavery, not to take life
but in self-defence, but that he _must_ go along. The Colonel replied:
“You can have my slaves, if you will let me remain.” “No,” said the
Captain, “you must go along too; so get ready.” After saying this,
Stevens left the house for a time, and with Green, Leary and Tidd,
proceeded to the “Quarters,” giving the prisoner in charge of Cook and
myself. The male slaves were gathered together in a short time, when
horses were tackled to the Colonel’s two-horse carriage and four-horse
wagon, and both vehicles brought to the front of the house.
During this time, Washington was walking the floor, apparently much
excited. When the Captain came in, he went to the sideboard, took
out his whiskey, and offered us something to drink, but he was
refused. His fire-arms were next demanded, when he brought forth one
double-barrelled gun, one small rifle, two horse-pistols and a sword.
Nothing else was asked of him. The Colonel cried heartily when he
found he must submit, and appeared taken aback when, on delivering up
the famous sword formerly presented by Frederic to his illustrious
kinsman, George Washington, Capt. Stevens told me to step forward and
take it. Washington was secured and placed in his wagon, the women of
the family making great outcries, when the party drove forward to Mr.
John Allstadt’s. After making known our business to him, he went into
as great a fever of excitement as Washington had done. We could have
his slaves, also, if we would only leave him. This, of course, was
contrary to our plans and instructions. He hesitated, puttered around,
fumbled and meditated for a long time. At last, seeing no alternative,
he got ready, when the slaves were gathered up from about the quarters
by their own consent, and all placed in Washington’s big wagon and
returned to the Ferry.
One old colored lady, at whose house we stopped, a little way from the
town, had a good time over the message we took her. This liberating the
slaves was the very thing she had longed for, prayed for, and dreamed
about, time and again; and her heart was full of rejoicing over the
fulfilment of a prophecy which had been her faith for long years. While
we were absent from the Ferry, the train of cars for Baltimore arrived,
and was detained. A colored man named Haywood, employed upon it, went
from the Wager House up to the entrance to the bridge, where the train
stood, to assist with the baggage. He was ordered to stop by the
sentinels stationed at the bridge, which he refused to do, but turned
to go in an opposite direction, when he was fired upon, and received a
mortal wound. Had he stood when ordered, he would not have been harmed.
No one knew at the time whether he was white or colored, but his
movements were such as to justify the sentinels in shooting him, as he
would not stop when commanded. The first firing happened at that time,
and the only firing, until after daylight on Monday morning.