Chapter II: Preface

After the work of Sanborn, Hinton, Connelley, and Redpath, the only excuse for another life of John Brown is an opportunity to lay new emphasis upon the material which they have so carefully collected, and to treat these facts from a different point of view. The view-point adopted in this book is that of the little known but vastly important inner development of the Negro American. John Brown worked not simply for Black Men—he worked with them; and he was a companion of their daily life, knew their faults and virtues, and felt, as few white Americans have felt, the bitter tragedy of their lot. The story of John Brown, then, cannot be complete unless due emphasis is given this phase of his activity. Unfortunately, however, few written records of these friendships and this long continued intimacy exist, so that little new material along these lines can be adduced. For the most part one must be content with quoting the authors mentioned (and I have quoted them freely), and other writers like Anderson, Featherstonhaugh, Barry, Hunter, Boteler, Douglass and Hamilton. But even in the absence of special material the great broad truths are clear, and this book is at once a record of and a tribute to the man who of all Americans has perhaps come nearest to touching the real souls of black folk.

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS.

CONTENTS

CHRONOLOGY 11

I. AFRICA AND AMERICA 15

II. THE MAKING OF THE MAN 21

III. THE WANDERJAHRE 28

IV. THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP 48

V. THE VISION OF THE DAMNED 75

VI. THE CALL OF KANSAS 123

VII. THE SWAMP OF THE SWAN 145

VIII. THE GREAT PLAN 198

IX. THE BLACK PHALANX 235

X. THE GREAT BLACK WAY 273

XI. THE BLOW 308

XII. THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX 338

XIII. THE LEGACY OF JOHN BROWN 365

BIBLIOGRAPHY 397

INDEX 401

CHRONOLOGY

BOYHOOD AND YOUTH

1800— John Brown is born in Torrington, Conn., May 9th. Attempted
insurrection of slaves under Gabriel in Virginia, in
September.

1805— The family migrates to Ohio.

1812— John Brown meets a slave boy.

1816— He joins the church.

1819— He attends school at Plainfield, Mass.

THE TANNER

1819–1825— John Brown works as a tanner at Hudson, O.

1821— He marries Dianthe Lusk, June 21st.

1822— Attempted slave insurrection in South Carolina in June.

1825–1835— He works as a tanner at Randolph, Pa., and is postmaster.

1831— Nat Turner’s insurrection, in Virginia, August 21st.

1832— His first wife dies, August 10th.

1833— He marries Mary Ann Day, July 11th.

1834— He outlines his plan for Negro education, November 21st.

1835–1840— He lives in and near Hudson, O., and speculates in land.

1837— He loses heavily in the panic.

1839— He and his family swear blood-feud with slavery.

1840— He surveys Virginia lands for Oberlin College, and proposes
buying 1,000 acres.

THE SHEPHERD

1841— John Brown begins sheep-farming.

1842— He goes into bankruptcy.

1843— He loses four children in September.

1844— He forms the firm of “Perkins and Brown, wool-merchants.”

1845–51— He is in charge of the Perkins and Brown warehouse,
Springfield, O.

1846— Gerrit Smith offers Adirondack farms to Negroes, August 1st.

1847— Frederick Douglass visits Brown and hears his plan for a
slave raid.

1849— He goes to Europe to sell wool, and visits France and
Germany, August and September.

1849— First removal of his family to North Elba, N. Y.

1850— The new Fugitive Slave Law is passed.

1851–1854— Winding up of the wool business.

1851— He founds the League of Gileadites, January 15th.

IN KANSAS

1854— Kansas and Nebraska Bill becomes a law, May 30th. Five sons
start for Kansas in October.

1855— John Brown at the Syracuse convention of Abolitionists in
June. He starts for Kansas with a sixth son and his
son-in-law in September. Two sons take part in Big Springs
convention in September. John Brown arrives in Kansas,
October 6th. He helps to defend Lawrence in December.

1856— He attends a mass meeting at Osawatomie in April. He visits
Buford’s camp in May. The sacking of Lawrence, May 21st.
The Pottawatomie murders, May 23–26th. Arrest of two sons,
May 28th. Battle of Black Jack, June 2d. Goes to Iowa with
his wounded son-in-law and joins Lane’s army, July and
August. Joins in attacks to rid Lawrence of surrounding
forts, August. Battle of Osawatomie, August 30th.
Missouri’s last invasion of Kansas, September 15th. Geary
arrives and induces Brown to leave Kansas, September.
Brown starts for the East with his sons, September 20th.

THE ABOLITIONIST

1857— John Brown is in Boston in January. He attends the New York
meeting of the National Kansas Committee, in January.
Before the Massachusetts legislature in February. Tours
New England to raise money, March and April. Contracts for
1,000 pikes in Connecticut.

1857— He starts West, May. He is at Tabor, I., August and
September. He founds a military school in Iowa, December.

1858— John Brown returns to the East, January. He is at Frederick
Douglass’s house, February. He reveals his plan to Sanborn
in February. He is in Canada, April. Forbes’ disclosures,
May. Chatham convention, May 8–10th. Hamilton’s massacre
in Kansas, May 19th. Plans postponed, May 20th. John Brown
starts West, June 3d. He arrives in Kansas, June 25th.
He is in South Kansas, coöperating with Montgomery,
July-December. The raid into Missouri for slaves, December
20th.

THE HARPER’S FERRY RAID

1859— John Brown starts with fugitives for Canada, January 20th.
He arrives in Canada, March 12th. He speaks in Cleveland,
March 23d. Last visit of John Brown to the East, April and
May. He starts for Harper’s Ferry, June. He and three
companions arrive at Harper’s Ferry, July 3d. He gathers
twenty-two men and munitions, June-October. He starts on
the foray, Sunday, October 16th at 8 P. M. The town and
arsenal are captured, Monday, October 17th at 4 A. M.
Gathering of the militia, Monday, October 17th at 7 A. M.
to 12 M. Brown’s party is hemmed in, Monday, October 17th
at 12 M. He withdraws to the engine-house, Monday, October
17th at 12 M. Kagi’s party is killed and captured, Monday,
October 17th at 3 P. M. Lee and 100 marines arrive,
Monday, October 17th at 12 P. M. Brown is captured,
Tuesday, October 18th at 8 A. M.

1859— Preliminary examination, October 25th. Trial at Charleston
(then Virginia, now West Virginia), October 27th-November
4th. Forty days in prison, October 16th-December 2d.
Execution of John Brown at Charleston, December 2d. Burial
of John Brown at North Elba, N. Y., December 8th.

JOHN BROWN