THE SUNDAY OKEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 23, 1917.
STORY OF THE BROWNS' STRUGGLE AGAiiST
LECOMPTON LAWS TOLD BY SALMON BROWN
Stirring Events That Preceded Civil
Took Part in Effort
The H rowns'
Activities
1S55-5U.
In KiiMii
ET SALMON' BROWN. OF PORTLAND,
(This story was written several years
so for an Eastern publication, but was
never published. It has recentiy been re
written and corrected by Mr. Brown.)
IN THE Fall of 1855 we were called
to Lawrence to defend that little
city from the Missouri raiders who
had besieged the town with 2500
wen under Governor Shannon, with
Bherift Jones to enforce the Lecornpton
code of laws. Father took his horse
and wagon loaded with guns with all
jof his sons that were able to go, my
self among the rest, and started for
Lawrence in the evening. We got to
the Wakarusa bridge early the next
morning. The briaga was guarded by
the raiders, but they let us pass, as
we were all armed to the teeth.
We got into Lawrence that forenoon
and were greeted by Lane and Captain
Abbott with much joy on our arrival
and given quarters in the new Free
State Hotel. The town was well fort!-.
fled with earthworks under the dlrec-J
tion ct, Lane. There were then about
600 recruits in town to defend the place.
We had plenty to eat of bread and
meat and slept on the floor of the hotel.
Lane was in command of the men. I
think it was the next day after our ar
rival that a man by the name of Barber
was killed, about one mile south of
Lawrence by a gang under the
direction or Sheriff Jones. Barber
had been out to his home that day to
eee if his family were all right. As
he was returning he was killed by the
Jones posse and his body left where he
fell for the flies and vermin to destroy.
Some of our people heard the shooting
and went out and brought in his body,
which was placed in a room at the
hotel. Then a squad of our men went
and brought Mrs. Barbur in. The
scene that took place when the wife
saw the corpse was something I will
never forgot. It was heartrending. I
never heard such screams of anguish
from any human being.
Conference Is Held.
The whole town was now wild with
excitement. Governor Robinson had
arranged to meet Shannon that even
ing at the Free State Hotel to see if
they could not patch up a treaty and
stop the war. Shannon came up from
his horde of Missouri "militia" escorted
by a free state committee and was
taken to an upper -room In the hotel to
discuss the treaty with Robinson's fac
tion. He. Shannon, was well supplied
with liquor, which the committee fur
nished, knowing his weakness and hts
fall from high position through drink,
lie was .one of the finest-looking men
I ever saw, with a gigantic brain and
Physique, 6 feet 6 inches in height and
as straight as a liberty pole, with a
fluent tongue and impressive manners.
While Robinson's clique were man
ipulating Shannon there was a runior
that Sheriff Jones was to be admitted
to the upper council in the hotel. The
crowd was about equally divided be
tween Lane men. and Robinson men,
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yfe ( ( -& J " " ' t-l If
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War but Started Crusade Against Slave-Owning Described by Man Who
to Restore Order and Preserve Declaration of Independence.
and both sides ready to firht. with
guns In their hands, flourishing them
in a frantic manner. I looked on,
amazed at the scene. James H. Lane,
at a critical moment jumped on a big
work bench and said: "If Sheriff Jones
comes In here with the dead body of
Barber in the house we will carry him
out witn a couple or chips.
My brother John placed me at the
door to watch my father, for fear he
would shoot Sheriff Jones if he came
in, as had been arranged for by the
Robinson clique. The crowd seemed to
cool oft somewhat. Lane among the rest,
and Sheriff Aones was admitted to the
upper room and doped with rye. Very
little sleep came to any of the 600 that
night. The next morning Shannon,
very much sobered up, realized that he
had been beaten by his weakness and
tricked by the Robinson crowd, went
out to the planks that led into the
hotel and in a very dignified speech and
manner explained to all of us that a
compromise Tiad been completed and
no blood would be shed, and the va
lidity of the territorial laws would be
upheld. Of course he meant the le
cornpton laws. In fact, the Robinson
crowd got all the concessions they
asked for, but let Shannon clear him
self before the Pierce Administration,
which was behind the Lecornpton laws.
, Slavery Protest Made.
One of these laws made it punish
able with death to "speak, write or
circulate anything against slavery."
My father, who wanted to make a night
attack on the invaders who came there
to burn the town and kill the. bona
Tide settlers, that slavery might be
esiaonenea in Kansas, was so put out
,by the compromise that when Shannon
finished his speech he got up on the
same plank and said "We have been
betrayed by this compromise." Rob
inson's men caught hold of him and
pulled him down off the plank.
The little episode between Lane' and
Robinson about admitting Sheriff Jones
to the council after he had come fresh
from the killing of Barber was settled
the next day when we were all drawn
up ir line by Lane to be discharged, bv
vRobinson coming out rh front of Lane's
command ana apologias la a humble
manner for asking Jones into the coun
cil. He said he had made a great mis
"take. Lane, standing in front of his
command of 600 brave boys, said in a
voice that could be heard the whole
length of the line, that if Robinson
had been his own brother he would
have protested in the same manner.
Then we were discharged to go home
and through a. very cold Winter with
exceedingly deep snows.
Border Court Offensive.
Ir the Spring of 1856 we were all
very busy building houses and doing
Spring work, also attending free state
settlement meetings. The free state
men had a free state legislature run
by the bona fide settlers of the terri
tory. It was located at Topeka. if I
remember rightly. Judge Cato, of Ala
bama, was located with his border
court at ' Dutch Henry's crossing
of the Pottawatomie. The free state
settlers held a meeting to consider
what was to be done with this clash
in their territorial government. There
were otw 100 men present, including
my brother John's company of nearly
100 trained men. They passed resolu
tions to warn Cato not to try any one
under the border "ruffian" laws. My
father and my brother John were se
lected to deliver a copy of these resolu
tions to Judge Cato. 1 went along to
see how Cato would receive the warn
ing. He paid no attention to it but
went on organizing his court. He got
out warrants for all of the Browns
and the members of the free state
legislature that were in his district.
My brother John and H. H. Williams
were two of them. At this time Colo
nel Buford's men were located some
where within two or three miles a
little southwest of the Pottawatomie
crossing. My tether, to ascertain what
their future purposes- were, took his.
surveying instruments and flagmen and
cnainmen and ran a Jlne right into
their camp. I carried one end of the
chain. At this time all of the Pierce
Administration surveyors were South
ern sympathizers. That made us all
hail fellows well met. The Buford men
talked very freely, saying, among other
things, that they had come to Kansas
to help themselves first and the South
next. And there was one thing they
would do they would annihilate ev
ery one of those damned Browns and
would stand by Judge Cato until ev
ery damned abolitionist was in hell,"
Lawrence Threatened Asafa.
We returned home well nerved up
for future action. They did not know
at that time that they were talking
to Puritan stock. The warrants for
the arrests were put into the hands
of the Constable, who was old man
Doyle, and two sons that were depu
ties, to serve upon the whole Brown
crowd and Henry Thompson, Brown's
son-in-law. As soon as father heard
this he sent Henry Thompson and me
to Cato's courthouse unarmed. 10 miles
away, on foot, to see if they would-ar-rest
us. If we were arrested father
promised to rescue us the next day.
We remained around the courtroom
nearly half a day. but they were not
quite ready to act. I never could ap
prove of this act of father's in sending-
Thompson and myself on such a
hazardous scheme Just to bring about
the issue between, freedom and sla
very. I thought he trusted a little too
much in Providence.
While ail this was going on In the
Pottawatomie region we had another
call to make haste to the defense of
Lawrence, as the border raiders were
marching in force In that direction. My
brother John's company of Pottawato
mie rifles, 100 strong, augmented with
troops from the surrounding country.
Including Osawatomle, with father's
squad, made a forced march in the
night for the defense of Lawrence.
Hotel la Destroyed.
We traveled all night In the dark
and at daybreak In the morning we
were on the top of the hills south of
the Waukarusa, where we could see
Lawrence very distinctly. There were
about 200 men standing- there, tired
and hungry, gazing at the freestate
hotel all in flames. Just at this time
a messenger on horseback came up
the hill from the Waukarusa in great
haste. Our men made him a prisoner
at once. He said. "Who are you?" We
replied, "VVo ace free state men. going
to the defense of Lawrence." He said.
"You are the very men I want to see
as I have a hurry-up call for you." He
then took a paper out of his boot leg
and it was. read to our men in the
gray of the early morning. The im
port of the message was to hasten to
save Lawrence. The messenger did
not know until he got on top of the
hill that Lawrence was on fire.
This messenger told us that Senator
Charles Sumner, of Massachussets. had
been knocked down on the floor of the
United States Senate by Brooks,
of South Carolina. I do not think there
was a tired or hungry man in that
crowd as they were too much excited
to think of creature comforts. This
messenger gave his name but I do not
remember it. He was soon mixed up
with the other men and lost to my
view. Some of our men got weak in
the knees and expressed the belief that
the South had u whipped and were
ready to give up the fight. Others
were more on the fight than ever be
fore.
Some Are Frightened.
We all turned back to our troubles
on the Pottawatomie. My brother John
and some of his men on the way had
freed some slaves from a man who
had settled near our route back. Some
of the weak-kneed ones commenced a
howl against the act and soon had the
company all torn into shreds. They did
not want to mix up with "niggers" or
bolitionists. In the meantime father's
little company went back on the road
toward Ottawa Jones' place. I think
as near as I can remember it was about
half a mile from the Waukarusa hills
to the Jones home place. Near there
was a station where they served meals.
I think, from a tent. Anyway they had
a grindstone. There were a good many
men there when we arrived, among
them being II. H. Williams, of Potta
watomie, an old comrade of my brother
John, and later a resident of Osawato
mle, I understand. He was' a very fine
man but got badly cowed after he was
taken to Lecornpton a prisoner.
Me knew everybody on the Potta
watomie. My father told him we were
going back there to break up a Cato
court and get away with some of his
vile emissaries before they got away
with us. "I mean to steal a march on
the slave hounds, Williams," said
father. "That is just right," replied
Williams, "and I will write down their
names." which he did. I stood within
two feet of him when he gave the
names of all those that were later
killed, and some others. We all had
Implicit confidence in Mr. Williams
and knew he was giving us the truth.
Guide Is Weak-Kneed.
We then ground all of our swords
on the grindstone. When we had fin
ished old man Tousley In high glee
volunteered to haul all of our crowd
back in his lumber wagon. We started
off with the cheers of the crowd, with
their hats in the air, they all know
ing the purport of our mission. On the
way old man Tousley got weak in the
knees and wanted to .quit from, sheer
fear, but we wouldn't let him go, fear
ing he. might turn traitor and foil all
of our plans.
We went down to near the crossing
at Dutch Henry's and turned off to the
right up a deep grass canyon next to
the timber on the creek, far away from
all travel. We stayed there all that
night and all of the next day until late
n the evening. The reason for taking
the night for our work was because it
was impossible to take the men In the
daytime. And the broadswords were
used because It could be done In a
noiseless manner, while shooting would
have aroused the whole neighborhood.
Do ylm Are Slain.
We went to Doyles' first and encoun
tered a number of savage dogs. Old
man Tousley went after the dogs with
a broadsword and he and my brother
Fred soon had them all laid out. Tous
ley then went in without being asked
and worked with all his might, but not
as a prisoner as he afterwards claimed.
The three Doyles were taken out of the
house to a point a half mile or so away
and were slain with the broadswords.
Owen. Brown cut down one of them and
another of the Browns cut down the
old man and the other. Old Man Doyle's
wife gave the Doyles a terrible scor
ing as they were being taken from the
house. She said: "I told you you would
get into trouble for all of your devil
ment; and now you see it has come."
Henry Sherman was killed by Henry
Thompson, and also Wilkinson, at
about the same time the Doyles were.
Our party divided, Thompson and Winer
in one party and Owen Brown, Fred
Brown, Salmon Brown, Oliver Brown
and old man Tousley In the other,
father running back and forth between
the two parties. Father never raised
a hand In slaying these men. He shot
a bullet into the head of old man Doyle
about a half hour after he was dead
but what for I do not know. Perhaps
It was to call Thompson and Winer so
they could locate us and we could all
get together and return to our camp.
We all soon got to camp and remained
there all of the following day and un
til quite late at night. We left and
Tousley was more than willing to go
with us.
Slaying; la Regretted.
The night of the slaying I went alone
to the house of Mr. Harris, who worked
for Dutch Henry, and had the care of
a fine gray stallion. I made Harris
saddle the animal and hold the stirrup
for me to mount. I said, "Thank you
and good by." I never saw him again.
He made a report of this just as here
given before an investigating commit
tee. We moved back towards our place
near Middle Creek and camped. M
brother Owen felt terribly conscience
smitten because he had killed one of
the Doyles, and he cried and took on at
an agonizing rate. My brother John
made his way back to Osawatomle,
where his family had gone, in a very
dejected state of mind, bordering on a
breakdown. He hid himself in the tim
ber near Adair's old place, as the Mis
souri militia was taking prisoners and
scouring the country in every direction.
Father sent Owen with a fine race
horse that we had got by trading the
gray stallion to some parties up north
that had taken the racehorse from
some Missouri invaders and then
brought the animal down to trade with
us and get something of their own to
take back. Owen was to see John and
get him to come to our camp. Father
told Owen that if John would not come
to leave, the racehorse with him. Owen
went along the ridge towards Osa
watomle until he came to the bluff
about four miles west of that place
and to the right of the trail.
Owen Brows Chaaed.
Under the bluff there was a settlers
house and about 40 men, with as many
horses all saddled. The men were
seemingly taking a little rest. Owen
rode down the bluff and was seen by
the crowd. They began to yell: "There
goes one of them damned Browns."
They at once mounted their horses and
took after Owen, yelling like demons.
Owen put spurs to his horse and made
tor. Otawatomie which (ilace he .easily
SON OF JOHN BROWN, NOTED
RAIDER, LIVES IN PORTLAND
Salmon Brown, Last Survivor of Famous Family That Participated in Strife
in Kansas Before Civil War, Is Spending Declining Days Here.
BY ADDISON BENNETT.
HEN John Brown went cheerful-
to his death on the gallows
at Charlestown. Va. (.now West
Virginia), on December 3. 1859, one
of the great figures of this country
passed away. No matter whether he
was right or wrong, no matter wheth
er looked at as a vile sinner or as a
martyr his name will ever occupy a
page on the history of our country as
one who died for his convictions, as
one who thought he was appointed
from on high as a liberator of the op
pressed, and was faithful to that ap
pointment to the end.
Nearly all of those who participated
with John Brown during his two active
years of fighting in Kansas, as well
as those who were with him at Har
pers Ferry, have passed away. But
little can now be learned of the old
warrior save by written history and
hearsay at third hand. - But there is
still one of the sons of John Brown,
Salmon Brown, alive and well, and he
resides In Portland, I have recently
had many interview with him and
have gone over the story of the active
days of his father's life in every de
tail. Salmon Brown was the third
child of John Brown by his second
wife. He was born at Hudson. O., Oc
tober 2,1836, hence was 80 years old
at his last birthday.
Family Came la Mayflower.
To go back and trace very briefly
the Brown family. It Is found that
John Brown traced hia ancestry in thii
country back to Peter Brown, an Eng
lishman, who came over on the May
flower with the Puritans in 1820; his
first wife. Dianthe Link, was also the
scion of Puritan stock, as was also his
second wife, Mary Anne Day. also
a woman of fine ancestry. During the
Revolutionary War the father of John
Brown and also the father of his first
wife and the father of his second
wife, fought throughout the war.
His first wife was the mother of
seven children John Brown Jr.. Jason
Brown. Owen Brown. Frederick Brown
(1) , Ruth Brown and Frederick Brown
(2) . The first Frederick died in in
fancy and the same name was given
to the sixth child. An infant son was
buried with his mother three days
after his birth.
The second wife bore 13 children,
but only six of them Watson, Salmon,
Oliver, Anne, Sarah and Ellen lived
to reach maturity.
John Brown was pretty well educat
ed and studied surveying. However,
as a young man he took up the tan
ning business and learned that trade.
Later he settled down as a farmer, his
specialty being pure-bred stock. In
the Fall of 185 most of the Browns
lived in Northeastern Ohio, the elder
Brown there in the stock business. At
that time there was a great deal being
said about "Bleeding Kansas." and
the eyes of the great majority of the
citizens of the country were turned in
that direction.
Kansas Land Takes.
Along late in the Fall of that year
Frederick and Owen Brown concluded
to go to Kansas and take up land.
Through their own efforts they had ac
cumulated some property and with the
assistance of their father they made
up quite a little band of livestock, con
sisting of pure-bred sheep and cattle
and a thoroughbred mare and colt.
They got as far as Merlden. III., wh.ri
an uncle lived, and there they re-
umiiiea auring tne winter.
In the Spring of 1855 Salmon Brown
went out to Illinois and took charge
of the cattle, and Jason and John Jr..
with their families, also left Oh!6 for
the "promised land." The latter took
with them a well-selected lot of nurs
ery stock. After various difficulties
these five young men and the families
of two of them reached Kansas and
selected claims around the Osawatrmi
country, in what is now Miami County.
aney were aDout bo miles southwest
of Kansas City and 25 miles nearly
south of Lawrence. Also within 9n
miles of the Missouri line.
those were troublous days In Kan
sas. Of course every schoolboy, even,
knows that the whole trouble waa over
tne Slavery question. The slavehold-
ers wished to make Kansas a slave
made, distancing his would-be captors.
He saw John in the woods, but he
could do nothing with him, as his head
was sUIl wild. He would not take
the horse, and Owen came back, most
of the way through the timber. When
he got back he was so used up that he
could not keep from going to sleep
when he was talking of his trip.
The next day Howard Carpenter, who
lived near Palmyra, came to our camp
on a branch of Middle Creek and want
ed our company, which was somewhat
Increased in numbers, to go up to
Palmyra, as Henry Clay Pate waa
camped at Black Jack Springs, and his
men were robbing houses In all direc
tions and taking free state prisoners.
We had Increased our stock of horses
since leaving Pottawattomie Crossing
by taking them from pro-slavery men,
and were now pretty well mounted.
We started that night for Palmyra,
led by Carpenter. When we got to the
lane south of the creek at Ottawa
Jones' place we found a company of
soldiers, a part of Colonel Wood's
command, rank pro-slavery men,
camped at the end of the lane to in
tercept us in case we should try to
get through.
Soldiers Lie la Walt.
We came up to the lane In single
file and were halted by their guards.
It was & very dark night. The men
were lying along both sides of the
road with their feet to the road. There
were still live coals In the middle of
the road where they had fires earlier
in the night. My brother Frederick
was in the lead and he commenced to
talk to the guard, his horse champing
the bit and prancing around. Suddenly,
and before the guard had time to
think, Fred rushed his horse through
the Jane over the coals and we all
followed like a flash of lightning. I
was behind, riding a mule and carrying
the blankets for the crowd, which were
fastened to the mule with a clrcingte.
I looked back after we had got
through-and the road was full of men,
who had been startled out ot their
sleep, and their, commander sot In
sight.
We got to the Ottawa Jones place
where wo found my brother Jason. He
asked father if we killed those men.
Father told him they had been killed
and that he, John Brown. Sr., was re
sponsible for it, Jason replied. "Then
you have committed a very wicked
crime." Father said. "God is my Judge."
Jason started for Osawatomle to give
himself up and was arrested with his
brother John and' they were horribly
treated and taken to Lecornpton to be
tried by the border laws.
Cato Court Knocked Out.
We left the Pottawatomie region
with .the Cato Court knocked to the
pit and the pro-slavery people flying
over to Missouri with their slaves and
families as fast as their underpinning
would take them. We went from Jones'
place up to near Palmyra and camped.
James Redpath was a reporter for
some newspaper and he came to our
camp to get something in the way of
news. He wanted to know what father
wanted him to say to the Eastern
newspapers. Father told him to say it
was a summary execution, which waa
all he had to say.
The next morning we went to Pal
myra. Father and Captain Shore had
16 men each for an attack on Black
Jack Sprlnes, where Tate's men were
camped. We started )ate on Sunday
state; the people from the free states
wished to have Kansas come into the
Union as a free state. Being? so close
to Missouri, a slave state, gave the
slave owners of that state a chance to
populate the mew state with people of
their own choosing to a great extent.
It was saverred by the free-state peo
ple that the elections in the Kansas
territory were manipulated by the
Missourlans and that most of the votes
were cast by men of that state.
Browne Lost Property.
Be that as It may. It is true that a
state bordering on civil war existed
in Kansas, that human life and property
were not secure, and that murder and
raplno ran riot. The five Brown
brother found this to be the rase and
the most of their property was de
stroyed. So along in the late Sum
mer they wrote back to their father
and asked him to send them out some
guns and ammunition to defend their
property. Ruth, the sister of the
Brown boys, and Henry Thompson, her
husband, were also there.
It ought to be here stated that the
elder John Brown, as well as his
father before him. had always been
an abolitionist, and it was generally
known that Brown frequently had a
Job on the "underground railway" over
which slave were run from the South
Into Canada. But it was not known
that up to that time he had made any
plans or had given any thought to
taking part in the agitation going on
in Kansas
He did not take many day to make
up. his mind about making the trip, and
late in August", of 1853. he and his sob
Oliver, the latter being about 16 years
of age. left Rockford. 111., where the
elder Brown had gone with his fine
stock, for Kansas. They reached the
Osawatomle settlement on October 6.
I did not start out to write a story
of Kansas or of the troubles of John
Brown and his sons In Kansas. My
object was in getting the storv of the
last survivor of the Browns before the
publio in his own language. I refer
to Salmon Brown, who. from all ac
counts, was looked upon by his father
as a leader among men. Salmon was
all through the troubles in Kansas,
from the beginning to the day when
the Browns left, the elder Brown, by
that time known as "Osawatomle
Brown." from the wonderful victory
won in the ' settlement of that 'name,
the name being taken from a river
that flows into the Missouri.
Salmoa Brews Accidentally Wounded.
Salmon waa never injured in any of
the troubles, but met with an acci
dent after the prisoners taken at Black
Jack had been surrendered. 'Salmon
picked up a loaded musket and the
trigger caught in a root and was dis
charged. It was loaded with duck shot
and the full load was dlseharged into
the biceps of his left arm. lt caused
a terrible wound and he came near
bleeding to death. He finally recov
ered but never regained the full use
of the arm.
Salmon left Kanscas with the others
and went back to Ohio. On October 15.
1857, he married Abble C. Hinckley,
who is still living and enjoying good
health. He removed from Ohio to
California and waa there In the live
stock and butchering business until
about 23 years ago. He then removed
to Salem. Or., and continued in the
same business. Some 13 years ago he
and hia family moved to this city.
where they have since resided. Mr.
Brown retired from active business
several years ago and is passing the
afternoon of his life at hia little home
on Fast Couch street.
Salmon was not at Harper's Ferry
with the other boys and his father. He
never luon pare in any ot tne later
torays or nis xatner. ile knew about
the plana for the Harpers Ferry raid
and tried to discourage his father and
brothers from undertaking the enter
prise. But John Brown was a man
who could not be shaken when he had
once, made up his mind to do a thing,
no matter how Impossible it might
seem to anyone else. So he went to
Harpers Ferry, fought his last fight
which, as it Is generally conceded, was
"the first shot of the Civil War." and
the entering wedge that destroyed
slavery.
arternoon from Palmyra for the fight
Night overtook us near the springs
and we had to camp until daybreak
the next morning. Their guard on the
ridge fired his gun and then ran to
their camp to give the alarm. We all
Jumped up and made for their camp
on the double quick. Captain Shore's
men. 15 In all, went down within 200
yards of their camp, lay down on the
ground and began to shoot at the men
who were scattered all around, getting
their breakfasts. They soon began to
return the fire. Father took his 15
men right down near their camp, at
the right, behind a little bank about
two feet high. This was all done under
their fire, which was very wild, for
tney were in a great panic We began
a cross-fire and this drew the fire
from the Shores men to us. which gave
Shores and his force time to retreat up
tne ravine, which they did and they
never came back. They went home.
saying they were hungry, as they had
not naa anything to eat since the day
before at breakfast. We kejt up our
lire, on ana on, until nearly noon.
Nearly one-half of Pate's men had been
wounded or had deserted. We fired at
every one that ran over the ridge for
Westport. They had about 25 horses
and mules picketed to the right of our
fire at them that they did not have
time to get Into the ravines.
Two Are Wouaded.
It was looking pretty dark for us,
as two of our men were wounded right
at my elbow and hey had to be es
corted away by three others, which
reduced our squad to 16. Father sent
one of our men up to the ravine to a
point out "of our sight to try and get
some ot tne men to come back, but he
never returned. Father told the rest
of us to shoot all of the horses and
mules In sight, which we did In short
order. In a few minutes they were
covered with buzzards, with which the
air was by this time thick. Then out
came a" man from their camp with a
flag of truce. When questioned he said
he was a prisoner in their hands.
Father told him to go back and tell
their captain to come out with him.
Pate came out and father asked him
what he was doing there. He went on
to tell that he was a captain of state
militia, sent there to enforce the Le
cornpton laws.
Father said. "Then I want an on
conditional surrender of you and your
men. and I will have It: go back to
your men." Then he sent us boys on
the double-quick around a point that
brought us right up to Pate's men. who
stood behind the ridge, with only their
heads and shoulders exposed, with their
rides at their shoulders aimed at us.
We pointed our guns at their heads,
only about 10 feet away.
All Are Takia Prisoners.
Father then said to Lieutenant
Brocket, "Tell your men to lay down
their arms." Brocket replied. "If our
captain says so. we'll do it; but I don't
think he is such a damned coward as
to do so." Father than turned to Pate,
who stood by hi side, and ordered him
to tell his men to lay down their arms.
Pate said. "Boy, lay down your arms
until we talk it over." Down went
their arms and the nine of us took a
company of 28 men. Pate did not know
at the time that our men who had
gone up the ravin had all deserted,
which they had.
. Just as they had surrendered, down
came Captain Abbott, of the Waukarusa,
with 100 men. all mounted and their
horses in a foam, to help us eat up.
their food supplies, their wagons be
ing well stocked. Captain Abbott
heard the firing while over on the
river early In the morniny and gath
ered his men and got over there about
noon. When the Pate men laid down
their arms to the nine men. five of
their captors were Browns, as follows:
Joh.i Brown. Owe.i Brown. Fred Brown.
Salmon Brown and Oliver Brown. I
mention these names to show that none
of the Browns who went Into the fight
showed the white feather, as they
were warne.-t not to by their grand
lather before they left Ohio.
Eirkanre of Prisoners Ordered.
When Colonel Sumner was ordered by
Secretary Marcy to make an exchange
rf prisoners and to give up the free
oU..c men imprisoned at Lecomnton.
wo were much pleased. Colonel Sum
ner came Into our camp with 160 dra
goons and Marshal Donaldson with a
warrant to arrest John Brown. Colo
nel Sumner ordered Donaldson to serva
the warrant, Donaldson, a big. fine
looking man. fumbled in his pockets
and said he had lost It. Sumner saidl
"You are a damned liar and a coward,
for I saw you have it a few minute
ago." So John Brown was not ar
rested. Sumner turned loose all the prisoner
that we had taken and then Secretary
Marcy countermanded the order for re
leasing the free state prisoners that
were held at Lecornpton. Our men, who)
had gathered to the number of fully
600, scattered to their homes to await
future results. Our little band went
Into hiding on short rations. - All tho
ten of us had to eat for about two
weeks was a sack of bran for bread
and gooseberries, sweetened with New
Orleans molasses. Colonel Woods'
troops and bands of border ruffians
were hunting us by day and night.
Colonel Sumner was always on our
side. He said to father one day: "if
I am ever ordered to shoot you or
at you or your men I will order my
men to shoot over their heads."
The battle of Black Jack was the
first battle of the great Civil War that
made our country free from slave-
holding;.
Battle la Described.
I will now give you a description
of the battle of Osawatomle. which was
given to me by my brother Jason, who
participated In the fighting from the
start to the finish. I would have been
there, but I was accidentally shot Just
after Colonel Sumner took our pris
oners from us:
"There was a rush made by Colonel
Buford with 400 men from Kansas
City to burn Osawatomie about tho
last day of August, 1856. and another
rush made by John Brown and 15 men,
who were then about 30 miles away,
to get there in time to raise more men
to defend Osawatomle.
"Both forces got there about the
same time the night before the battle.
Brown and his little band camped just
soi:th of Adair's old homestead on tho
Pottawatamle. They recruited 15 men
that night on the creek, making a force
of 80 men.
"Buford's men camped right near
the Osage River, Just north of the town
of Osawatomie. At daybreak the nxt
morning Brown's party heard men
shooting. They started over the lit
tle ridge north for the timber on the
Osage, single file. They were seen by
Martin White's squad, who were la
the lead of Buford's men. Martin
White, although a preacher, shot down
10 unarmed men who were doing their
chorea Buford had burned Osawato
mle and came up with their cannon
torch all lighted and colors flying-.
They halted a little more than 100 feet
from the brush and trees where they
saw Brown's men go into the brush.
Father's men opened fire on them, 30
guns all at once on their solid ranks.
"Their men fell by the score and they
broke all into groups. Colonel Buford
finally got his men into line again by
beating them over the barks with
sword. They finally got their cannon,
to work: the first few shells hit the
tops-' of the big oak trees. My father,
to encourage the boys, told them the
cannon was the most harmless thlnff
they could use. Finally the advance
of tha Buford men got down to the
edge of the brush, when father or-
dered his men to retreat across the
Osage. The Buford forces followed and
at the bank shot one of our men.
George Partridge, as he was clirabins
the opposite bank.
Battle Cllveo Brown Name.
"Our loss was very small, but they
had 70 killed and wounded. With four
wagonloads of killed and wounded
out of 400 men they must have seen
the hand of Providence. That Is the
way John Brown always looked at that
battle he thanked God for the vic
tory." (It was this battle that gave
Brown the name that he was after
known by Osawatomie Brown.)
There has been a great deal said
about the Pottawatamle slaughter by
peSp.'e who did not know the true in
wardness of the whole affair. The first
warrants issued by Cato's Lecornpton
court were for all of the Browns and
Henry Thompson. John Brown' son-in-law.
for talkirg In public place
against the Lecornpton code of border
ruffian laws which made It a crime
punishable with imprisonment for
speaking against slavery and one of
the penalties waa death. Cato was
warned against trying anyone under
that code of law. but he paid no at
tention to the warning and assumed
the whole responsibility for his ac
tions. The warrants were placed in
the hands of his underlings to be
served, and these underlings were the
lowest down slave catchers from Mis
souri that could be found on the Kan
sas side of the Missouri.
Cato wa responsible for the kllHnrr
of those five men Cato and nobody
else. To submit at that time would
have been treason against our form of
government. Cato at once lit out. left
the country, and all of those who had
slaves on the Kansas side went quickly,
across the river to Missouri.
And those warrants were never aft
erwards heard from, although It Is) .
now over 60 years since they were .
placed In the hands of those bardr
officers.
SCIENCE CLASS EXHIBITS
Experiments Are Made by Students
ot Will Una n Colic j;e.
WHITMAN COLLEGE, Walla Walls,
Wash., Feb. 24. (Special.) The science
departments of Whitman College last
Monday night gave an exhibition of tho
apparatus and work in the various de
partments.
In the physic department a Caw
endish balance for weighing the earth,
a large electric machine, the X-ray
tubes and a miniature monorail car at
tracted the most attention. The biology
department had on exhibition the vari
ous stages in the development of a
chick as well as microscopic mountings '
of parts of small Insects and a fine
collection of birds and forms of sea life.
The chemistry department demonstrat
ed the analysis of milk and alcohollo.
liquors and a new apparatus to be used
in electro-chemical work.
Knights Celebrate at Hubbard.
HUBBARD, Or., Feb. 24. (Special.)
The Knights of Pythias celebrated tha
fifty-third anniversary of the order at
Hubbard Thursday. A special train
carrying some 100 members of this fra
ternity from Portland, Oregon City,
Canby. Aurora and other points waa
met by the Hubbard band and local
lodge. Jewels of honor on account of
25 years' membership In the Knight
of Pythias lodge were awarded O. C.
Whitney and Samuel Daniels. The
main address of the evening waa given
by Leslie M- Krause. the vice-grand
chancellor of Oregon. Judge Grant B,
Dimick and others spoke upon the gen
oral theme of patriotism and trataralt
fa r 'ha Irirt or . vm-iimm