The impact upon Tuscaloosa of John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia in October, 1859.
from the November 26, 1859 Tuskaloosa Independent Monitor
The Military Company.
There was a meeting, according to our suggestion, last Monday night in the City Hall, to take the initiatory steps to organize a Military Company in this city. The meeting, though, was slimly attended and only some preliminary measures were adopted. A committee was appointed to wait upon the citizens, ascertain what aid can be obtained, and report to another meeting set for next Tuesday night.
We again confess that our hopes for the success of this effort are gloomy. Wo sincerely trust though that we are mistaken. Is it possible that there is not enough of public pride, liberality, enthusiasm, chivalry and manly spirit in Tuskaloosa to establish this company? We shall see. Remember the meeting next Tuesday night.
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
A great many of the Northern papers have attempted to palliate the treasonable attempt of "Old Brown" at Harper's Ferry, by the statement that he was made insane by ill treatment from the pro-slavery party in Kansas during the troubles there.
•The editor of the Herald of Freedom, published at Lawrence, Kansas, who passed through all these troubles and is familiar with all their details, in a recent issue of his paper makes a statement which completely demolishes all grounds for the pretext in Brown's behalf, above alluded to. Tho editor says: when the news of the threatened siege of Lawrence reached John Brown, Jr., who was a member of the Topeka Legislature, he organized a company of about sixty men and marched towards Lawrence. Arriving at Palmyra, he learned of the sacking of the town, and the position of the people. He reconnoitered for a time in the vicinity but finally marched back towards Ossawatomie The night before reaching that place, when only a few miles they camped for the night.
Old Brown, singled out with himself, seven men: These he marched to a point eight miles above the mouth of the Potawatomie creek, and called from their beds at their several residences, at the hour of midnight, on the 24th of May, Allen Wilkenson, Wm. Sherman, Wm. P. Doyle, and Drury Doyle. All were found the next morning by the roadside, or in the highway, some with a gash in their heads and sides, and their throats cut; others with their heads cut open in two places, with holes in their breasts, and hands cut off; and others had holes through their breasts, with their fingers out off.
No man in Kansas has pretended to deny that Old John Brown led this murderous foray. Up to that period not a hair of Old John Brown's head, that of any of his sons, had been injured by the pro-slavery party. It was not until the 10th of August, three months after the Potawatomie massacre, that the attack was on Ossawatomie by tho prosslavory forces and Frederiok Brown, a son of Old John, was killed.
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