Download the word file of this document.

John Brown was taken prisoner after the attack on Harper’s Ferry in 1859.  

At Harper’s Ferry on October 16, 1859 fierce eyed John Brown with 21 followers, white and black, captured the United States arsenal. Alarm raced through the slave States who were fearful of a Negro uprising. Colonel Robert E. Lee was sent by train from Washington to command a unit of marines.

From start to finish John’s invasion lasted 36 hours, ending when Lee captured him. Brown was tried for murder, convicted and hanged. The anti-slavery North had a martyr; the South a fear for what was to come.

 
 

John Brown’s Last speech

“I deny everything but what I have all along admitted; - the design on my part to free the slaves. Now if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel and unjust enactments - I submit; so let it be done.”        1859
 

John Brown

John Brown lived in the States before the Civil War broke out. He was born in Torrington, Connecticut, one of the Northern States, and spent all his life fighting for the freedom of the Negroes who were kept as slaves in the Southern States. Brown had been considering an invasion of the South, and began to collect arms and men for that purpose. His idea seems to have been to raid the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Western Virginia, and then encourage slaves to rebel. He and 18 followers captured the arsenal on October 18, 1859, but they failed to escape and he was delivered by Colonel Robert E. Lee to the court for trial. He was convicted on the charge of treason and hanged on December 2, 1859.

Two years later the Civil War broke out, and the Union Troops began to sing “John Brown’s body lies amouldering in the grave, but his soul goes marching on,” to the melody of an old hymn.   John Brown’s body lies amouldering in the grave, John Brown’s body lies amouldering in the grave, John Brown’s body lies amouldering in the grave, But his soul goes marching on. Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! And his soul goes marching on. He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord, He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord, He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord, But his soul goes marching on. Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! And his soul goes marching on. The stars of Heaven, they are looking kindly down, The stars of Heaven, they are looking kindly down, The stars of Heaven, they are looking kindly down, On the soul of old John Brown. Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! And his soul goes marching on.

Download the word file of this document.
Back to contents.