onymous　letter　emanating　from　Springdale；　Iowa；　giving　information　which；　if　acted　upon；　would　have　led　to　an　investigation　and　stopped　the　enterprise。　The　24th　of　October　was　the　day　appointed　for　taking　possession　of　Harper's　Ferry；　but　fear　of　exposure　led　to　a　change　of　plan　and　the　move　was　begun　on　the　16th　of　October。　Six　of　the　party　who　would　have　been　present　at　the　later　date　were　absent。　The　march　from　Kennedy　farm　began　about　eight　o'clock　Sunday　evening。　Before　midnight　the　bridges；　the　town；　and　the　arsenal　were　in　the　hands　of　the　invaders　without　a　gun　having　been　fired。　Before　noon　on　Monday　some　forty　citizens　of　the　neighborhood　had　been　assembled　as　prisoners　and　held；　it　was　explained；　as　hostages　for　the　safety　of　members　of　the　party　who　might　　be　taken。　During　the　early　forenoon　Kagi　strongly　urged　that　they　should　escape　into　the　mountains；　but　Brown；　who　was　influenced；　as　he　said；　by　sympathy　for　his　prisoners　and　their　distressed　families；　refused　to　move　and　at　last　found　himself　surrounded　by　opposing　forces。　Brown's　men；　having　been　assigned　to　different　duties；　were　separated。　Six　of　them　escaped；　others　were　killed　or　wounded　or　taken　prisoners。　Brown　himself　with　six　of　his　men　and　a　few　of　his　prisoners　made　a　final　stand　in　the　engine…　house。　This　was　early　in　the　afternoon。　All　avenues　of　escape　were　now　closed。　Brown　made　two　efforts　to　communicate　with　his　assailants　by　means　of　a　flag　of　truce；　sending　first　Thompson；　one　of　his　men；　with　one　of　his　prisoners；　and　then　Stevens　and　Watson　Brown　with　another　of　the　prisoners。　Thompson　was　received　but　was　held　as　a　prisoner；　Stevens　and　Watson　Brown　were　shot　down；　the　first　dangerously　wounded　and　the　other　mortally　wounded。　Later　in　the　afternoon　Brown　received　a　flag　of　truce　with　a　demand　that　he　surrender。　He　stated　the　conditions　under　which　he　would　restore　the　prisoners　whom　he　held；　but　he　refused　the　unconditional　surrender　which　was　demanded。　About　midnight　Colonel　Robert　E。　Lee　arrived　from　Washington　with　a　company　of　marines。　He　took　full　command；　set　a　guard　of　his　own　men　around　the　engine…house　and　made　preparation　to　effect　a　forcible　entrance　at　sunrise　on　Tuesday　morning　in　case　a　peaceable　surrender　was　refused。　Lee　first　offered　to　two　of　the　local　companies　the　honor　of　storming　the　castle。　These；　however；　declined　to　undertake　the　perilous　task；　and　the　honor　fell　to　Lieutenant　Green　of　the　marines；　who　thereupon　selected　two　squads　of　twelve　men　each　to　attempt　an　entrance　through　the　door。　To　Lee's　aide；　Lieutenant　Stuart；　who　had　known　Brown　in　Kansas；　was　committed　the　task　of　making　the　formal　demand　for　surrender。　Brown　and　Stuart；　who　recognized　each　other　instantly　upon　their　meeting　at　the　door；　held　a　long　parley；　which　resulted；　as　had　been　expected；　in　Brown's　refusal　to　yield。　Stuart　then　gave　the　signal　which　had　been　agreed　upon　to　Lieutenant　Green；　who　ordered　the　first　squad　to　advance。　Failing　to　break　down　the　door　with　sledge…hammers；　they　seized　a　heavy　ladder　and　at　the　second　stroke　made　an　opening　near　the　ground　large　enough　to　admit　a　man。　Green　instantly　entered；　rushed　to　the　back　part　of　the　room；　and　climbed　upon　an　engine　to　command　a　better　view。　Colonel　Lewis　Washington；　the　most　distinguished　of　the　prisoners；　pointed　to　Brown；　saying；　〃This　is　Osawatomie。〃　Green　leaped　forward　and　by　thrust　or　stroke　bent　his　light　sword　double　against　Brown's　body。　Other　blows　were　administered　and　his　victim　fell　senseless；　and　it　was　believed　that　the　leader　had　been　slain　in　action　according　to　his　wish。　The　first　of　the　twelve　men　to　attempt　to　follow　their　leader　was　instantly　killed　by　gunshot。　Others　rushed　in　and　slew　two　of　Brown's　men　by　the　use　of　the　bayonet。　To　save　the　prisoners　from　harm；　Lee　had　given　careful　instruction　to　fire　no　shot；　to　use　only　bayonets。　The　other　insurgents　were　made　prisoners。　〃The　whole　fight；〃　Green　reported；　〃had　not　lasted　over　three　minutes。〃　Of　all　the　prisoners　taken　and　held　as　hostages；　not　one　was　killed　or　wounded。　They　were　made　as　safe　as　the　conditions　permitted。　The　eleven　prisoners　who　were　with　Brown　in　the　engine…house　were　profoundly　impressed　with　the　courage；　the　bearing；　and　the　self…restraint　of　the　leader　and　his　men。　Colonel　Washington　describes　Brown　as　holding　a　carbine　in　one　hand；　with　one　dead　son　by　his　side；　while　feeling　the　pulse　of　another　son；　who　had　received　a　mortal　wound；　all　the　time　watching　every　movement　for　the　defense　and　forbidding　his　men　to　fire　upon　any　one　who　was　unarmed。　The　testimony　is　uniform　that　Brown　exercised　special　care　to　prevent　his　men　from　shooting　unarmed　citizens；　and　this　conduct　was　undoubtedly　influential　in　securing　generous　treatment　for　him　and　his　men　after　the　surrender。　For　six　weeks　afterwards；　until　his　execution　on　the　2d　of　December；　John　Brown　remained　a　conspicuous　figure。　He　won　universal　admiration　for　courage；　coolness；　and　deliberation；　and　for　his　skill　in　parrying　all　attempts　to　incriminate　others。　Probably　less　than　a　hundred　people　knew　beforehand　anything　about　the　enterprise；　and　less　than　a　dozen　of　these　rendered　aid　and　encouragement。　It　was　emphatically　a　personal　exploit。　On　the　part　of　both　leader　and　followers；　no　occasion　was　omitted　to　drive　home　the　lesson　that　men　were　willing　to　imperil　their　lives　for　the　oppressed　with　no　hope　or　desire　for　personal　gain。　Brown　especially　served　notice　upon　the　South　that　the　day　of　final　reckoning　was　at　hand。　It　is　natural　that　the　consequences　of　an　event　so　spectacular　as　the　capture　of　Harper's　Ferry　should　be　greatly　exaggerated。　Brown's　contribution　to　Kansas　history　has　been　distorted　beyond　all　recognition。　The　Harper's　Ferry　affair；　however；　because　it　came　on　the　eve　of　the　final　election　before　the　war；　undoubtedly　had　considerable　influence。　It　sharpened　the　issue。　It　played　into　the　hands　of　extremists　in　both　sections。　On　one　side；　Brown　was　at　once　made　a　martyr　and　a　hero；　on　the　other；　his　acts　were　accepted　as　a　demonstration　of　Northern　malignity　and　hatred；　whose　fitting　expression　was　seen　in　the　incitement　of　slaves　to　massacre　their　masters。　The　distinctive　contribution　of　John　Brown　to　American　history　does　not　consist　in　the　things　which　he　did　but　rather　in　that　which　he　has　been　made　to　represent。　He　has　been　accepted　as　the　personification　of　the　irrepressible　conflict。　Of　all　the　men　of　his　generation　John　Brown　is　best　fitted　to　exemplify　the　most　difficult　lesson　which　history　teaches：　that　slavery　and　despotism　are　themselves　forms　of　war；　that　the　shedding　of　blood　is　likely　to　continue　so　long　as　the　rich；　the　strong；　the　educated；　or　the　efficient；　strive　to　force　their　will　upon　the　poor；　the　weak；　and　the　ignorant。　Lincoln　uttered　a　final　word　on　the　subject　when　he　said　that　no　man　is　good　enough　to　rule　over　another　man；　if　he　were　good　enough　he　would　not　be　willing　to　do　it。
  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE　Among　the　many　political　histories　which　furnish　a　background　for　the　study　of　the　anti…slavery　crusade；　the　following　have　special　value：　J。　F。　Rhodes；　〃History　of　the　United　States　from　the　Compromise　of　1860；〃　7　vols。　（1893…1906）。　The　first　two　volumes　cover　the　decade　to　1860。　This　is　the　best…balanced　account　of　the　period；　written　in　an　admirable　judicial　temper。　H。　E。　von　Holst；　Constitutional　anal　Political　History　of　the　United　States；〃　8　vols。　（1877…1892）。　A　vast　mine　of　information　on　the　slavery　controversy。　The　work　is　vitiated　by　an　almost　virulent　antipathy　toward　the　South。　James　Schouler；　〃History　of　the　United　States；〃　7　vols。　（1895…1901）。　A　sober；　reliable　narrative　of　events。　Henry　Wilson；　〃History　of　the　Rise　and　Fall　of　the　Slave　Power　in　America；〃　3　vols。　（1872…1877）。　The　fullest　account　of　the　subject；　written　by　a　contemporary。　The　material　was　thrown　together　by　an　overworked　statesman　and　lacks　proportion。　Three　volumes　in　the　〃American　Nation　Series〃　aim　to　combine　the　treatment　of　special　topics　of　commanding　interest　with　general　political　history。　A。　B。　Hart's　〃Slavery　and　Abolition〃　（1906）　gives　an　account　of　the　origin　of　the　controversy　and　carries　the　history　down　to　1841。　G。　P。　Garrison's　〃Westward　Extension〃　（1906）　deals　especially　with　the　Mexican　War　and　its　results。　T。　C。　Smith's　〃Parties　and　Slavery〃　（1906）　follows　the　gradual　disruption　of　parties　under　the　pressure　of　the　slavery　controversy。　》From　the　mass　of　contemporary　controversial　literature　a　few　titles　of　more　permanent　interest　may　be　selected。　William　Goodell's　〃Slavery　and　Anti…slavery〃　（1852）　presents　the　anti…slavery　arguments。　A。　T。　Bledsoe's　〃An　Essay　on　Liberty　and　Slavery〃　（1856）　and　〃The　Pro…slavery　Argument〃　（1852）；　a　series　of　essays　by　various　writers；　undertake　the　defense　of　slavery。　Only　a　few　of　the　biographies　which　throw　light　on　the　crusade　can　be　mentioned。　〃William　Lloyd　Garrison；〃　4　vols。　（1885…1889）　is　the　story　of　the　editor　of　the　Liberator　told　exhaustively　by　his　children。　Less　voluminous　but　equally　important　are　the　following：　W。　Birney；　〃James　G。　Birney　and　His　Times〃　（1890）；　G。　W。　Julian；　〃Joshua　R。　Giddings〃　（1892）；　Catherine　H。　Birney；　〃Sarah　and　Angelina　Grimke〃　（1885）；　John　T。　Morse；　〃John　Quincy　Adams。〃　Those　who　have　not　patience　to　read　E。　L。　Pierce's　po