Digital
History>eXplorations>John
Brown: Hero or Terrorist?> The
Raid>Statement Made by John Brown During and Immediately
After the Raid
Statements
Made by John Brown During and Immediately After the Raid
Source:
Sanborn, John Brown, 560-561
To the Master of the Armory, Whom He Held Captive
We
are Abolitionists from the North, come to take and release your
slaves; our organization is large, and must succeed. I suffered
much in Kansas, and expect to suffer here, in the cause of human
freedom. Slaveholders I regard as robbers and murderers; and
I have sworn to abolish slavery and liberate my fellow men.
To
Major Russell, First Virginia Soldier to Enter the Engine House
My
name is John Brown; I have been well known as Old Brown of Kansas.
Two of my sons were killed here to day, and I'm dying too. I
came here to liberate slaves, and was to receive no reward.
I have acted from a sense of duty, and am content to await my
fate; but I think the crowd have treated me badly. I am an old
man. Yesterday I could have killed whom I chose; but I had no
desire to kill any person, and would not have killed a man had
they not tried to kill me and my men. I could have sacked and
burned the town, but did not; I have treated the persons whom
I took as hos¬tages kindly, and I appeal to them for the
truth of what I say. If I had succeeded in running off slaves
this time, I could have raised twenty times as many men as I
have now, for a similar expedition. But I have failed.
To
a Newspaper Reporter
A
lenient feeling towards the citizens led me into a parley with
them as to compromise; and by prevarication on their part I
was delayed until attacked, and then in self defence
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